persons of several of the magistrates, and consequently could not be
at a loss for means of traversing the assistance desired by Mr
Anson. And this opposition of the French was not merely the effect of
national prejudice or contrariety of political interests, but was in
good measure owing to their vanity, a motive of much more weight with
the generality of mankind, than any attachment to the public service
of their community: For, the French pretending their Indiamen to be
men of war, their officers were apprehensive that any distinction
granted to Mr Anson, on account of his bearing the king's commission,
would render them less considerable in the eyes of the Chinese, and
would establish a prepossession at Canton in favour of ships of war,
by which they, as trading vessels, would suffer in their importance:
And I wish the affectation of endeavouring to pass for men of war, and
the fear of sinking in the estimation of the Chinese, if the Centurion
was treated in a different manner from themselves, had been confined
to the officers of the French ships only.[9] However, notwithstanding
all these obstacles, it should seem that the representation of the
commodore to the mandarines of the facility with which he could right
himself, if justice were denied him, had at last its effect: For,
on the 6th of January, in the morning, the governor of Janson, the
commodore's advocate, sent down the viceroy of Canton's warrant for
the refitment of the Centurion, and for supplying her people with
all they wanted; and the next day a number of Chinese smiths and
carpenters went on board to agree for the work. They demanded at first
to the amount of a thousand pounds sterling for the necessary repairs
of the ship, the boats, and the masts: This the commodore seemed to
think an unreasonable sum, and endeavoured to persuade them to work
by the day; but that proposal they would not hearken to; so it was at
last agreed, that the carpenters should have to the amount of about
six hundred pounds; and that the smiths should be paid for their
iron-work by weight, allowing them at the rate of three pounds a
hundred nearly for the small work, and forty-six shillings for the
large.

[Footnote 9: This sly insinuation, it is pretty evident from
the preceding narrative, is directed against some of the English
merchants.--E.]

This being regulated, the commodore exerted himself to get this most
important business completed; I mean the heaving down the