air, and recounted to him the manner in which I had passed from
Macao, the reasons of my journey to Canton, and my wishes to leave it as
soon as possible. This last circumstance seemed particularly agreeable to
him, and gave me hopes, that I should find him equally disposed to hasten
my departure; and yet, as soon as he had recovered the courage to speak, he
began to recount the unavoidable delays that would occur in my business,
the difficulty of gaining admittance to the viceroy, the jealousies and
suspicions of the _Mandarins_, respecting our real designs, which had
risen, he said, to an extraordinary height, from the strange account we had
given of ourselves.

After waiting several days, with great impatience, for the event of our
application, without understanding that the matter was at all advanced
toward a conclusion, I applied to the commander of an English country ship,
who was to sail on the 25th, and who offered to take the men and stores on
board, and to lie-to, if the weather should permit, off Macao, till we
could send boats to take them out of his ship. At the same time he apprised
me of the danger there might be of his being driven with them out to sea.
Whilst I was doubting what measures to pursue, the commander of another
country ship brought me a letter from Captain Gore, in which he acquainted
me, that he had engaged him to bring us down from Canton, and to deliver
the stores we had procured, at his own risk, in the Typa. All our
difficulties being thus removed, I had leisure to attend to the purchase of
our provisions and stores, which was completed on the 26th; and the day
following, the whole stock was sent on board.

As Canton was likely to be the most advantageous market for furs, I was
desired by Captain Gore to carry with me about twenty sea-otters' skins,
chiefly the property of our deceased commanders, and to dispose of them at
the best price I could procure; a commission which gave me an opportunity
of becoming a little acquainted with the genius of the Chinese for trade.
Having acquainted some of the English supercargoes with these
circumstances, I desired them to recommend me to some Chinese merchant of
credit and reputation, who would at once offer me a fair and reasonable
price. I was accordingly directed to a member of the _Hong_; a society of
the principal merchants of the place; who being fully informed of the
nature of the business, appeared sensible of the delicacy of my situation;