spirit, as well as to his eminent
professional abilities in other respects, we may ascribe Captain
King's appointment, not long after his return home, to the command of
the Resistance man of war, sent on service to the West Indies.--E.

[105] J'ai _verifie_ moi-meme, avec plusieurs Chinois, la population
de Canton, de la ville de Tartare, et de celie de Battaux,
&c.--_Voyage aux Indes, &c_. par M. Sonnerat, tom. ii. p. 14.

[106] A catty is 18 oz.--A pecul 100 catty.

SECTION X.

Leave the Typa.--Orders of the Court of France respecting Captain Cook.--
Resolutions in consequence thereof.--Strike Soundings on the Macclesfield
Banks.--Pass Pulo Sapata.--Steer for Pulo Condore.--Anchor at Pulo
Condore.--Transactions during our Stay.--Journey to the principal Town.--
Receive a Visit from a Mandarin.--Examine his Letters.--Refreshments to be
procured.--Description, and present State of the Island.--Its produce.--An
Assertion of M. Sonnerat refuted.--Astronomical and Nautical Observations.

On the 12th of January, 1780, at noon, we unmoored, and scaled the guns,
which, on board my ship, now amounted to ten; so that, by means of four
additional ports, we could, if occasion required, fight seven on a side. In
like manner, the Resolution had increased the number of her guns from
twelve to sixteen; and, in both ships, a stout barricade was carried round
their upper works, and every other precaution taken to give our small force
as respectable an appearance as possible.

We thought it our duty to provide ourselves with these means of defence,
though we had some reason to believe that the generosity of our enemies
had, in a great measure, rendered them superfluous. We were informed at
Canton, that the public prints, which had arrived last from England, made
mention of instructions having been found on board all the French ships of
war, captured in Europe, directing their commanders, in case of falling in
with the ships that sailed under the command of Captain Cook, to suffer
them to proceed on their voyage without molestation. The same orders were
also said to have been given by the American congress to the vessels
employed in their service. As this intelligence was farther confirmed by
the private letters of several of the supercargoes, Captain Gore thought
himself bound, in return for the liberal exceptions made in our favour, to
refrain from availing himself of any opportunities of capture whic