ship, as well as to pay the seams, where he caulked to stop the leaks,
had gotten two kettles just let down in the boat, one filled with
boiling pitch, and the other with rosin, tallow, oil, and such stuffs as
the shipwrights use; the carpenter's man had a great iron ladle with
which he used to supply the workmen with hot stuff, & as two of the
enemies entered the boat where the fellow stood, he saluted them with a
full ladle of the hot boiling liquor; which, the poor creatures being
half naked, made them roar out, and jump into the sea. _Well done,
Jack_, says the carpenter, _give them the other dose_: and so stepping
forward himself, takes a mop, and dipping it into the pitch-pot, he and
his man so plentifully flung it among them, as that none escaped being
scalded; upon which they all made the best of their way, crying and
howling in such a frightful manner, that, in all my adventures, I never
heard the like. And, indeed, never was I better pleased with any
conquest than I was with this, there being so little bloodshed, and
having an aversion to killing such savage wretches, (more than was
necessary) as knowing they came on errands, which their laws and customs
made them think were just and equitable. By this time, all things being
in order, and the ship swimming, they found their mistake, so they did
not venture a second attack. Thus ended our merry fight; and, having got
rice, bread, roots, and sixteen good hogs on board the day before we set
sail, not daring to go into the bay of Tonquin, but steering N.E. toward
the isle of Formosa, or as tho' we would go to the Manillas, or
Phillippine islands, for fear of meeting with any European ships; when
we anchored at the isle of Formosa, the inhabitants not only courteously
supplied us with provisions and fresh water, but dealt very fairly and
honestly with us in their bargains and agreements. From this place we
steered north, keeping still off the coast of China, till we were beyond
all its ports where European ships usually come; and, at length, being
come to the latitude of thirty degrees, we resolved to put into the
first trading port we should come at; and standing for the shore, a boat
came off two leagues to us, with an old Portuguese pilot on board, who
offered his service; we very gladly accepted him, and sent the boat back
again. And now, having the man on board, I talked to him of going to
Nanquin, the most northward part of the coast of China. _What will you
do there_? said he, smiling. I told him that we would sell our cargo,
and purchase calicoes, raw and wrought silks, tea, &c. and so return the
same way back. _O_, said he, _you had better put in at Macao, where you
may buy China wares as cheap as at Nanquin, and sell your opium at a
greater advance_. "But' said I 'we are gentlemen as well as merchants,
and design to see the great city of Pekin, and the magnificent court of
the monarch of China," _Why then_, said he, _you should go to Ningpo,
where is a navigable river that goes through the heart of that vast
empire, two hundred and seventy leagues from the sea, which crosses all
the rivers, passes considerable hills, by the help of the sluices and
gates, and goes even up to the city of Pekin. You may go to Nanquin if
you please, and travel to Pekin, and there is a Dutch ship just before
bound that way_. At the name of a Dutch or English ship, I was struck
with confusion; they being as great a terror to me in this vessel, as an
Algerine man of war is to them in the Mediterranean. The old man finding
me troubled, _Sir_, said he, _I hope the Dutch are not now at war with
your nation_. "No," said I, "but God knows what liberty they may take
when out of the reach of the law." _Why_, says he _what occasion is
there for peaceable merchants to fear? For believe me, they never meddle
with any but PIRATES._
[Illustration: The Carpenter and his man defeats the Cochinchinese.]
At the mentioning the word _pirates_, my countenance turned to that of
scarlet; nor was it possible for me to conceal it from the old pilot;
who was taking notice of it, _Sir_, said he _take what course you
please, I'll do you all the service I can._ "Seignior," said I, "I am a
little concerned at your mentioning pirates; I hope there are none such
in these seas, because you see in what weak condition we are to defend
ourselves." _O, Sir_, said he, _if that's all, don't be concerned, I
don't remember one in these seas these fifteen years, except above a
month ago one was seen in the bay of Siam, but he is gone to the
southward; neither was she built for a privateer, but was run away with
by a reprobate Captain, and some of his men, the right Captain having
been murdered by the Malayans_.
"What," said I, (as though ignorant of what had happened) "did they kill
the Captain?" _No_, said he, _it is generally thought the Malayans
murdered him; but they justly deserve hanging. The rogues were lately
discovered in the bay of Siam, in the river of Cambodia, by some
Dutchmen who belonged to the ship, and had much ado to escape the five
boats that pursued them, but they have solemnly sworn to give no quarter
to the Captain or the seamen but hang them every one up at the yard-arm,
without any formal business of bringing them to a court of judicature_.
Being sensible, that, having the old man on board, he was incapable of
doing me any mischief, "Well, Seignior, (said I) it is for this very
reason I would have you carry us up to Nanquin, where neither English
nor Dutch ships come; and I must tell you, their Captains are a parcel
of rash, proud, insolent rascals, that neither know what belongs to
justice, nor how to behave themselves as the laws of God or nature
direct; fellows that would prove murderers to punish robbers, and take
upon them to adjudge innocent men to death, without any proof to prove
them guilty, but perhaps I may live to call them to account for it, in a
place where they may be taught how justice is to be executed." And so I
told him all the story of buying the ship, and how we were saved by the
means of two men; that the murder of the Captain by the Malayans, as
also the running away with the ship, I believed to be true; but that
we, who bought it, were turned pirates, was a mere fiction to cover
their cowardice and foolish behaviour, when they attacked us, & the
blood of those men we killed in our own just defence, lay at their door,
who sent to attack us by surprise.
"Sir, (said the old man, amazed) you have taken the right course to
steer to the north, and, if I might advise you, I would have you sell
your ship in China, and buy or build another in that country; and I'll
procure people to buy the one and sell the other." "Well, but, Seignior,
(said I) if I sell the ship in this manner, I may bring some innocent
persons into the same dangers I have gone through, perhaps worse, even
death itself; whereby I should be as guilty of their murder as their
villainous executioners." "That need not trouble you, (says the old man)
I'll find a way to prevent that; for these commanders you talk of I know
very well, and will inform them rightly of the matter as you have
related, and I am persuaded they will not only believe me, but act more
cautiously for the future." "And will you deliver one message from me to
them?" "Yes, (said he) if you will give it under your hand, that I may
prove it is not of my own production," Hereupon I wrote a large account
of their attacking me in their long-boat, the pretended reason and
unjust design of it; that they had done what they might be ashamed of,
and could not answer for at any tribunal in England. But this letter was
writ in vain. Providence ordered things another way. We sailed directly
for Nanquin, and in about thirteen day's sail, came to an anchor at the
south-west point of the great gulf of that place, where we learned, that
two Dutch ships were gone the length before us, and that we should
certainly fall into their hands. We were all at a great loss in this
exigency, and would very gladly have been on shore almost any where; but
our old pilot told me, that if I would sail to the southward about two
and forty leagues, there was a little port called Quinchange, where no
European ships ever came, and where we might consider what was further
to be done. Accordingly we weighed anchor the next day, calling only
twice on shore by the way to get fresh water. The country people very
courteously sold us roots, tea, rice, fowls, and other provisions. After
five days sail we came to the port, and landed with unspeakable joy. We
resolved to dispose of ourselves and effects in any other way possible,
than enter on board that ill-fated vessel more; for no state can be more
miserable than a continued fear, which is a life of death, a confounder
of our understandings, that sets the imagination at work to form a
thousand frightful things that may never happen. And we scarce slept one
night without dreaming of halters, yard-arms, or gibbets, of fighting,
being taken, and being killed; nay, so violent were our apprehensions,
that we would bruise our hands and heads against the sides of the
cabin, as though actually engaged. The story of the Dutch cruelty at
Amboyns, often came into our thoughts when awake; and, for my part, I
thought my condition very hard; that after so many difficulties and such
signal deliverances, I should be hanged in my old age, though innocent
of any crime that deserved such punishment; but then religion would seem
to represent to me, as though the voice of it had said; 'consider, O
man! what sins you have been formerly guilty of; which now thou art
called to an account for, to expiate with thy blood! And as to thy
innocence, what art thou more innocent than thy blessed Redeemer, Jesus
Christ, who suffered for thy offences, and to whose providence you ought
to submit, let what will happen?' After this, natural courage would
inspire me to resist to the last drop of blood, and sooner die than
suffer myself to be taken by boorish, rascally Dutchmen, who had arts to
torment beyond death itself.
But now, thank kind Heaven, being ashore; our old pilot procured us a
lodging and a warehouse for our goods; it was a little hut with a large
warehouse joining to it, all built with canes, and pallisadoed round
with large ones, to keep out pilfering thieves, which are very numerous
in that country. The magistrates allowed us a little guard during the
night, and we employed a centinel with a kind of halbert for three pence
a day. The fair, or mart, we found, had been over for some time;
however, there remained in the river four junks and two Japan ships, the
merchants of the latter being on shore. In the first place, our old
pilot brought us acquainted with the missionary Roman priests, who were
converting the people to Christianity: two of them were reserved, rigid,
and austere, applying themselves to the work they came about with great
earnestness, but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father Simon,
was of a freer conversation, not seemingly so serious and grave, yet no
worse Christian than the other two, one of whom was a Portuguese, and
the other a Genoese. Father Simon, it seems, was appointed to go to
Pekin, the royal seat of the Emperor of the Chinese; and he only waited
for another priest, who was ordered from Macao to accompany him. We
never met together, but he was prompting me to accompany him in that
journey: _Sir_, said he, _I will show you the glorious things of this
mighty empire, and a city, the city of Pekin, far exceeding London and
Paris, put them both together_. One day in particular, being at dinner
with him, I showed some inclination to go; which made him press the more
upon me and my partner, to gain our perfect consent. _But, Father
Simon_, said my partner, _what satisfaction can you have in our company,
whom you esteem as heretics, and consequently objects not worthy your
regard? O_, said he, _you may be as good Catholics in time as those I
hope to convert to our religion. And so_, said I, _we shall have you
preaching to us all the way, instead of pleasing us with a description
of the country. Sir_, said he, _however our religion may be villified by
some people, it is very certain it neither divests us of good manners or
Christian charity; and as we are gentlemen, as such we may converse
together, without making one another uneasy_.
But we shall leave him a while, to consider our ship and the merchandise
which we had to dispose of. There was but very little trade in the place
where we were; and I was once resolved to venture to sail to the river
Kilam, and so to the city of Nanquin; but Providence ordered it
otherwise, by our old pilot's bringing a Japan merchant to us, to see
what goods we had. He immediately bought our opium, for which he gave us
a very good price in gold by weight, some wedges of which were about ten
or eleven ounces. It came into my head that perhaps he might buy the
ship too; and I ordered the interpreter to propose it to him. He said
nothing then, but shrugged up his shoulders; yet in a few days after he
came accompanied by a missionary priest, who was his interpreter, with
this proposal, _That as he had bought a great quantity of our goods, he
had not money enough to purchase our ship; but if I pleased he would
hire her, with all my men, to go to Japan, and from thence with another
loading to the Philippine islands, the freight of both which he would
very willingly pay to us before; and at their return to Japan, would buy
the ship_. Upon this we asked the Captain and his men if they were
willing to go to Japan; to which they unanimously agreed. While this was
in agitation, the young man my nephew left to attend me, told me, "That
as I did not care to accept his prospect of advantage he would manage it
for me as I pleased, and render me a faithful account of his success,
which would be wholly mine." Indeed I was very unwilling to part with
him; but considering it might be for the young man's good, I discoursed
with my partner about it, who, of his own generosity, gave him his share
of the vessel, so that I could do no otherwise than give him mine: but,
however, we let him have but the proper half of it, and preserved a
power, that when we met in England, if he had obtained success, he
should account to us for one half of the profit of the ship's freight
and the other should be his own. Thus having taken a writing under his
hand, away he sailed to Japan, where the merchant dealt very honestly by
him, got him a licence to come on shore, sent him loaded to the
Philippines with a Japanese supercargo, from whence he came back again
loaded with European goods, cloves, and other spiceries. By this voyage
he cleared a considerable sum of money, which determined him not to sell
his ship, but to trade on his own account; so he returned to the
Manillas, where, getting acquaintance, he made his ship free, was hired
by the governor privately to go to Acapulco in America, on the Mexican
coast, with a licence to travel to the great city of Mexico. This
traffic turned out greatly to account, and my friend finding means to
get to Jamaica, returned nine years after exceedingly rich into England.
In parting with the ship, it comes in course to consider of those men
who had saved our lives when in the river of Cambodia; and though, by
the way, they were a couple of rogues, who thought to turn pirates
themselves, yet we paid them what they had before demanded, and gave
each of them a small sum of money, making the Englishman a gunner, and
the Dutchman a boatswain, with which they were very well contented.
We were now about 1000 leagues farther from home, than when at Bengal.
All the comfort we could expect was, that there being another fair to be
kept in a month's time, we might not only purchase all sorts of that
country's manufactures, but very possibly find some Chinese junks, or
vessels from Tonquin, to be sold, which would carry us and our goods
wheresoever we pleased. Upon these hopes, we resolved to continue; and,
to divert ourselves, we took several little journies in the country.
About ten days after we parted with the ship, we travelled to see the
city of Nanquin. The city lies in latitude 30 degrees north of the line:
it is regularly built, and the streets are exactly straight, and cross
one another in direct lines, which sets it out to the greatest
advantage. At our return, we found the priest was come from Macao, that
was to accompany Father Simon to Pekin. That Father earnestly solicited
me to accompany him, & I referred him to my partner. In short, we both
agreed, and prepared accordingly; and we were so lucky as to have
liberty to travel among the retinue of one of their Mandarines, who is a
principal magistrate, and much reverenced by the people.
We were five and twenty days travelling thro' this miserable country,
infinitely populous, but as indifferently cultivated; and yet their
pride is infinitely greater than their poverty, insomuch that they
priests themselves derided them. As we passed by the house of one of
their country gentlemen, two leagues off Nanquin, we had the honour,
forsooth, to ride with the Chinese squire about two miles. Never was Don
Quixote so exactly imitated! Never such a compound of pomp and poverty
seen before!
His habit, made of calico, was dirty, greasy, and very proper for a
Mersy Andrew or Scaramouch, with all its tawdry trappings, as hanging
sleeves, tassels, &c. though torn and rent in almost every part; his
vest underneath it was no less dirty, but more greatly; resembling the
most exquisite sloven or greasy butcher; his horse (worse than
Rosinante, or the famous steed of doughty Hudibras) was a poor starved
decrepid thing, that would not sell for thirty shillings in England;
and yet this piece of worshipful pomp was attended with ten or twelve
slaves who guarded their master to his country seat. We stopped at a
little village for refreshment; and when we came by the country seat of
this great man, we found him sitting under a tree before his door,
eating a mess of boiled rice, with a great piece of garlic in the
middle, and a bag filled with green pepper by him, and another plant
like ginger, together with a piece of lean mutton in it: this was his
worship's repast: but pray observe the state of the food! two women
slaves brought him his food, which being laid before him, two others
appeared to perform their respective offices; one fed him with a spoon,
while the other scraped off what fell upon his beard and taffety vest,
and gave it to a particular favourite to eat. And thus we left the
wretch pleased with the conceit of our admiring his magnificence, which
rather merited our scorn and detestation.
At length we arrived at the great city of Pekin, accompanied by two
servants, and the old Portuguese pilot, whose charges we bore, and who
served us as an interpreter by the way. We had scarce been a week at
Pekin, but he comes laughing to us. "Ah! Seignior Inglise, (said he) me
something tell you make your heart glad, but make me sorry: for your
bring me here twenty-five days journey, and now you leave me go back
alone; and which way shall I make my port after, without de ship,
without de horse, without pecune?" so he called money in his broken
Latin. He then informed me, that there was a great caravan of Muscovite
and Polish merchants in the city, who were preparing to set out for
Muscovy by land within six weeks; and, that he was certain we would take
this opportunity, and consequently that he must go home by himself.
Indeed this news infinitely surprised & pleased me. "Are you certain of
this?" said I, "Yes, Sir, (says he) me sure its true." And so he told
me, that having met an old acquaintance of his, an Armenian, in the
street, who was among them, and who had come from Astracan, with a
design to go to Tonquin, but for certain reasons having altered his
resolutions, he was now resolved to go with the caravan, and to return
by the river Wolga to Astracan. "Well, Seignior, (said I) don't be
discontented about your returning alone; and if, by this means, I can
find a passage to England, it will be your own fault if you return to
Macao at all." And so consulting with my partner what was best to be
done, he referred it to me as I pleased, having our affairs so well
settled at Bengal, that if he could convert the good voyage he had made
in China silks, wrought or raw, he would be satisfied to go to England;
and so return to Bengal in the Company's ships. Thus resolved, we agreed
that if our pilot would go with us, we would bear his charges either to
Moscow or England; and to give him in a present the sum of one hundred
and seventy pounds sterling. Hereupon we called him in, and told him the
cause of his complaint should be removed, if he would accompany us with
the caravans; and, therefore, we desired to know his mind. At this he
shook his head, "Great long journey, (said he) me no pecune carry me to
Moscow, or keep me there." But we soon put him out of that concern, by
making him sensible of what we would give him here to lay out the best
advantage; and, as for his charges, we would set him safe on shore, God
willing, either in Muscovy or England, as he pleased, at our own charge,
except the carriage of his goods. At this proposal, he was like a man
transported, telling us he would go with us all the world over; and we
made preparations for our journey; but it was near four months before
all the merchants were ready.
In the mean time, my partner and the pilot went express to the port
where we first put in, to dispose of what goods had been left there,
while I accompanied a Chinese merchant who was going to Nanquin, and
there bought twenty-nine pieces of damask, with about three hundred more
of other fine silks; and, by the time my partner returned to Pekin, I
had them all carried thither; our cargo in silks amounted to 45col.
sterling, which, together with tea, fine calicoes, nutmegs, and cloves,
loaded eighteen camels for our share, besides what we rode upon, with
two or three spare horses, and two more loaden with provisions; the
company now was very great, making about four hundred horse, and above
one hundred and twenty men, well armed and provided. We were of several
nations, among whom were five Scotch merchants, inhabiting in Moscow,
and well experienced in trade.
We set out from Pekin the beginning of February our stile; and in two
days more, we passed through the gate of the great China wall, which was
erected as a fortification against the Tartars, being one hundred
English miles long. We then entered a country not near so populous,
chiefly under the power of plundering Tartars, several companies of whom
we perceived riding on poor starved horses, contemptible as themselves
without order of discipline. One time our leader, for the day, gave us
leave to go a hunting; but what do you think we hunted? only a parcel of
sheep, which indeed exceeded any in the world for wildness and
swiftness; but while we were pursuing this game, it was our chance to
meet with about forty Tartars, who no sooner perceived us, but one of
them blew a horn, at the sound of which there soon appeared a troop of
forty or fifty more, at about a mile's distance. Hereupon, one of the
Scots merchants (who knew their ways) ordered us to advance towards
them, and attack them immediately, As we advanced, they let fly a
volley of arrows, which happily fell a little short of us; this made us
halt a little, to return the compliment with bullets; and then being led
up by the bold Scot, we fired our pistols in their faces, and drew out
our swords; but there was no occasion; for they flew like timorous
sheep, & only three of them remained, beckoning to the rest to come
back. But our brave commander gallops up to them by himself, shot one
dead, knocked another of his horse, while the third ran away; and thus
ended our battle with the Tartars.
We travelled a month more through the Emperor of China's dominions; and
at length coming to one of their towns about a day and a half's journey
from the city of Naum, I wanted to buy a camel. The person I spoke to
would have brought me one, but, like a fool, I must go along with him,
about two miles from the village. My old pilot and I walked on foot,
forsooth, for some variety, when coming to the place where the camels
were kept as in a park guarded by Chinese soldiers, we there agreed and
bought one, which the Chinese man that came along with me led along the
road. But we had not gone far, before we were attacked by five Tartars,
mounted on horseback, two of whom seized the man, took the camel from
him, and rode away, while the other three approached us, the first of
whom suddenly seized me as I was drawing my sword, the second; knocked
me down, but my old trusty Portuguese taking a pistol out of his pocket,
which I knew nothing of, and coming up to the fellow that struck me, he
with one hand pulled him off his horse, and then shot him dead upon the
spot; then taking his scymitar, he struck at the man that stopped us,
but missing him, cut off one of his horses ears, the pain of which made
him throw his rider to the ground. The poor Chinese who had led the
camel, seeing the Tartar down, runs to him, and seizing upon his
pole-ax, wrenched it from his hands, and knocked his brains out. But
there was another Tartar to deal with, who seeming neither inclined to
fight nor fly, and my old man having begun to charge his pistol, the
very sight of it struck such a terror into the wretch, that away he
scoured, leaving my old pilot, rather my champion and defender, an
absolute victory.