rattan, which are often both shifted to the weather-side; and
the halyard, when the yard is up, serves instead of a third shroud.
The sails are made of mat, strengthened every thee feet by an
horizontal rib of bamboo; they run upon the mast with hoops, and when
they are lowered down, they fold upon the deck. These merchantmen
carry no cannon; and it appears, from this whole description, that
they are utterly incapable of resisting any European armed, vessel.
Nor is the state provided with ships of considerable force, or of a
better fabric, to protect them: For at Canton, where doubtless their
principal naval power is stationed, we saw no more than four men
of war junks, of about three hundred tons burden, being of the make
already described, and mounted only with eight or ten guns, the
largest of which does not exceed a four-pounder. This may suffice to
give an idea of the defenceless state of the Chinese empire. But it
is time to return to the commodore, whom I left with his two ships
without the Bocca Tigris; and who, on the 12th of December, anchored
before the town of Macao.

[Footnote 2: The plate is necessarily omitted.]

Whilst the ships lay here, the merchants of Macao finished their
agreement for the galleon, for which they had offered 6000 dollars;
this was much short of her value, but the impatience of the commodore
to get to sea, to which the merchants were no strangers, prompted them
to insist on so unequal a bargain. Mr Anson had learnt enough from the
English at Canton, to conjecture that the war betwixt Great Britain
and Spain was still continued; and that probably the French might
engage in the assistance of Spain, before he could arrive in Great
Britain; and therefore knowing, that no intelligence could get to
Europe of the prize he had taken, and the treasure he had on board,
till the return of the merchantmen from Canton, he was resolved to
make all possible expedition in getting back, that he might be himself
the first messenger of his own good fortune, and might thereby prevent
the enemy from forming any projects to intercept him: For these
reasons, he, to avoid all delay, accepted of the sum offered for
the galleon; and she being delivered to the merchants the 15th of
December, 1743, the Centurion the same day got under sail, on her
return to England. And on the 3d of January, she came to an anchor at
Prince's Island, in the straits of Sunda, and continued there wooding
and watering till the 8t