; by some secret practices, that great part
of his live sea-store should die in a short time after it was put on
board, hoping to make a second profit of the dead carcasses, which
they expected would be thrown overboard; and two-thirds of the hogs
dying before the Centurion was out of sight of land, many of the
Chinese boats followed her, only to pick up the carrion. These
instances may serve as a specimen of the manners of this celebrated
nation, which is often recommended to the rest of the world as a
pattern of all kinds of laudable qualities.

The commodore, towards the end of September, having found out (as
has been said) that those who had contracted, to supply him with
sea-provisions and stores had deceived him, and that the viceroy had
not sent to him according to his promise, saw it would be impossible
for him to surmount the embarrassment he was under, without going
himself to Canton and visiting the viceroy; and, therefore, on the
27th. of September, he sent a message to the mandarine who attended
the Centurion, to inform him that he, the commodore, intended, on the
1st of October, to proceed in his boat to Canton, adding, that the day
after he got there he should notify his arrival to the viceroy,
and should desire him to fix a time for his audience; to which the
mandarine returned no other answer, than that he would acquaint the
viceroy with the commodore's intentions. In the mean time all things
were prepared for this expedition; and the boat's crew in particular,
which Mr Anson proposed to take with him, were cloathed in an uniform
dress, resembling that of the watermen on the Thames; they were in
number eighteen and a coxswain; they had scarlet jackets and blue
silk; waistcoats, the whole trimmed with silver buttons, and with
silver badges on their jackets and caps. As it was apprehended,
and even asserted, that the payment of the customary duties for the
Centurion and her prize would be demanded by the regency of Canton,
and would be insisted on previous to the granting a permission for
victualling the ship for her future voyage, the commodore, who was
resolved never to establish so dishonourable a precedent, took all
possible precaution to prevent the Chinese from facilitating the
success of their unreasonable pretensions, by having him in their
power at Canton; and, therefore, for the security of his ship, and
the great treasure on board her, he appointed his first lieutenant,
Mr Brett, to be captain