ve
it under your hand in writing, that I may be able to prove it came from
you, and not out of my own head." I answered, that I would readily give
it him under my hand. So I took a pen and ink, and paper, and wrote at
large the story of assaulting me with the long-boats, &c. the pretended
reason of it, and the unjust, cruel design of it; and concluded to the
commanders that they had done what they not only should have been
ashamed or, but also, that if ever they came to England, and I lived to
see them there, they should all pay dearly for it, if the laws of my
country were not grown out of use before I arrived there.

My old pilot read this over and over again, and asked me several times
if I would stand to it. I answered, I would stand to it as long as I had
any thing left in the world; being sensible that I should, one time or
other, find an opportunity to put it home to them. But we had no
occasion ever to let the pilot carry this letter, for he never went back
again. While those things were passing between us, by way of discourse,
we went forward directly for Nanquin, and, in about thirteen days sail,
came to anchor at the south-west point of the great gulf of Nanquin;
where, by the way, I came by accident to understand, that the two Dutch
ships were gone that length before me, and that I should certainly fall
into their hands. I consulted my partner again in this exigency, and he
was as much at a loss as I was, and would very gladly have been safe on
shore almost any where. However, I was not in such perplexity neither,
but I asked the old pilot if there was no creek or harbour, which I
might put into, and pursue my business with the Chinese privately, and
be in no danger of the enemy. He told me if I would sail to the
southward about two-and-forty leagues, there was a little port called
Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission usually landed from Macao,
on their progress to teach the Christian religion to the Chinese, and
where no European ships ever put in: and, if I thought proper to put in
there, I might consider what farther course to take when I was on shore.
He confessed, he said, it was not a place for merchants, except that at
some certain times they had a kind of a fair there, when the merchants
from Japan came over thither to buy the Chinese merchandises.

We all agreed to go back to this place: the name of the port, as he
called it, I may, perhaps, spell wrong, for I do not particularly
remember it