a visit to the viceroy. The
lieutenant was very civilly received, and was promised that an answer
should be sent to the commodore the next day. In the mean time Mr
Anson gave leave to several of the officers of the galleon to go to
Canton, they engaging their parole to return in two days. When these
prisoners got to Canton, the regency sent for them, and examined them,
enquiring particularly by what means they had fallen into Mr Anson's
power. And on this occasion the prisoners were honest enough to
declare, that as the kings of Great Britain and of Spain were at war,
they had proposed to themselves the taking of the Centurion, and
had bore down upon her with that view, but that the event had been
contrary to their hopes: However, they acknowledged that they had been
treated by the commodore, much better than they believed they should
have treated him, had he fallen into their hands. This confession from
an enemy had great weight with the Chinese, who, till then, though
they had revered the commodore's power, had yet suspected his morals,
and had considered him rather as a lawless freebooter, than as one
commissioned by the state for the revenge of public injuries. But
they now changed their opinion, and regarded him as a more important
person; to which perhaps the vast treasure of his prize might not a
little contribute; the acquisition of wealth being a matter greatly
adapted to the estimation and reverence of the Chinese nation.

In this examination of the Spanish prisoners, though the Chinese had
no reason in the main to doubt of the account which was given them,
yet there were two circumstances which appeared to them so singular,
as to deserve a more ample explanation; one of them was the great
disproportion of men between the Centurion and the galleon; the other
was the humanity with which the people of the galleon were treated
after they were taken. The mandarines therefore asked the Spaniards,
how they came to be overpowered by so inferior a force; and how it
happened, since the two nations were at war, that they were not put
to death when they came into the hands of the English. To the first of
these enquiries the Spaniards replied, that though they had more hands
than the Centurion, yet she being intended solely for war, had a great
superiority in the size of her guns, and in many other articles, over
the galleon, which was a vessel fitted out principally for traffic:
And as to the second question, they told