olestation, or even seeing any of
the inhabitants; but the second day, he was assaulted, soon after his
arrival, by a great number of Chinese who had been hoeing rice in the
neighbourhood, and who beat him so violently with the handles of their
hoes, that they soon laid him on the ground incapable of resistance;
after which they robbed him, taking from him his sword, the hilt of
which was silver, his money, his watch, gold-headed cane, snuff box,
sleeve-buttons, and hat, with several other trinkets: In the mean time
the boat's crew, who were at some little distance, and had no arms of
any kind with them, were incapable of giving him any assistance;
till at last one of them flew on the fellow who had the sword in his
possession, and wresting it out of his hands, drew it, and with it
was preparing to fall on the Chinese, some of whom he could not have
failed of killing; but the officer, perceiving what he was about,
immediately ordered him to desist, thinking it more prudent to
submit to the present violence, than to embroil his commodore in an
inextricable squabble with the Chinese government by the death
of their subjects; which calmness in this gentleman was the more
meritorious, as he was known to be a person of an uncommon spirit, and
of a somewhat hasty temper: By this means the Chinese recovered the
possession of the sword, which they soon perceived was prohibited
to be made use of against them, and carried off their whole booty
unmolested. No sooner were they gone, than a Chinese on horseback,
very well dressed, and who had the air and appearance of a gentleman,
came down to the shore, and, as far as could be understood by his
signs, seemed to censure the conduct of his countrymen, and to
commiserate the officer, being wonderfully officious to assist in
getting him on board the boat: But notwithstanding this behaviour,
it was shrewdly suspected that he was an accomplice in the theft, and
time fully evinced the justice of those suspicions.

When the boat returned on board, and reported what had passed to
the commodore, he immediately complained of it to the mandarine, who
attended to see his ship supplied; but the mandarine coolly replied,
that the boat ought not to have gone on shore, promising, however,
that if the thieves could be found out, they should be punished;
though it appeared plain enough, by his manner of answering, that he
would never give himself any trouble in searching them out. However,
a conside