MACAO--INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNOR--A VISIT TO CANTON.
The city of Macao is a Portuguese settlement situated in an island at the
mouth of the river of Canton. It was formerly a very rich and populous
city, and capable of defending itself against the power of the adjacent
Chinese governors, but at present it is much fallen from its ancient
splendour; for though it is inhabited by the Portuguese and has a
governor nominated by the King of Portugal, yet it subsists merely by the
sufferance of the Chinese, who can starve the place and dispossess the
Portuguese whenever they please. This obliges the Governor of Macao to
behave with great circumspection, and carefully to avoid every
circumstance that may give offence to the Chinese. The river of Canton,
at the mouth of which this city lies, is the only Chinese port frequented
by European ships, and this river is indeed a more commodious harbour on
many accounts than Macao. But the peculiar customs of the Chinese, only
adapted to the entertainment of trading ships, and the apprehensions of
the Commodore lest he should embroil the East India Company with the
Regency of Canton if he should insist on being treated upon a different
footing than the merchantmen, made him resolve to go first to Macao
before he ventured into the port of Canton. Indeed, had not this reason
prevailed with him, he himself had nothing to fear, for it is certain
that he might have entered the port of Canton, and might have continued
there as long as he pleased, and afterwards have left it again, although
the whole power of the Chinese Empire had been brought together to oppose
him.
The Commodore, not to depart from his usual prudence, no sooner came to
an anchor in Macao road than he despatched an officer with his
compliments to the Portuguese Governor of Macao, requesting His
Excellency by the same officer to advise him in what manner it would be
proper to act to avoid offending the Chinese, which, as there were four
of our ships in their power at Canton, was a matter worthy of attention.
The difficulty which the Commodore principally apprehended related to the
duty usually paid by all ships in the river of Canton, according to their
tonnage. For as men-of-war are exempted in every foreign harbour from all
manner of port charges, the Commodore thought it would be derogatory to
the honour of his country to submit to this duty in China; and therefore
he desired the advice of the Governor of Macao, who, being a European,
could not be ignorant of the privileges claimed by a British man-of-war,
and consequently might be expected to give us the best lights for
avoiding this perplexity. Our boat returned in the evening with two
officers sent by the Governor, who informed the Commodore that it was the
Governor's opinion that if the Centurion ventured into the river of
Canton, the duty would certainly be demanded; and therefore, if the
Commodore approved of it, he would send him a pilot who should conduct us
into another safe harbour, called the Typa, which was every way
commodious for careening the ship (an operation which we were resolved to
begin upon as soon as possible), and where the above-mentioned duty would
in all probability be never asked for.
This proposal the Commodore agreed to, and in the morning we weighed
anchor, and, under the direction of the Portuguese pilot, steered for the
intended harbour, where we moored in about five fathoms water. This
harbour of the Typa is formed by a number of islands, and is about six
miles distant from Macao. Here we saluted the Castle of Macao with eleven
guns, which were returned by an equal number.
The next day the Commodore paid a visit in person to the Governor, and
was saluted at his landing by eleven guns, which were returned by the
Centurion. Mr. Anson's business in this visit was to solicit the Governor
to grant us a supply of provisions, and to furnish us with such stores as
were necessary to refit the ship. The Governor seemed really inclined to
do us all the service he could, and assured the Commodore, in a friendly
manner, that he would privately give us all the assistance in his power;
but he, at the same time, frankly owned that he dared not openly furnish
us with anything we demanded, unless we first procured an order for it
from the Viceroy of Canton, for that he neither received provisions for
his garrison, nor any other necessaries, but by permission from the
Chinese Government; and as they took care only to furnish him from day to
day, he was indeed no other than their vassal, whom they could at all
times compel to submit to their own terms, only by laying an embargo on
his provisions.
On this declaration of the Governor, Mr. Anson resolved himself to go to
Canton to procure a license from the Viceroy, and he accordingly hired a
Chinese boat for himself and his attendants. On his arrival there he
consulted with the super cargoes and officers of the English ships how to
procure an order from the Viceroy for the necessaries he wanted. As it is
the custom with these gentlemen never to apply to the supreme magistrate
himself, whatever difficulties they labour under, but to transact all
matters relating to the Government by the mediation of the principal
Chinese merchants, Mr. Anson was advised to follow the same method upon
this occasion, the English promising to exert all their interest to
engage the merchants in his favour.
CHINESE PROMISES.
And when the Chinese merchants were applied to, they readily undertook
the management of it, and promised to answer for its success; but after
near a month's delay and reiterated excuses, during which interval they
pretended to be often upon the point of completing the business, they at
last threw off the mask, and declared they neither had applied to the
Viceroy, nor could they, for he was too great a man, they said, for them
to approach on any occasion.