UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES
 
 tf-
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE AND JOURNALS 
 
 OF 
 
 MAJOR SAMUEL SHAW
 
 
 
 

 

 
 THE 
 
 JOURNALS 
 
 OF 
 
 MAJOBV SAMUEL SHAW, 
 
 FIRST AMERICAN CONSUL AT CANTON. 
 
 A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, 
 
 JOSIAH QUINCY. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 WM. CROSBY AND H. P. NICHOLS, 
 
 111 WASHINGTON STREET. 
 
 1847.

 
 THE 
 
 JOURNALS 
 
 MAJOI* SAMUEL SHAW, 
 
 FIRST AMERICAN CONSUL AT CANTON. 
 
 A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, 
 
 JOSIAH QUINCY. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 WM. CROSBY AND H. P. NICHOLS, 
 
 111 WASHINGTON STREET. 
 
 1847.
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 
 
 THE BOSTON MARINE SOCIETY, 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE: 
 
 STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 
 METCALF AND COMPANY, 
 
 PRINTERS TO THE UNIVERSITY. 
 
 : : -.
 
 en 
 
 CL 
 
 1 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 THE subject of the ensuing Memoir, having 
 served his country with honor and distinction in 
 the army during the war of American Inde- 
 pendence, was the first who, after that event, 
 received the appointment of Consul of the Unit- 
 ed States ^at Canton from the American Con- 
 gress, in {1786; an appointment which, in 1790, 
 President Washington renewed. He resided sev- 
 eral years in that city, and was engaged for a 
 3 considerable period in active commerce in the 
 Chinese and Indian seas. The trade of the 
 United States with China and India he made 
 the special object of his study ; and at his 
 death, which occurred in 1794, he left, in man- 
 uscript, Journals containing an account of the 
 first and of other early voyages from the Unit- 
 
 275346
 
 Vi PREFACE. 
 
 ed States to Canton. They throw a light on 
 the commercial relations of our country with 
 those distant regions at that period, which can- 
 not fail to be interesting ; and, although the 
 intercourse of half a century intervening since 
 they were written may have made that which 
 was once novel now familiar, yet, from the un- 
 changeableness of Chinese habits and policy, 
 they undoubtedly contain much information, 
 which, even at this day, is both useful and 
 attractive. 
 
 These Journals of Major Shaw came, after 
 his death, into the possession of his nephew and 
 legal representative^JR,o^ejri~-Gjc)uld Shaw, of Bos- 
 ton. Their publication has often been solicited, 
 but has hitherto been withheld ; the present pro- 
 prietor doubting if a work not originally de- 
 signed for the press could with propriety be giv- 
 en to the public. He has, however, now yielded 
 to the urgency of friends, and to the assurance 
 of judicious merchants, long and intimately ac- 
 quainted with the China trade, that their publi- 
 cation not only will be practically useful, but is 
 due to the memory of their author, will redound 
 to his honor, and will gratify a wise public cu- 
 riosity concerning the early state and history of
 
 PREFACE. Vii 
 
 this branch of American commerce. Assuming 
 
 O 
 
 all the expenses, Mr. Shaw has transferred the 
 copyright of the book to the Boston Marine So- 
 ciety, in aid of whose funds he was of opinion 
 its proceeds would be most appropriately applied ; 
 and to this object they are devoted. 
 
 If the commercial information these Journals 
 contain is adapted to gratify curiosity, a deeper 
 sentiment will be excited by the narrative of 
 the military life of Major Shaw, composed chief- 
 ly of letters written to his nearest relatives and 
 friends, from his enlistment in the American ar- 
 my, at Cambridge, in December, 1775, to its 
 final disbandment, at West Point, in January, 
 1784, and describing almost every important 
 event in the war of the American Revolution. 
 Written at the moment of victory or of defeat, 
 amidst poverty and privation, they illustrate the 
 character of the writer, and also feelingly ex- 
 hibit the principles, motives, and spirit of that 
 class of the soldiers of our Revolution to which 
 he belonged, a class which entered the army, 
 at the commencement of the struggle for Inde- 
 pendence, under the impulse of patriotic zeal, 
 and, sustained by the same sentiment, contin- 
 ued in it until its close, undeterred by dan-
 
 Viii PREFACE. 
 
 gers or disasters, neither moved by the suffer- 
 ings they endured, nor disgusted by the neglect 
 or the wrongs they experienced from their coun- 
 try. On these men, more than on any other, the 
 arm of Washington leaned. Yet of them, indi- 
 vidually, history has little to record. Their agen- 
 cy, though efficient, was unobtrusive. They 
 thought not of telling the story of their own 
 services to posterity. The confidential narrative 
 contained in the private letters of Major Shaw 
 cannot, therefore, fail to awaken, in the Amer- 
 ican public, feelings of interest, respect, and grati- 
 tude. 
 
 Having been requested to prepare a Memoir 
 of the author of these Journals by the propri- 
 etor of them, I have undertaken the task from 
 no other motive than the gratification resulting 
 from being instrumental in perpetuating the mem- 
 ory of one who was during life honored and be- 
 loved by all who knew him. 
 
 It was my happiness, in my early youth, to 
 enjoy the privilege of his acquaintance and cor- 
 respondence ; and now, after the lapse of more 
 than fifty years, I can truly say, that, in the 
 course of a long life, I have never known an 
 individual of a character more elevated and chiv-
 
 PREFACE. ix 
 
 alric, acting according to a purer standard of 
 morals, imbued with a higher sense of honor, 
 and uniting more intimately the qualities of 
 the gentleman, the soldier, the scholar, and the 
 Christian. 
 
 JOSIAH QUINCY. 
 BOSTON, April, 1847.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 MEMOIR. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 His Birth, Parentage, and Education. Joins the American Army 
 as a Lieutenant of Artillery. Incidents occurring at Cambridge 
 and Dorchester Heights. March of the American Army to 
 New York. His Remarks on that City, and Conversation with 
 General Putnam. Arrival of General Howe with the British 
 Army, and immediately succeeding Events 3 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 Attack on the British Ships in Tappan Bay by American GaDeys. 
 
 Retreat of the American Army from New York. Straits to 
 which it was reduced. Death of Thomas Henley. Skirmish- 
 es with the Enemy before and after the Battle of White Plains. 
 
 His Indignation at the Conduct of the Militia. Capture of 
 Fort Washington by the British. Account of the Battle of 
 Princeton 18 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 Events of the War in the Jerseys. The Battle of Brandywine. 
 
 Capture of Philadelphia by the British. Battle of German- 
 town. Disaffection of Pennsylvania 31
 
 Xii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Eulogy of Washington. Battle of Monmouth. Arrest of Gen- 
 eral Lee. His Character. Picture of Men and Times. Duel 
 between General Lee and Colonel Laurens. Effects of the De- 
 preciation of the Paper Currency 45 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Ravages of the British in Connecticut. Capture of Stony Point 
 by General Wayne. Enterprise against Paulus Hook under 
 Major Henry Lee. His Arrest for Misconduct. Trial. De- 
 fence, and honorable Acquittal 61 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Incursion of the British into the Jerseys. Arnold's Treachery. 
 Difficulties in the Exchange of Prisoners. The Command 
 in the Southern Department conferred on General Greene. His 
 Character and Popularity 73 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 
 Revolt of the Pennsylvania Line. The French Army under Ro- 
 chambeau. Battle near the Cowpens. Revolt in the New 
 Jersey Line. A Subaltern's Outfit in the American Army. 
 Impositions on the Army, and the Injustice done to its Soldiers 
 by the States. Chevalier Mauduit du Plessis 84 
 
 CHAPTER VIE. 
 
 Discontent of the American Army. Address to Congress in its 
 Behalf by its Officers. Proceedings on that Occasion. The 
 Newburg Anonymous Addresses. Measures taken to counter- 
 act their Influence. Glorious Conduct of Washington. The 
 persecuting Spirit manifested towards the Tories condemned. . 99 
 
 CHAPTER EX. 
 
 Cessation of Hostilities proclaimed to the American Army. 
 Washington's and Knox's Certificates of Major Shaw's Services 
 and Merit. He engages in the First Commercial Enterprise 
 from the United States to China. Returns, and is appointed
 
 CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 the First Consul from the United States at Canton. His Second 
 Voyage to the Chinese Empire. His Residence there. Voy- 
 age to Bengal, and Return to the United States 108 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Third Voyage to Canton. Commerce with Americans prohibited 
 at Batavia. His Proceedings on that Subject. Death of his 
 Brother Nathaniel. He returns to New York. Vindicates 
 the Character of General Knox. His Marriage. Departure 
 for Bombay. His Death on the Return Voyage. Remarks 
 on his Life and Character. . 1 17 
 
 JOURNALS. 
 
 First Voyage to Canton 131 
 
 Second Voyage to Canton 215 
 
 Visit to Bengal 257 
 
 Return to Canton, and Voyage Homeward 293 
 
 APPENDIX . 335
 
 MEMOIR
 
 MEMOIR. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HIS BIRTH, PARENTAGE, AND EDUCATION. JOINS THE AMERICAN 
 
 ARMY AS A LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY. INCIDENTS OCCUR- 
 RING AT CAMBRIDGE AND DORCHESTER HEIGHTS. MARCH OF 
 
 THE AMERICAN ARMY TO NEW YORK. HIS REMARKS ON THAT 
 
 CITY, AND CONVERSATION WITH GENERAL PUTNAM. ARRIVAL 
 
 OF GENERAL HOWE WITH THE BRITISH ARMY, AND IMMEDIATE- 
 LY SUCCEEDING EVENTS. 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on 
 the 2d of October, 1754. He was the third son of Fran- 
 cis and Mary Shaw. His father, a merchant engaged 
 in extensive business, and distinguished for intelligence 
 and enterprise, early placed him at one of the common 
 schools of Boston, and at the usual age entered him at 
 the Latin School, then under the care of that distin- 
 guished teacher, James Lovell. His progress there is 
 said to have evinced great quickness of intellect ; and 
 the knowledge of Latin he acquired enabled him in after 
 life, during the leisure of the camp and of his voyages to 
 India and China, to become familiar with the most popu- 
 lar and admired Latin poets and historians, passages from 
 whose writings he often introduced into his letters and 
 journals ; such quotations from the classics not being then
 
 4 MEMOIR. 
 
 considered pedantic, but as the result of the natural associ- 
 ations of a well educated and judiciously cultivated mind. 
 
 Being destined for commercial pursuits, Samuel Shaw 
 soon quitted the school for the counting-house, in which 
 he was assiduously occupied, when the political circum- 
 stances of the times gave an unanticipated direction to 
 his thoughts and fortunes. 
 
 The relations of amity, and the feelings of affection, 
 which had subsisted for a century and a half between 
 the inhabitants of those British colonies which now con- 
 stitute the United States and the parent country, were 
 terminated on the 19th of April, 17-75, by the battle of 
 Lexington. The concentration of Continental troops in 
 the vicinity of Boston, and the battle of Bunker's Hill, 
 which succeeded, on the 17th of June, made it apparent 
 that hostilites were inevitable, and that a struggle had 
 commenced which arms alone could decide. On the side 
 of America, while manhood and middle age advanced to 
 meet the crisis with cautious but firm steps, the young, 
 the ardent, and the enterprising, casting away fear, and 
 taking counsel only of patriotism, rushed to the standard 
 of their country with a determined and intrepid zeal. 
 
 The subject of this memoir had not attained the age 
 of manhood when these events occurred. Circumstan- 
 ces, however, early enlisted both his principles and his 
 passions in the cause of his country. The northern part 
 of Boston, where he resided, was also the abode of some 
 of the most active and ardent spirits who gave character 
 and impulse to the first movements of the American Rev- 
 olution. 
 
 Troops, sent from the parent state to awe the colonies 
 into submission, and parading the streets of Boston, were 
 continual causes of excitement and anger ; giving intensi-
 
 MEMOIR. 5 
 
 ty to feelings which it was difficult to restrain, and im- 
 possible to allay. Boston being at that time regarded by 
 the British as a garrison town, the officers of the army 
 were billeted on the inhabitants. The house of Francis 
 Shaw was assigned for quarters to Major Pitcairn and 
 Lieutenant Wragg. A tradition in the family states, that, 
 the latter having at the table, in the presence of Samuel 
 Shaw, spoken of the Americans as " cowards and rebels," 
 he immediately resented the reproach, and transmitted to 
 the lieutenant a challenge. While arrangements for a 
 duel were in preparation, the fact came to the knowledge 
 of Major Pitcairn, who interfered, and, either by influence 
 or authority, obtained from the lieutenant such an apolo- 
 gy for the offence as Mr. Shaw was willing to accept, and 
 the affair was thus terminated. 
 
 On the 2d of October, 1775, Samuel Shaw attained 
 the age of manhood, and, with the assent of his father, 
 immediately took measures to insure his enrolment in 
 the army, then collecting at Cambridge under the aus- 
 pices of Washington. From this period a series of let- 
 ters, written by him to his father, his brother, and his 
 friend, the late Rev. John Eliot, D. D., are preserved, 
 and constitute the only remaining evidence of the events 
 of his military life. Extracts from these letters will 
 form the chief basis of the ensuing narrative. They 
 place in strong relief his spirit, sufferings, and virtues. 
 Nor can they fail to excite a more general interest, from 
 the graphic detail of the war of the Revolution by one 
 who was either an actor or a witness throughout the 
 whole period. 
 
 The application of Mr. Shaw to General Washington 
 was for a lieutenancy in the train of artillery. While it 
 was under the consideration of the Commander-in-chief, 
 he wrote thus to his father (December 1st, 1775) :
 
 6 MEMOIR. 
 
 " With respect to getting a commission, the matter rests with 
 the General, and I suppose will be determined to-day. Colonels 
 Mason and Burbeck have both of them been very friendly to me, 
 and recommended me to Captain Foster, of the train, who wil- 
 lingly accepted me, and returned me yesterday as one of his lieu- 
 tenants to the General. How it will turn, I know not ; but I 
 shall be extremely obliged to his Excellency if he do not make a 
 black mark against my name." 
 
 In the same letter he thus exults over the capture of a 
 British ordnance-ship by a Continental cruiser, command- 
 ed by Captain Manly : 
 
 " I congratulate you upon the occasion. It is one of the luck- 
 iest things that could have happened. General Gates, Colonel 
 Burbeck, and all the officers here, declare, that, if an inventory 
 of military stores for a laboratory had been sent for to England, 
 it could not have been executed more completely. She has been 
 unloaded with the utmost expedition, lest the enemy should get 
 intelligence of her being at Cape Ann, and attempt to rescue her. 
 I hope to have the pleasure of seeing some of her stores at Cam- 
 bridge." 
 
 It is apparent from his next letter, that a spirit of care- 
 ful selection in regard to appointments was exercised 
 even thus early by Washington, notwithstanding the ur- 
 gency of the crisis and the obvious policy of conciliatory 
 measures in the fluctuating and unformed state of the 
 American army. 
 
 " I board," he again writes (December 28th, 1775, to his fa- 
 ther), "at a house in Cambridge, as my captain thought it not 
 advisable for me to go into quarters till my commission takes 
 place. This advice he gave me from his acquaintance with the 
 two officers who are left out, and who, he supposes, will take ex- 
 ception at my coming in before their times expire. This will be 
 next Monday, when I shall go to the barracks and join the com- 
 pany."
 
 MEMOIR. 7 
 
 His subsequent letters, until the regiment to which he 
 belonged was marched to Dorchester Heights, are all 
 dated from Prospect Hill in Charlestown. In these let- 
 ters the incidents of the siege of Boston are related with 
 a particularity natural in so novel a scene. Common and 
 slight events became important to a mind like his, which 
 took an interest in every thing that evidenced the ac- 
 tivity and spirit of the American troops. On the 1st of 
 January, 1776, he again writes : 
 
 " My time of service commences to-day, and I shall presently 
 
 repair to my quarters and join my company An attempt 
 
 was made last week by two divisions of the army from Cobble 
 and Winter hills, under General Sullivan, consisting entirely of 
 volunteers, upon the ministerials at Bunker's Hill, for the purpose 
 of destroying the remaining houses at Charlestown, which they 
 occupied for barracks. They went off in high spirits, and got 
 within two musket-shots of the enemy, who took no alarm, when 
 they were obliged to return, by reason of the channel over which 
 they were to pass not being sufficiently frozen to bear them. It 
 is said that it will be attempted again, but I apprehend not very 
 soon, as many of the soldiers in the old army are gone, and oth- 
 ers are going, home, their term of service being expired. How- 
 ever, as soon as the new army is completed, I am of opinion that 
 not only an attempt will be made there, but also another on Bos- 
 ton My best wishes attend you and all our friends. That 
 
 the new year may prove a happy one, and afford us fresh cause 
 to rejoice in the goodness of our common Parent, is the ardent 
 prayer, my dear parents, of your affectionate and dutiful son." 
 
 Again he writes (February 14th, 1776): 
 
 " A successful attempt has been made on Charlestown, and 
 ten houses were burnt. The expedition was carried on with 
 great secrecy, hardly any person besides those employed know- 
 ing a syllable of the affair until they had the pleasure of seeing 
 the blaze. Among the prisoners taken was a woman, who, being
 
 8 MEMOIR. 
 
 something fatigued, was, by General Putnam's order, carried be- 
 tween two men part of the way ; but, this mode being found in- 
 convenient, the General, with his usual affability, cried out, 
 * Here, hand her up to me ' ; which being done, she put her hand 
 round his waist, and made this pious ejaculation as they rode off: 
 ' Jesus bless you, sweet General ! May you live for ever ! ' * 
 
 " Our life in camp is confined. The officers are not allowed 
 even to visit Cambridge, without leave from the commanding of- 
 ficer, and we are kept pretty closely to our duty. The drum 
 beats at daybreak, when all hands turn out to man the lines. Here 
 we stay till sunrise, and then all are marched off to prayers. We 
 exercise twice a day, and every fourth day take our turn on guard. 
 Opinions are various, whether Boston is to be attacked or not. I 
 think it is a difficult question to answer. However, if it should 
 be judged expedient to do it, I hope our troops will act with suf- 
 ficient resolution to command success. Should it be my lot to 
 go, I trust that a sense of what I owe to my country, my parents, 
 and myself, will induce me to behave in a suitable manner. 
 
 " A fracas happened last night, between our guard at Cobble 
 Hill and the regulars at Charlestown. Fourteen of the guard 
 went over the mill-dam, and tore the plank off from the mill, and 
 brought it away. Encouraged by this success, they went a sec- 
 ond time, intending to burn what was left of it. The regulars, 
 alarmed, had placed five sentries, who fired upon our men, but 
 without doing them any damage. Our men returned the fire 
 briskly, and would have taken the sentries, had not the British, 
 from one of their batteries, opened upon them with grape-shot, 
 which obliged them to desist." 
 
 The restricted nature of his pecuniary resources at this 
 period, and the limited sphere of his wants, are thus 
 simply expressed. 
 
 " I thank you for the eight pounds, lawful money, which you 
 
 * Washington's account of the same affair may be found in Sparks's 
 Writings of Washington, Vol. III., p. 241.
 
 MEMOIR. 9 
 
 sent me. I shall be as prudent as possible, and hope I shall rub 
 along without drawing any more upon you ; though I must be 
 pretty saving, as the officers of our corps are ambitious of mak- 
 ing a good appearance, each person being to furnish himself 
 with a uniform complete, a sword, and a laced hat." 
 
 His last letter from Prospect Hill (February 24th, 
 1776) acknowledges the receipt of the further sum of 
 four pounds from his father, and expresses the hope, 
 that he shall have no need of another supply, as he ex- 
 pects soon to receive his pay, and that in the mean time 
 he can obtain credit for any necessaries he may want ; 
 " after which," says he, " with a little prudence, my pay 
 will maintain me genteelly." In this, as in his other let- 
 ters, his youthful affections are expressed by enumerating 
 by name several members of his family, and particular, 
 friends, and sending them messages of love. His domes- 
 tic feelings are indicated by the question, " When will 
 the time come that we shall all sit down in our little 
 room, and eat a Sunday's dinner together ? Perhaps 
 soon ; perhaps never. Let us not be discouraged, but 
 trust a kind Providence for the event, after what is re- 
 quired on our part has been done." He adds, " Prep- 
 arations are making here for some great blow, which will 
 soon be struck." * 
 
 From his next letter (March 10th, 1776) it appears 
 that the anticipated blow resulted in the movement 
 of that part of the American army to which Lieuten- 
 ant Shaw belonged from Prospect Hill to Dorchester 
 Heights. This completed the investment of the town of 
 Boston, and resulted in its evacuation by the British. In 
 another letter, also dated on those Heights, he writes : 
 
 * An attack on Boston, by passing over the ice, was then contemplat- 
 ed by Washington. Ibid., p. 290. 
 2
 
 10 MEMOIR. 
 
 " Our company was ordered here last Monday night, where 
 we expect to remain until something decisive is done. My 
 health, by God's blessing, is good. Make yourself as easy on 
 my account as possible. Our accommodations are as good as 
 could be expected, my circumstances convenient, and my spirits 
 as good as ever." 
 
 After the evacuation of Boston by the British, the ar- 
 my was marched to New York, and his next letter (April 
 6th, 1776), dated at New London, where he was wait- 
 ing for a wind, the troops and cannon being on board a 
 transport, represents the young soldier as feeling rather 
 better than worse for the march, but sadly afflicted by his 
 own wants and those of his companions. 
 
 " I had flattered myself," he writes to his father, " that I 
 should have no further occasion for your assistance. Two 
 months' pay are due me ; but, no money being forthcoming, I 
 have been obliged to draw on you, not knowing when I shall re- 
 ceive any. I am in want of an entire new suit, and have no 
 means but this draft, which I hope you will accept ; and I trust it 
 will be some time or other in my power to make you amends for 
 all your kindnesses to me. Our march has been different from 
 what T anticipated. The officers (upwards of twenty in number), 
 having given their provisions to the men, chose to dine at their 
 own cost at the public houses on the road. This creates a new 
 and not a small expense, which, however, must be met, unless a 
 person has a mind to be looked upon as a Joe Bunker, that is, 
 a fellow without a soul." 
 
 His next letter (April 17th, 1776), from New York, 
 expresses the delight he experienced, in sailing out of 
 New London harbour, at seeing the American fleet, un- 
 der Commodore Hopkins, with several prizes taken from 
 the enemy ; and how agreeable it would be to him (if 
 a soldier might be allowed to have a will of his own)
 
 MEMOIR. 11 
 
 should it fall to the lot of the artillery to be ordered on 
 the expedition against Quebec, which was then depart- 
 ing, under General Sullivan. 
 
 " Presence at a siege would afford me an opportunity for im- 
 provement, to say nothing of the credit which, in case of a storm, 
 a soldier has a chance of gaining for himself in such a cam- 
 paign. This city [New York] is handsome, but ah ! poor Bos- 
 ton ! I have seen no place like thee. The private and public 
 buildings here are elegant. There is a marble statue to the 
 memory of Pitt, and a bronze one of the British tyrant on horse- 
 back ; but what avail these ? The honest sincerity, kindness, and 
 hospitality, for which the inhabitants of our once happy town 
 were so remarkable, are not to be found here. So far as one 
 has money, so far he may have friends. The people of this 
 place are a motley collection of all the nations under heaven. 
 Every thing is extravagantly dear, so that a subaltern must live 
 close to bring both ends of the month together. We are to re- 
 ceive our pay in a day or two, all of which I shall be obliged to 
 lay out at once for clothing, in which I am sadly deficient." 
 
 In his next letter (New York, May 3d, 1776) he ex- 
 hibits the reasoning of the period concerning the impor- 
 tance of immediately taking possession of Canada by the 
 Continental forces. 
 
 " The seat of war may be thus changed, and much bloodshed 
 prevented. By securing Quebec, the savages will be prevented 
 from being stirred up against us ; and, if we fail in our present 
 attempt, it will be impossible to succeed hereafter. I had yester- 
 day an opportunity of hearing General Putnam's sentiments con- 
 cerning our affairs. He was looking at the cannon in the fort 
 here, and asking several questions of me (I being then on guard) 
 concerning them ; which having answered, I took the freedom to 
 ask him what his opinion was in regard to the enemy. He re- 
 plied frankly, that he thought they would endeavour to give us a 
 brushing here. ' Then,' said I, ' we shall have a little business,
 
 12 MEMOIR. 
 
 General.' ' Not a little, neither,' replied the old gentleman ; 'for 
 when they come up with their ships you '11 have your hands full, 
 I warrant you.' On this I observed, that a smart fire from eight 
 or ten ships of the line, well returned by our batteries, would 
 give a young person some idea of a cannonade. ' Ay, would 
 it,' concluded he, laughing, ' and of a pretty hot one, too.' 
 
 " You have heard, no doubt, better descriptions of New York 
 and its inhabitants than any I can give, so I shall not attempt it. 
 Suffice it to say, that a person might be here a twelvemonth with- 
 out contracting an acquaintance worth his while ; and, so much 
 is their attention engrossed by self, that but a small share of it 
 alights upon strangers. I flattered myself, before I came here, 
 that, in such a place as New York, whatever I might want could 
 be procured on something like reasonable terms. In this, howev- 
 er, I reckoned without my host, for the price of every thing is 
 raised to an extravagant height. Linen, such as used to be sold 
 at 2s. 8d., now brings six or seven shillings. 
 
 " My two months' pay I have not received. One guinea per 
 week is the moderate price a gentleman must pay for board. 
 This, however, is an expense a soldier can very well steer clear 
 of, by taking up with his quarters ; but, on a march, it is well if 
 it is not more. It is not unlikely we shall soon march southward. 
 Wherever I am, it will be my great happiness to write to and 
 receive letters from you. My affectionate regards to mother, 
 brothers, sisters, aunts, and to all friends." 
 
 On the 24th of May, 1776, he again writes from New- 
 York : 
 
 " Not a single line have I had from you or any of our friends. 
 But, though out of sight, my dear parents, you are not out of 
 mind. Distance, instead of lessening, increases my anxiety for 
 you in these troublesome times. By the accounts from Boston, 
 I fear the fortifying and securing that much afflicted place from 
 the future attempts of our enemy goes on but slowly. Surely, 
 the inhuman treatment the inhabitants have received from those 
 barbarians should excite their utmost endeavours to guard against 
 a repetition of it.
 
 MEMOIR. 13 
 
 " You have doubtless the great news from England of the 
 mighty things they intend to do this campaign, and how poor 
 America is to be frightened with Hessians, Hanoverians, Wai- 
 deckers, Brunswickers, and many more hard names, that I do 
 not at present recollect. Great Britain, in my humble opinion, 
 will find it a more difficult task to bring those troops into the 
 field than to marshal them in the Gazette." 
 
 " I am now [June 1 1th, 1776] stationed at Red Hook, about 
 four miles from New York. It is on an island, situated in such a 
 manner as to command the entrance of the harbour entirely, 
 where we have a fort with four eighteen-pounders, to fire en 
 barbette, that is, over the top of the works, which is vastly better 
 than firing through embrasures, as we can now bring all our guns 
 to bear on the same object at once. The fort is named Defiance. 
 Should the enemy's fleet make an attempt, they will, I think, be 
 annoyed by it exceedingly. It is thought to be one of the most 
 important posts we have. 
 
 " There are two families here, Mr. Vandyke and his son, 
 good, staunch Whigs, and very clever folks, between whom 
 and our people a very agreeable intercourse subsists. I rode out 
 with the young man, about a week ago, to a place called Flush- 
 ing, on Long Island, sixteen miles off, where, and in most of the 
 country towns round about, the Tories from the city have taken 
 shelter.* It is almost incredible how many of these vermin there 
 are. Scarce was a house we rode by, but Mr. Vandyke would 
 say, ' There lives a rascally Tory.' The day before yesterday, a 
 boat belonging to one of them was taken, coming from the Asia, 
 on board of which ship she had been carrying provisions. There 
 were a number of letters for Tories tied up in a bag, with lead in 
 it, hi order to sink them in case of surprise ; but this happened 
 
 * The disaffection to the Revolution, on Long Island and in the lower 
 counties of New York, is fully stated in Washington's letters. See 
 Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. III., pp. 398-400 ; also, pp. 
 440, 469, 470 ; Vol. IV., p. 86.
 
 14 MEMOIR. 
 
 to be so quick as to prevent them from doing it. The contents 
 of the letters have not transpired, but the owner has absconded. 
 It is to be wished that some method could be taken to break up 
 their nest, as I am of opinion, that, should the enemy appear, the 
 major part of the Tories would not hesitate a moment in declar- 
 ing for them. Far different this from the noble spirit of free- 
 dom which animates the breasts of New-England men. Gener- 
 ous spirits ! may your sufferings soon be recompensed with the 
 blessings of peace, in addition to the applause of the whole con- 
 tinent, to which your fortitude and perseverance so justly entitle 
 you ! I hope, dear parents, I shall not long be denied the pleas- 
 ure of hearing from you, as these stirring times afford frequent 
 opportunities for conveyance. I have no anxiety on my own ac- 
 count, but cannot help being concerned that I get no intelligence 
 of your circumstances." 
 
 In a letter written at Red Hook (June 17th, 1776), af- 
 ter acknowledging the receipt of one from his parents, 
 he exults "at the spirit and alacrity of the gentlemen of 
 Boston, who so universally turned out to labor on the 
 fortifications for the defence of the harbour," the mem- 
 bers of the learned professions, the clergy included, vol- 
 unteering for the service. " The name of a Bostonian," 
 he exclaims, "will be as respectable with posterity as 
 that of a Greek and Roman." The disastrous event of 
 the attempt to besiege Quebec by the American army, 
 under General Sullivan, he laments in this letter. The 
 misbehaviour of the troops excited his indignation : 
 
 " Their misconduct," he adds, " was scandalous, and has 
 alarmed the General [Washington], insomuch that all the briga- 
 dier-generals * have been ordered to acquaint the officers of their 
 respective brigades with the particular circumstances of the af- 
 fair, and to impress on their minds a due sense of the important 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. III., pp. 401, 406, 411.
 
 MEMOIR. 15 
 
 cause in which we are engaged, and the infinite obligations 
 we are under to our country, ourselves, and posterity, for the 
 faithful discharge of our duty. I sympathize with you in these 
 difficult times, and hope that the same bounteous hand which has 
 hitherto sustained you will still continue its assistance. I am 
 much obliged to you for your advice respecting my continuance 
 in the army, which so exactly tallies with my own views. Yet, 
 were it otherwise, every motive that could influence valor or hu- 
 manity must urge to the field. These, when joined to the love 
 of one's country, and the "heroic example of the noble Warren 
 and his brave companions, who on this anniversary [June 17th] 
 sacrificed themselves on the altar of Liberty, will engage a com- 
 pliance, and make the call irresistible. I still remain at Red 
 Hook, in health and spirits. Denied the satisfaction of seeing 
 and conversing with you, my dear parents, my greatest pleasure 
 will be frequently to hear from you. I wish you, and my broth- 
 ers and sisters, every blessing." 
 
 Again, from Red Hook (July 15th, 1776), he congrat- 
 ulates his parents on the return of the family to their old 
 habitation in Boston, 
 
 " where," says he, " by God's blessing, I hope you will remain, 
 
 unmolested and free General Howe has arrived with the 
 
 army from Halifax, which is encamped on Staten Island. On 
 Friday, two ships and three tenders, taking advantage of a brisk 
 gale and strong current, ran by our batteries, up the North Riv- 
 er, where they at present remain.* By deserters we learn they 
 sustained considerable damage, being hulled in many places, and 
 very much hurt in their rigging. So great was their hurry, that 
 they would not stay to return our salute, though it was given with 
 much cordiality and warmth ; which they seemed very sensible 
 of, notwithstanding their distance, which was nearly two miles. 
 They were a little more polite at the Grand Battery in the city, 
 whose fire they returned, but without effect, as they made no 
 stop, but crowded all the sail possible. 
 
 * Ibid., Vol. III., pp. 468, 472, 473.
 
 16 MEMOIR. 
 
 " On Sunday, Lord Howe sent up a boat with a flag, which 
 was met by one from the General, about half way between the 
 fleet and our fort. After mutual compliments, the captain of one 
 of their ships acquainted our adjutant-general that he had a letter 
 for Mr. Washington, which he begged him to deliver ; to which 
 he replied that he knew no such person as Mr. Washington, nor 
 should he receive the letter. The captain urged him very much 
 to take it, declaring that it contained nothing of a military nature, 
 but something which, if well understood and rightly attended to, 
 would be productive of the happiest Consequences. To this the 
 adjutant replied, that it was immaterial as to the contents of the 
 letter, which, whatever they might be, would not find admittance 
 till properly addressed. On this they parted ; but, after rowing a 
 few rods, the captain turned back and desired to know what title 
 would suit Mr. Washington ; to which he received for answer, 
 that General Washington's character was so well established as 
 to make any information on that head entirely needless. Before 
 they parted the last time, the captain said that Lord Howe was 
 invested with great powers, and would rather choose to meet us 
 in the field of argument than of battle ; and added, that his 
 Lordship was very unhappy at not arriving a little sooner. 
 
 " We are at a loss how to construe this part respecting his Lord- 
 ship's unhappiness ; whether it arose from his not arriving before 
 Independence was declared, or not being here time enough to 
 prevent the ships above mentioned going up the North River. 
 These ships, I trust, will be taken such good care of, as to prevent 
 their returning to the fleet again. The great powers his Lord- 
 ship is invested with, perhaps, may enable him to receive the 
 submission of the colonies, when they choose to offer it ; and to 
 hang such obstinate rebels, as, notwithstanding the mildness of 
 the terms, may be found in arms against his royal master. Ours 
 he no longer is, and, by the blessing of God on the American 
 arms, I trust never will be. The service of the Church of Eng- 
 land has been performed in New York, all along, without altera- 
 tion or exception, till the Declaration of Independence appeared, 
 when last Sunday, for the first time, the churches were all shut.
 
 MEMOIR. IT 
 
 And so may they remain, until the wisdom of the Continent order 
 a suitable form. 
 
 " Our fort is much strengthened by new works and more 
 troops, and in so good a posture of defence that it would be al- 
 most impossible to take it, either by attack or surprise. To 
 guard against the latter, each man is every other night on duty. 
 Notwithstanding this and other fatigue, I never enjoyed better 
 health or spirits than at present. Thanks to the Giver of every 
 good gift for them ! May he continue to be gracious to us, and 
 cause us, in his own good time, to say from happy experience, 
 ' It is good for us that we have been afflicted ! ' " 
 
 " General Washington has sent a flag to Lord Howe [July 
 17th, 1776] ; and yesterday his Lordship sent one up, but it was 
 not received, as he has not yet learned properly to superscribe 
 his letters, this being directed to ' George Washington, Esquire, 
 &c., &c., &c.' Ah, my Lord ! the time may come, when you 
 will be glad not only to call him General, but to own Washington 
 for your master."
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ATTACK ON THE BRITISH SHIPS IN TAPPAN BAY BY AMERICAN 
 
 GALLEYS. RETREAT OF THE AMERICAN ARMY FROM NEW 
 
 YORK. STRAITS TO WHICH IT WAS SEDUCED. DEATH OF 
 
 THOMAS HENLEY. SKIRMISHES WITH THE ENEMY BEFORE 
 
 AND AFTER THE BATTLE OF WHITE PLAINS. HIS INDIGNA- 
 TION AT THE CONDUCT OF THE MILITIA. CAPTURE OF FORT 
 
 WASHINGTON BY THE BRITISH. ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE 
 
 OF PRINCETON. 
 
 IN August, 1776, the officer who commanded the artil- 
 lery at Fort Washington (a strong position on the Hud- 
 son, fourteen miles from New York) having been taken 
 sick, Lieutenant Shaw was transferred to that command. 
 
 While there, Colonel Tupper, a partisan officer, who 
 had distinguished himself by burning the Boston light- 
 house, and making prisoners of the marines stationed for 
 its defence, having resolved to attack the British ships in 
 Tappan Bay with the galleys under his command, Lieu- 
 tenant Shaw volunteered his services on the occasion, 
 and was in the hottest of the action. The galleys were 
 handled severely, and obliged to retreat. Shaw, in giv- 
 ing an account of the affair to his father (August 12th, 
 1776), says : 
 
 " It was a hazardous design, the force on our side being so much 
 inferior. We had only six galleys, that could bring but eleven 
 guns, in the whole, to bear against two ships, one of twenty, the 
 other of forty-four guns, assisted by three tenders, with the ad- 
 vantage of spring cables, while we were obliged to work our lit-
 
 MEMOIR. 19 
 
 tie fleet entirely with oars. Notwithstanding which, we engaged 
 them within reach of their grape-shot for near two hours, when, 
 being much damaged, two men killed, and fourteen wounded, 
 we were obliged to retire, which we did without their pursuing ; 
 though one of our galleys lay on the careen a whole tide in sight 
 of them. Five of the wounded fell to the share of the Washing- 
 ton, where I was on board ; which was hulled thirteen times, be- 
 sides the grape-shot received in her sails and rigging. You will, 
 perhaps, wonder what business I had on board, it being out of my 
 sphere, which I readily acknowledge ; but the desire I had to see 
 an affair of that nature got the better of any other motive, and in- 
 clined me to volunteer. It was no small encouragement to me, 
 when I saw two other gentlemen come on board in the same ca- 
 pacity ; one of whom was a merchant in the city, and the other 
 first aid-de-camp to General Washington. The commodore 
 treated us very politely, and, when the action came on, gave me 
 the command of the two bow guns, which was sufficient employ- 
 ment for me, while my companions had nothing to do but to look 
 on." 
 
 From Fort Washington he writes (September 18th, 
 1776): 
 
 " I am, I thank God, in good health and spirits, though not 
 pleased with our present circumstances. Ever since our retreat 
 from Long Island, another from New York was looked upon as 
 inevitable. This event we were hourly expecting and providing 
 for. Accordingly, far the greater part of our army, with near 
 the whole of our military stores, were removed ; and, had we 
 been favored with one day more, we should have made a very 
 good retreat. I came pretty near being taken in making my es- 
 cape. It was thus. A heavy firing being heard from the ships 
 that had the evening before gone up the East River, it was sup- 
 posed by us, who remained in the city, that the enemy were 
 landing above. Colonel Knox, myself, and several others, rode 
 up to see how affairs went ; when we came up and found they 
 had landed, the colonel sent me back into the city with orders
 
 20 MEMOIR. 
 
 for the companies to march up to oppose them. On my return 
 I found the enemy had beat back that part of our army who 
 were to cover the retreat of those from the city, and were in 
 quiet possession of the ground. Our companies, having no in- 
 fantry to support them, returned, and made their retreat under 
 cover of some woods on the other side of the town. In getting 
 away, I was several times discovered and pursued by the enemy, 
 but, having a good horse, effected my escape. All my linen, 
 my stockings, surtout, blanket, in short, every thing but what I 
 had on, except a few articles which I left in this place when last 
 here, are lost ; the wagon in which they were sent out in the 
 morning being taken by the enemy. However, I shall do well 
 enough yet, as my pay is more than it formerly was, and I had 
 many things superfluous. A soldier has no business with more 
 than he can, on a pinch, carry off on his back. This I shall, in 
 future, lay down as a maxim. 
 
 " We are now in a much more proper place for carrying on the 
 war than when in New York, as the enemy's ships can now be 
 of no service to them in attacking. The day before yesterday 
 we had a proof of this, when a part of them attempted to force a 
 passage through some woods, and to take possession of a number 
 of heights, but were repulsed with loss by an equal if not infe- 
 rior body of our troops, who behaved with as much bravery as 
 men possibly could. I hope, by the blessing of Heaven, affairs 
 will be in such a posture this way, in a few days, as to bid defi- 
 ance to their future attempts. Now, or never, is the time to 
 make a stand, and, rather than quit our post, be sacrificed to a 
 man. For my own part, it is but little I can do, but, so long as 
 the war lasts, I devote myself to it ; and it is my sincere prayer, 
 that the next retreat we make, rather than such an one as the 
 last, may be to ' that undiscovered country from whose bourne 
 no traveller returns.' " * 
 
 In his next letter (September 27th, 1776), from Fort 
 
 * See Washington's account of this retreat, in his Writings, Vol. 
 IV., pp. 94-104.
 
 MEMOIR. 21 
 
 Washington, the difficulties incident to the period, the 
 strait to which the army was reduced, and his own feel- 
 ings in relation to them, are strongly represented. 
 
 " I mentioned to you the loss of my baggage, among other 
 articles, my shirts. I should not have mentioned this loss a sec- 
 ond time, but I have sent round to all the neighbouring towns, 
 without success. My whole stock is reduced to one shirt and a 
 borrowed one. Somehow or other, I must have shirts. I know 
 not any person to whom I can apply with more freedom than 
 to yourselves. Send me, therefore, half a dozen, with as many 
 cravats, from Boston. Colonel Knox is very kind to me, and I 
 have the satisfaction to think he is pleased with me. Our army 
 is strongly encamped, and will soon be greatly augmented, and be 
 put on so respectable a footing as to render it unnecessary on any 
 future occasion to have recourse to the militia, on whom, by sad 
 experience, it has been found so little dependence can be placed. 
 The time between this and the opening of a new campaign will 
 be, I hope (I am sure it ought to be), improved in disciplining our 
 army in such a manner as to meet the enemy on equal terms. 
 For, Heaven knows, it was neither our discipline nor regularity 
 that saved us from the late impending destruction, but almost a 
 miracle of Providence, and the infatuation of the enemy in not 
 properly using their advantages, which were the only things that 
 saved us from inevitable destruction. 
 
 " The severest stroke I have felt is the loss of an intimate ac- 
 quaintance and sincere friend, Thomas Henley,* since I left you, 
 who lost his life, a few nights ago, in a skirmish with the enemy 
 at Montresor's Island. A plan having been concerted for surpris- 
 ing about a hundred of the enemy on that island, Henley begged 
 very hard to go with the party detached for that service. He 
 was in the first and only boat that landed ; the other four neg- 
 lecting to do their duty. They at first repulsed the enemy, but 
 were finally obliged to retreat, with the loss of one half of the 
 
 * See a noble tribute to Henley in Writings of Washington, Vol. 
 [V., p. 137.
 
 22 MEMOIR. 
 
 first boat's party, killed or wounded. Just as they were shov- 
 ing off, one of the enemy ran down to the shore, in order to get 
 another shot, which so incensed Henley, that, seizing a firelock 
 from one in the boat, he sprung out, met the fellow, and bayonet- 
 ed him at once. The man dropped, and Henley returned to his 
 boat, when a winged messenger of fate from the enemy over- 
 took my heroic friend. America at that instant sustained a loss 
 not easily made up. He had recently been promoted. To the 
 adjutancy, which he had resigned, I have been raised." 
 
 Again, from Fort Washington he writes (October 
 llth, 1776): 
 
 " The army still remain in tents. It will be late in the season 
 before we get into huts or barracks. After our retreat from the 
 city, our troops had a skirmish with the enemy, and repulsed 
 them.* Though in itself it was a small affair, the consequences 
 were great, as the check they received will probably be a means 
 of keeping off an attack till the spring. This is devoutly to be 
 wished, for the aspect of our affairs at present is not very flatter- 
 ing, I assure you. However, we hope soon to be in a very fine 
 way, as the Congress, at last, seem to think the war must be car- 
 ried on upon a large scale ; eighty-eight battalions, of seven hun- 
 dred and odd men each, besides a proportionable number of ar- 
 tillery, with every thing necessary to such an army as we must 
 have, are to be raised.t No more militia are to be called in ; 
 and, in my humble opinion, they are productive of more expense 
 than the keeping an equal or larger number of regular troops ; to 
 say nothing of the little service they have been to us anywhere 
 but in New England. Those from the Jerseys, and other places 
 this way, on the appearance of the enemy, scampered off by 
 whole companies and regiments ; especially when the enemy's 
 ships came before a fort of ours at Paulus Hook, opposite the city 
 of New York, about a mile and a quarter distant. So great a pan- 
 ic seized them, that Captain Dana, of our regiment, was obliged to 
 
 * Ibid., p. 94. f /*., p. 116.
 
 MEMOIR. 23 
 
 charge his cannon with grape-shot and threaten to fire on them ; 
 otherwise, they would have abandoned the place before he could 
 get the military stores off.* These were your Southern heroes, 
 fellows who affect to hold the Eastern Yankees in contempt ; but 
 I challenge them to produce an instance of cowardice in our peo- 
 ple any way equal to this of theirs. But I don't mean to en- 
 large on so ungrateful a subject. Comparisons are odious. 
 There are, without doubt, good men among them ; and it would 
 be well if every distinction of this or that colony or province 
 could be buried in that of American. I wish we had more Bos- 
 ton young fellows among us, for I think it rather disgraceful for 
 so many of them to be idling at home, these stirring times ; and 
 if they don't turn out, they will, when the war is over, appear 
 very contemptible. 
 
 " When I told you that the enemy had attempted nothing, I 
 had forgotten their three ships, which the day before yesterday 
 went up the North River. Don't tell it to anybody, for it is 
 scandalous. I lose all my patience while I think on it ; but go 
 they did, in spite of our contrivance with a hard name [chevaux- 
 de-frise] for stopping the channel. Two of our galleys they 
 have mortgaged, which I am heartily glad of, and wish they 
 would hang the captains, who would have been safe enough had 
 they obeyed orders, and come to under our fort ; instead of 
 which they sailed through a vacancy in the channel, and the 
 ships followed them. This mano3uvre of theirs will cut off our 
 water communication for boards and bricks from Albany, and 
 oblige us to procure those articles at a very extravagant price. 
 Lieutenant Wragg is a prisoner, and is now at New Haven, and 
 as saucy as ever. I am told that, being asked whom of the 
 American officers he saw in New York, he mentioned several, 
 and then said, ' Ah ! there was my old friend, Sam Shaw, 
 who was a clever lad, yet, a twelvemonth ago, I supposed had 
 not acquaintance enough with the art military to distinguish 
 
 * " The militia have gone off, in some instances almost by whole 
 regiments, by half ones, and by companies, at a time." Ibid., p. 72.
 
 24 MEMOIR. 
 
 one end of a musket from the other, and now he is lieutenant 
 and adjutant in the regiment of artillery ! Well, no matter, 
 these people get their knowledge by inspiration.' 
 
 " I have written to you several times about shirts. I am in 
 great want of them, and they cannot be procured anywhere on 
 this side of Boston. I would have sent you the money, but it has 
 taken all I had to procure me blankets, stockings, a surtout, and 
 other necessaries, in lieu of those taken by the enemy. I will do 
 it as soon as possible, as it really gives me pain to be obliged to 
 call on you for assistance, after so much done for me already. 
 Do let me hear from you by every convenient opportunity. My 
 dutiful regards attend you. My love to my brothers and sisters. 
 I long to be with you for a few days ; but this is a happiness I 
 may not allow myself to hope for until the war is over, and then, 
 in God's own good time, I hope we shall have a happy meeting. 
 To his kind providence I must commend you, confident that, as 
 he knows, so he will do, what is best for us all." 
 
 He next writes (October 20th, 1776) from Kings- 
 bridge : 
 
 " I am in good health and spirits. We have left Fort Wash- 
 ington, the enemy having carried the greater part of their forces 
 above, in order, if possible, to cut ofF our communication with 
 the Eastern States. This movement of theirs, it is apprehended, 
 will inevitably bring us to a battle in a few days. God grant it 
 may be a fortunate one to us. The motions of the enemy have 
 been such, this fortnight past, as to keep us constantly upon a 
 sharp look-out, and have occasioned our troops so much fatigue in 
 following them, that they wish for nothing more ardently than an 
 engagement. This will either put an end to our irampoosing af- 
 ter them, or oblige us again to take to strong-holds." 
 
 From White Plains he writes (October 26th, 1776) : 
 
 " We shall remain at this place till we have a brush with the 
 enemy. They are within three miles of us. Their movements 
 have been such as to occasion us a great deal of trouble, and 
 it is happy for us that they did not effect our ruin. Had they
 
 MEMOIR. 25 
 
 taken proper advantage of the ground and situation, we should 
 have been penned up on the island, and, of consequence, for this 
 campaign at least, have been inevitably ruined, as an army. But 
 ' the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.' Provi- 
 dence has turned their counsels into foolishness ; for it seems as 
 if nothing but his interposing hand, and their infatuation, has hith- 
 erto protected us. However, we must not think he will expect 
 nothing on our part, as we are not to sit still and wait for the sal- 
 vation of God ; but, on the contrary, (in one sense of the word) 
 our own arm must procure us the victory. In several skirmishes 
 with the enemy, we have had constantly the better ; so that our 
 troops are in good spirits, and impatiently desire an action. Some- 
 thing decisive must soon be done, as cold weather approaches 
 and we want winter-quarters." 
 
 After the battle of White Plains, he writes (October 
 31st, 1776) : 
 
 " On Monday the enemy appeared in sight, keeping on as 
 though they intended to carry all before them. Our people were 
 prepared to receive them, when, instead of making a general at- 
 tack, as was expected, Howe marched the larger part of his ar- 
 my to the right, where we had a brigade advantageously posted 
 on a hill, which commanded our camp. He carried it, being 
 seven or eight times superior in numbers to our party there, be- 
 fore we could reinforce it. Deserters say, the enemy had four 
 hundred killed and wounded ; on our part, about one hun- 
 dred or one hundred and thirty. The army are no way dis- 
 heartened. The enemy keep extending along the North River, 
 which obliges us to keep in continual motion to prevent their sur- 
 rounding us by seizing on the heights in our rear. This greatly 
 fatigues our army, but by no means discourages them, as they 
 pretty generally believe we shall beat them at last, though a few 
 cross accidents and hard knocks may probably intervene." 
 
 From the " Camp near North Castle " (November 6th, 
 1776), thirty-three miles from New York, he thus 
 writes : 
 
 4
 
 26 MEMOIR. 
 
 "The enemy, after threatening a battle, have left the hill 
 they took from us on Monday, with considerable loss on their 
 part. There are many conjectures concerning the motive for 
 this movement. My own opinion is, that they find the grounds 
 we now occupy are exceedingly strong, and that they cannot 
 attack us without putting too much to hazard ; to say nothing of 
 the advanced season of the year, which must soon oblige both 
 armies to go into winter-quarters." 
 
 His next letter was written to his friend the Rev. Mr. 
 Eliot, in Boston, and dated on the 18th of November, 
 1776. 
 
 " As for our army, God help it ! for at present it is in a 
 disagreeable state ; the militia gone and going home, the time 
 of enlistment for our regular troops expiring, and little or nothing 
 done towards raising new ones. The severities of the present 
 campaign will discourage many from engaging again without 
 large bounties, so that I do not think it improbable some of 
 the States will be under a necessity of drafting men during the 
 war. Very different this from the last, when many without 
 doubt entered into the service merely for amusement. Ever 
 since we left New England we have been carrying on the war 
 in an enemy's country, and I firmly believe, if Heaven had not 
 something very great in store for America, we should ere this 
 have been a ruined people. When I left the town of Boston with 
 a view of joining our army, my enthusiasm was such as to in- 
 duce me to think I should find as much public virtue among our 
 people as is recorded of ancient Sparta or Rome. Numberless 
 instances might be brought to show how miserably I was disap- 
 pointed. Let it suffice to mention one. The militia, whose 
 times expired yesterday, were desired to tarry for the good of 
 their country only four days, and out of their whole number 
 there were not sufficient to form one regiment who would en- 
 gage. Scandalous ! tell it not in Britain. I cannot wish them 
 a severer punishment than a due reward of their ingratitude. 
 After the new army is raised, which must be done by some
 
 MEMOIR. 27 
 
 means or other, I hope we shall never be again so grossly infatu- 
 ated as to expect any good can accrue from calling in the militia. 
 Far be it from me to reflect on them as individuals. I speak 
 of them as a body, which from its present constitution can be of 
 no service to us ; for, so long as men are under no obligation to 
 stay after a limited time, at the expiration of which neither a 
 regard for the welfare of their country, nor a concern for their 
 own honor, can prevail on them, they must be not only un- 
 grateful, but a dangerous part of society.* You may perhaps, 
 before this reaches you, be informed of Fort Washington's being 
 in the hands of the enemy. They got possession of it the day 
 before yesterday. We have not yet learnt the particulars, only 
 that they made a feint of attacking some lines of ours below the 
 fort, which induced the commanding officer to send a part of his 
 force there. This the enemy took advantage of, by marching 
 a number of troops they had previously prepared for the pur- 
 pose between them and the fort, which, cutting off the commu- 
 nication, obliged them first, and, shortly after, the fort, to surren- 
 der, on what terms is not known. I was at General Lee's just 
 after the news came. He was in a towering passion ; and said 
 that it was a splendid affair for Mr. Howe, who was returning 
 chagrined and disgraced at being able to make no further prog- 
 ress this campaign, thus to have his sores licked by us. How- 
 ever, don't let us be discouraged, for we must expect greater rubs 
 before an empire can be established. Ad astra per aspera ought 
 to be the motto for a people engaged in so arduous a task ; and 
 I heartily pray, rather than renounce that child of our hopes, 
 that darling Independence, that we may suffer the extremes 
 of war and desolation in all their horrors, and, after being driven 
 
 * This letter is in perfect unison with a letter of General Wash- 
 ington, dated November 19th, 1776. 
 
 " It is impossible for me to give an idea of my difficulties, and of the 
 constant perplexities and mortifications I meet with, derived from the 
 unhappy policy of short enlistments. I am wearied to death with the 
 retrograde movement of things." See Sparks's Writings of Washing- 
 ton, Vol. IV., pp. 72, 182.
 
 28 MF.M01R. 
 
 from one post to another till we are pushed to the utmost 
 point of creation, gloriously launch into the immensity of space, 
 firm in our opposition to tyranny. You may think me too warm, 
 perhaps ; but indeed it is my serious wish, rather than again be 
 dependent on Great Britain." 
 
 He next writes to his father from the " Camp near 
 White Plains," on 20th of November, 1776 : - 
 
 " Howe made a most splendid go, last Saturday, in taking 
 Fort Washington, which he did by surrounding it by the greater 
 part of his army. About sixteen hundred of our people were 
 taken prisoners. It will make a pretty subject for Howe to 
 write upon. He would otherwise have had chagrin enough, since 
 he has done so little towards subduing America. However, we 
 must not be discouraged. The events of war are uncertain, and 
 Heaven has, I trust, greater things in store for this Continent 
 than to suffer it to be overrun by such a lawless banditti as the 
 people and ministry of Great Britain at this time are." 
 
 Again, from the same camp, he writes (November 22d, 
 1776) : _ 
 
 " Since our losing Fort Washington the enemy have landed a 
 body of troops on the Jersey shore with a view of pushing their 
 adventures ; but I hope they will be disappointed, as we have 
 a very respectable force there, and we shall be able to keep 
 them at bay until the season obliges them to take to winter- 
 quarters. This interval must be employed by us in disciplining 
 our new army, which, from all I can collect, will be on a very 
 respectable footing. You may perhaps, my dear parents, be 
 desirous of knowing my intentions with regard to continuing in 
 the service. They are, to tarry until the war is terminated, be it 
 longer or shorter. In this resolution I doubt neither your concur- 
 rence, nor your good wishes, nor your endeavours, to make me 
 comfortable and easy. I sincerely thank you both for your past 
 favors, and, with my most ardent prayers for your happiness 
 here and hereafter, subscribe myself your affectionate son,"
 
 MEMOIR. 29 
 
 After the defeat of the British at Trenton, he thus 
 writes from Morristown (January 7th, 1777) : 
 
 " You have without doubt heard of our success at Trenton.* 
 Our army lay in the town two days. On the third day, about 
 noon, we were alarmed by the enemy advancing, and in about 
 two hours they came up from Princeton and drove our advanced 
 guards into Trenton. Our people on this retreated from the thick- 
 est of the town over a bridge, and waited for the enemy to ap- 
 proach ; but night coming on put a stop to any thing further being 
 done at that time. In the mean while the General came to a 
 resolution of stealing a march upon the enemy, and attacking 
 their troops, which were left behind at Princeton, about eleven 
 miles by a back road. We began our march about midnight, 
 which was performed with so much secrecy that the enemy 
 knew nothing of it till the next morning discovered that we 
 were gone, and the first news they had of us was our beating 
 up their quarters at Princeton. We killed, wounded, and took 
 about five hundred of them at that place. This, with our taking 
 the Hessians, has given our affairs quite a different turn, so that 
 the militia are embodying in all parts of the Jerseys, and appear 
 determined to have satisfaction for the injuries they have sus- 
 tained from the enemy. I had the pleasure of being in both 
 actions, and can truly say, I think it impossible for any troops to 
 behave better than ours did ; only at Princeton the militia, who 
 had never seen any action, were a little skittish at first, but after 
 that behaved very well. We are under very little apprehension 
 from the enemy at present, as they seem very much panic- 
 struck ; and in so great haste were they to get to a place of 
 security, that they did not stay long enough at Princeton to take 
 care of their wounded. 
 
 " Our army love our General very much, but yet they have 
 one thing against Aim, which is the little care he takes of himself 
 in any action. His personal bravery, and the desire he has of 
 animating his troops by example, make him fearless of any 
 
 * See Writings of Washington, Vol. IV., pp. 255 - 258.
 
 30 MEMOIR. 
 
 danger. This, while it makes him appear great, occasions us 
 much uneasiness. But Heaven, who has hitherto been his 
 shield, I hope will still continue to guard so valuable a life." 
 Again, from Morristown (February llth, 1777) : 
 " The enemy have retired to Brunswick and Amboy, where 
 they are so narrowly watched by our people, that they cannot get 
 the least forage without righting for it. In these skirmishes we 
 have for the most part got the better of them, so that they do not 
 venture out now in less bodies than twelve or fifteen hundred. 
 Our army are in good spirits and growing stronger every day. 
 The Southern troops begin to come in; and, if the New England 
 States exert themselves in sending theirs forward, I think there 
 will be a good chance for a bold stroke. This winter's cam- 
 paign has been of infinite service to our cause. I look upon our 
 success as an earnest of the good, which a kind Providence has 
 in store for an injured people. A few days since a company of 
 volunteers headed by the parson of the parish, a Churchman, 
 came in from Virginia. I mention this as an instance that there 
 are some exceptions to that almost general rule, that Churchmen 
 are Tories."
 
 CHAPTER lit. 
 
 EVENTS OF THE WAR IN THE JERSEYS. THE BATTLE OF 
 
 BRANDYWINE. CAPTURE OF PHILADELPHIA BY THE BRITISH. 
 
 BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN. DISAFFECTION OF PENNSYL- 
 VANIA. 
 
 FROM Morristown, Mr. Shaw, now Adjutant, wrote to 
 his friend Eliot, on the 4th of March, 1777 : 
 
 " Since I did myself the pleasure of writing to you, our affairs 
 have taken not only a fortunate, but a very surprising turn, the 
 good effects whereof we now enjoy. It might perhaps be as 
 tedious as it is unnecessary for me to point out particulars, as 
 the actions at Trenton, and afterwards at Princeton, are so 
 generally known. We have had, and still continue to have, 
 more or less skirmishing every two or three days with the 
 enemy's foraging parties, in which, for the most part, we get the 
 better ; so that they do not pretend to come out now under 
 twelve or fifteen hundred strong. This method of fighting I 
 believe will not be long in vogue ; for those military gentry have 
 a great aversion to the entertainment they receive on such 
 occasions, it being more agreeable to the genius of their army 
 to move in a body, than to venture out in detachments. Of 
 this we were very near having fatal experience, while we lay 
 at Trenton, after crossing the Delaware a second time, when 
 the enemy advanced from Princeton, with a superior force, 
 nearly double of ours. Our out-guards were repulsed, and 
 the enemy entered one part of the town, while we remained in 
 possession of the other. There was now only a small branch of
 
 32 MEMOIR. 
 
 a river between us, over which was a bridge ; this, though well 
 secured, would have been but of little advantage to us, as the 
 stream was fordable in every part. Our army was drawn up in 
 order of battle, and waited the approach of the enemy ; but the 
 day being far spent put a stop to their making the attack that 
 night. Then, my friend, then was the most critical moment 
 our bleeding country ever beheld. The fate of this extensive 
 Continent seemed suspended by a single thread, and the Inde- 
 pendence of America hung on the issue of a general battle, 
 which appeared inevitable. But happy for us, happy for unborn 
 millions, that we had a General who knew how to take advan- 
 tages, and by a masterly manoeuvre frustrated the designs of the 
 enemy. This step, considered in its consequences, proved the 
 salvation of the country. The most sanguine among us could 
 not flatter himself with any hopes of victory, had we waited till 
 morning, and been reduced to the necessity of engaging a foe so 
 vastly our superior, both in numbers and discipline, and who 
 could never have a chance of fighting us on more advantageous 
 terms. 
 
 " The enemy still remain at Brunswick and Amboy, where 
 they are pretty narrowly watched. But how long they will 
 continue in that situation is uncertain. We have various ac- 
 counts respecting the present state of Europe, and most people 
 soon expect the declaration of a French war. Whether or not 
 such an event will take place, I leave to that tell-tale, Time. 
 Thus much I think, however, that, should the enemy let us alone 
 much longer, their policy will be the derision of the whole 
 world. It is a matter greatly controverted, whether they expect 
 any reinforcements. If they do not (which many imagine is the 
 case from the series of successes that attended them on coming 
 into Jersey), it is certainly their interest to push instantly, and 
 vigorously too, as they well know, the longer they delay, the 
 greater advantage will accrue to us. 
 
 " I am much obliged to you for your relation of the carryings- 
 on in our State, which, I am sorry to say, exhibit a melancholy 
 picture of the human heart ; and I sincerely join you in lament-
 
 MEMOIR. 33 
 
 ing the decay of that public virtue, so essential to the well-being 
 
 of a people. The report of Mr. D 's going over to Lord 
 
 Howe, you may be assured, is groundless ; the most that gentle- 
 man can be charged with is his wanting resolution, and being of 
 too timid a make. Your observation on General Lee's misfor- 
 tune * is but too true, and conveys a lively idea of the incon- 
 stancy and ingratitude of mankind. I have heard some of those 
 very people, who, when he was marching to join us, regarded 
 him as the guardian angel that was to deliver America, not only 
 censure him bitterly, but even insinuate that he was treacherous. 
 One advantage, I think, we have reaped from that event ; the 
 enemy must now be convinced that they have not got the 
 Palladium of America, as they fondly boasted, but must acknowl- 
 edge the genius of a Washington, which we trust, under God, is 
 equal to the task he has undertaken." 
 
 To his father he writes from the same place, on the 
 27th of the ensuing April : 
 
 " The British army, four or five thousand strong, made a 
 forced march a few days since, with a view, in the night, of 
 taking a party posted at Bound Brook, under General Lincoln, 
 of three or four hundred at most. In this they succeeded but 
 too well ; for the out-sentries, on the approach of the enemy, 
 which was silent as unexpected, ran off without giving any 
 alarm, by which means they were so soon upon our people as to 
 leave them but just time to make good their retreat, being almost 
 entirely surrounded. This they did with the loss of thirty-five 
 killed, wounded, and taken, including two officers of the 
 Pennsylvania line, who were taken, with two pieces of cannon. 
 This misfortune will have the effect to make us keep a good 
 look-out for the future. Reinforcements are coming in. Now 
 is the time to exert every faculty ; and I hope, if we are not 
 wanting to ourselves, we shall be able, by the blessing of 
 Heaven, to make a good summer's work of it." 
 
 * His capture by the British at Baskingridge. 
 5
 
 34 MEMOIR. 
 
 His next letter, also to his father, is dated from the 
 " Camp near Schuylkill," September 13th, 1777. 
 
 " After so important an event as the late action with Sir 
 William Howe,* it would argue much inattention, and with some 
 persons might be construed into a neglect of duty, in a son, who 
 should omit giving his parents an account of his situation. I 
 am, thank God, in good health, and, though a little exposed, re- 
 main unhurt. As I have not time to write much, or entertain 
 you with a description of my own concern in the matter, I am 
 very happy in being able to inclose you a copy of the account, 
 as transmitted to the President of the Massachusetts Council by 
 General Knox.t From what I saw, and from the evidence I 
 
 * The battle of Brandywine. 
 
 | " Brandywine is a creek, which empties itself into the Delaware 
 near Wilmington, about thirty miles from Philadelphia. On the 9th 
 instant our army took post about eleven miles up this creek, having it in 
 front at a place called Chad's Ford, that being the most probable route 
 by which the enemy would endeavour to pass to Philadelphia. The 
 enemy on the 10th advanced to Kennet Square, within three miles of 
 our advanced parties, and at eight o'clock in the morning of the llth a 
 considerable body of their army appeared opposite to us. Immediately 
 a heavy cannonade commenced, and lasted with spirit for about two 
 hours, and more or less the whole day. Our advanced light corps 
 under General Maxwell engaged the advanced parties of the enemy on 
 the other side of the creek with success, having twice repulsed them 
 and entirely dispersed a body of three hundred Hessians. This light 
 corps was engaged with their advanced parties almost through the day. 
 
 " At the same time this body advanced opposite to our army, an- 
 other large column, consisting of the British and Hessian grenadiers, 
 light infantry, and some brigades, took a circuitous route of six miles 
 to our right, and crossed the creek at the forks of Brandywine. His Ex- 
 cellency, General Washington, notwithstanding his utmost exertions to 
 obtain intelligence, had very contradictory accounts of the number and 
 destination of this column, until it had crossed the creek six miles to our 
 right. He immediately ordered General Sullivan's, Lord Sterling's, 
 and General Stevens's divisions to advance and attack them. This was 
 about three o'clock in the afternoon. These divisions having advanced
 
 MEMOIR. 35 
 
 have since collected, I believe the account to be just ; if any 
 thing, the number put down for lost on our side is too large. 
 No person could behave with more bravery than our troops ; but, 
 somehow or other, we were not successful. Perhaps Providence 
 means to punish us, or intends that, by purchasing liberty at a 
 dear rate, we should fully realize the worth of so inestimable a 
 blessing. Our artillery acquitted themselves well, and were of 
 infinite service in covering the infantry while rallying. My friend 
 and brother-officer, Captain Bryant, with whom I served eight 
 months in Foster's company, is among the slain, after doing ev- 
 ery thing a brave officer could do ; having had two officers and a 
 number of men wounded, he received a wound in his groin. He 
 was brought off the field, died the next morning, and is just going 
 to be buried with the honors of war. 
 
 about three miles fell in with the enemy, who were also advancing. 
 Both sides pushed for a hill situated in the middle ; the contest be- 
 came exceedingly severe, and lasted without intermission for an hour 
 and a half, when our troops began to give way, many of them having 
 expended all their cartridges. His Excellency, who in the beginning of 
 this action galloped to the right, ordered General Greene's division and 
 General Nash's brigade from the left ; but, the distance being so great, 
 the other divisions had retreated before they arrived. However, they 
 formed, and were of the utmost service in covering the retreat of the 
 other divisions, particularly General Weedon's brigade of General 
 Greene's division, who behaved to admiration in an excessive hot fire, 
 checked the British grenadiers, and finally, after dark, came off in great 
 order. 
 
 " While this scene was acting on the right, the enemy opened a 
 battery on the left, of seven pieces of cannon, opposite to one of ours 
 of the same number. General Wayne, with a division of the Pennsyl- 
 vania troops, having General Maxwell's light corps on his left, and 
 General Nash's brigade (which was afterwards drawn off to support 
 the right wing) on his right, formed the left wing. The enemy's 
 batteries and ours kept up an incessant cannonade, and formed such a 
 column of smoke, that the British troops passed the creek unperceived 
 on the right of the battery, on the ground which was left unoccupied 
 by the withdrawal of General Nash's brigade. A very severe action 
 immediately commenced between General Wayne and the enemy, who
 
 36 MEMOIR. 
 
 " Our troops, far from being discouraged, wish for nothing 
 more ardently than another chance with their enemy. It is now 
 four o'clock in the afternoon, two days after the action, and no 
 account of Howe's pursuing, or attempting to pursue, his advan- 
 tage. It is not at all impossible that he received a severe blow, 
 and that the victory he gained may be of that kind, of which it 
 has been said, ' Another such, and I am ruined.' 
 
 " My respects to Mr. Parker and neighbour Proctor ; tell 
 them their sons are well, and behaved themselves bravely. 
 Please, also, to tell Mrs. Lillie that John is safe, after being in as 
 much fire as a salamander would choose. Both Captain Ran- 
 dall, in whose company he is, and himself, behaved with great 
 spirit. I do not mention these as particular instances, for it 
 would be injustice to the whole, but only to relieve the anxiety 
 of their friends about them." 
 
 had now got possession of a height opposite to him. They made 
 several efforts to pass the low grounds between them, and were as 
 frequently repulsed. Night coming on, his Excellency, the General, 
 gave orders for a retreat, which was regularly effected, without the 
 least attempt of the enemy to pursue. Our troops that night retired to 
 Chester, and will now take post in such manner as best to cover 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 "Our army is now refreshed, and, if the enemy advance, will meet 
 them with that intrepid spirit which becomes men contending for 
 liberty and the great cause of their country. It is difficult, at present, 
 to ascertain our loss ; but, from the most particular inquiry I have been 
 able to make, it will not exceed seven or eight hundred killed, wound- 
 ed, and missing, and ten field-pieces. 
 
 " It is a common practice in war to diminish our own loss and magni- 
 fy that of our enemies ; but, from my own observation and the opinion 
 of others, their loss must be much greater than ours. Time and their 
 future operations will, I trust, prove the assertion. 
 
 " This is the most capital and general action of the present war ; and, 
 when we consider the precarious circumstances of the enemy, the views 
 they had to take possession of Philadelphia by a single action, and the 
 loss they have sustained without obtaining their end, it may be fairly 
 concluded, from a comparison of circumstances, that, if the advantage is 
 not on our side, yet they will have but little to boast of."
 
 MEMOIR. 37 
 
 The next letter, written to his father, is given nearly 
 entire. 
 
 " Artillery Park, Skippack, about twenty-four miles 
 
 west from Philadelphia, September 30th, 1777. 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " When I wrote to you last, our affairs wore rather a clouded 
 aspect ; our misfortune at Brandywine occasioned some small 
 depression of spirits in our army, which we hoped a successful 
 turn would carry off. But, though this desirable event has not 
 yet happened, the temporary gloom seems to be entirely dispel- 
 led, and our camp is as cheerful as ever. Since that time, we 
 have had (I don't know that I ought to call it the misfortune) 
 the mortification of seeing the enemy possess themselves of Phil- 
 adelphia. From the account sent our good friends in Boston, 
 they must naturally have been led to expect the news of anoth- 
 er battle before that of the loss of the city ; and I believe the 
 General intended fully they should have had one more scrabble 
 for it. In this, however, he was disappointed. We recrossed 
 the Schuylkill the 14th instant, in hopes to gain some advan- 
 tage by it ; the next day but one after that the enemy advanced, 
 and our army was formed in order of battle ; but, rain coming 
 on very fast, the General filed off, choosing to avoid an action in 
 which the discipline of the enemy in the use of their bayonets 
 (the only weapon that could then be of any service, and which 
 we were by no means generally supplied with) would give them 
 too great a superiority. The hot-headed politicians will no doubt 
 censure this part of his conduct, while the more judicious will 
 approve it, as not only expedient, but, in such a case, highly 
 commendable. It was, without doubt, chagrining to a person 
 of his fine feelings to retreat before an enemy not more in num- 
 ber than himself; yet, with a true greatness of spirit, he sacri- 
 ficed them to the good of his country. We marched all night 
 through as heavy a rain as ever fell, which damaged the greater 
 part of the ammunition then with us. It was shortly after judged 
 necessary to return on the other side of the river, that we might 
 the better be able to counteract the enemy, and prevent them 
 
 2^5346
 
 38 MEMOIR. 
 
 from crossing. This was effected in good order, and a party, un- 
 der General Wayne, was left to harass their rear, should they at- 
 tempt to ford. It is not my province to judge of the conduct of 
 this party ; I shall only relate facts. It was surprised by the en- 
 emy about one o'clock in the morning of the 22d instant, who 
 rushed upon them with fixed bayonets and cutlasses, drove them 
 off the ground, killed fifty-six on the spot, and wounded and took 
 a proportionable number. 
 
 " In the above surprise, my friend Randall, after getting one 
 of his pieces away, was taken while he was anxiously exerting 
 himself for the security of that, and another, which, under cover 
 of the night, was also got off. On finding himself in their hands, 
 he endeavoured to escape, but the enemy prevented it by knock- 
 ing him down and stabbing him in eight places. His wounds not 
 admitting of his being carried with them, they left him at a 
 house near the scene of action, and took his parole to return 
 when called for, unless exchanged. It is no less true than re- 
 markable, that a continued series of ill-luck has constantly at- 
 tended poor Randall ; who, no sooner than he finds himself at 
 liberty to oppose the enemies of humanity and justice, has, by 
 some perverse trick of Fortune, been thrown into their hands, 
 and bound, by the strongest tie that can affect a man of hon- 
 or, not to act against them. His good conduct on all, and the 
 most trying, occasions, joined with my long acquaintance and 
 friendship, interests me exceedingly in his behalf, and makes me 
 anxious for his exchange, both as it will be very grateful to 
 him, and, I really think, beneficial to his country. 
 
 " To return. Had there been no other object but that of pre- 
 venting Mr. Howe from fording the river, Philadelphia might at 
 this time, perhaps, have remained ours. But, instead of cross- 
 ing, as we expected, he moved by his left up the river, which 
 made it necessary we should do the same with our right, in order 
 to cover our magazines, then at Reading, it being by no means 
 improbable he would attempt destroying them. Of this manoeu- 
 vre, though under such circumstances very essential on our part, 
 he took advantage ; for, by a forced march, he returned in the
 
 MEMOIR. 39 
 
 night of the 22d instant, and crossed his whole army before 
 morning. This being effected, and we left eight miles in his 
 rear, his proceeding to the city could be attended with little or no 
 hazard, unless we chose to attack him at a manifest disadvan- 
 tage. This was by no means advisable, and Philadelphia, of 
 course, fell into his hands. Here, again, some blustering hero, 
 in fighting his battles over a glass of madeira, may take upon 
 him to arraign the conduct of our general, and stigmatize the 
 army as cowards. Leaving such to enjoy their own sagacity, 
 it must appear obvious to men of sense and reflection, duly 
 impressed with the importance of the great contest in which we 
 are engaged, that a general action ought, on no pretence, to be 
 risked under disadvantageous circumstances ; nor should the 
 safety of a single city be brought in competition with the welfare 
 of posterity. Giving these considerations due weight, the ab- 
 surdity of risking too much is evident ; for, should we miscarry, 
 posterity would execrate, and the world call us fools. 
 
 " Such being the situation of affairs, the inquiry naturally aris- 
 es, What is to be done ? are the enemy peaceably to remain in 
 Philadelphia ? I hope not. We have received reinforcements 
 of regular troops (exclusive of between three and four thousand 
 militia) more than will make up for our loss at Brandywine, and 
 a desire of obtaining satisfaction pervades the whole army. Our 
 lads are unwilling to relinquish their prospects of yet having the 
 city for winter-quarters, and the good news from the northward 
 adds fuel to the flame. A spirit of emulation gains ground daily, 
 and the general wish is for a fair opportunity to signalize them- 
 selves. Under the influence of such a temper, I am persuaded 
 our troops, when again called to action, will acquit themselves 
 well. The time, I think, cannot be far distant. There remains 
 much to be done on our part, and it would be infamous in Mr. 
 Howe to content himself as yet with what he has done. 
 
 " On a comparison of circumstances in this and our army at 
 the northward, it pretty plainly appears that the campaign, take 
 it together, has not been too favorable to the enemy. Fortune
 
 40 MEMOIR. 
 
 seems to have relented ; and, at a time when Mr. Burgoyne, puffed 
 up by his too easy acquisition of Ticonderoga, was threatening 
 us with ' devastation, famine, and every concomitant horror 
 which a reluctant, but indispensable, prosecution of military duty 
 must occasion,' checked him in his mad career, and gave a new 
 face to our affairs in that quarter. This, while it is considered as 
 a just punishment to the arrogant, may teach us that 
 
 " October 3d, sunset. 
 
 " I received your letter, and have only time to say, God bless 
 my dear parents. I shall write you again. 
 
 " S. SHAW. 
 
 " October 13th. 
 
 " It is with much satisfaction I embrace this opportunity of 
 finishing my long and almost tedious letter. When I began the 
 foregoing, I knew of no conveyance ; and, being interrupted 
 while writing, let it lie till the 3d instant, when Captain Randall 
 told me he should set off the next morning for Boston. Time was 
 precious, the army just beginning to march, and not a moment 
 to spare, which obliged me to conclude in the abrupt manner I 
 did. He has called to see me on his way home (having been 
 detained by his wounds), which has afforded me opportunity of 
 giving you a short sketch of our late affair with Mr. Howe. 
 
 " Our whole army, exclusive of the necessary guards left for 
 the security of the camp, began its march, in four columns, on 
 the evening of the 3d instant, about six o'clock, by different 
 roads, some of them being distant sixteen and eighteen miles, 
 and the nearest to the enemy fourteen. Their pickets were at- 
 tacked about daylight the next morning, and, after being rein- 
 forced by the light infantry of the whole line, were driven back, 
 reinforcement and all, upon their main body. The attack of the 
 pickets gave the alarm, and the resistance they made afforded 
 the main body time to form, and recover a little from their sur- 
 prise, which could not have been greater had they seen an army 
 drop from the clouds to oppose them. Our lads, encouraged by 
 so prosperous a beginning, pushed on with the utmost resolution,
 
 MEMOIR. 41 
 
 and broke the reinforcement coming to the relief of the pickets 
 and light infantry. This was the critical moment ; had things 
 gone on in the same train five minutes longer, we, perhaps, at 
 this time should have been in quiet possession of Philadelphia. 
 But it was otherwise ; unfortunately, at that most important junc- 
 ture, an exceeding thick fog arose, which, joined to the smoke, 
 made it impossible to discern objects at the distance of thirty 
 yards, and, the firing continuing on all quarters, it was impossible, 
 in such circumstances, to distinguish, while on the right, whether 
 the firing heard was from our left and centre, or from the ene- 
 my. This was a very disagreeable situation for new troops, and, 
 the ammunition being chiefly spent, our general ordered a retreat, 
 which was performed in good order, bringing off the artillery, 
 wagons, and wounded. 
 
 " Besides the above, I know of no other reasons which can be 
 assigned for our leaving the ground, unless we conclude that it 
 was not the will of Heaven we should succeed, and by one bold 
 push purchase the inestimable blessing of Freedom. This, and 
 this only, seems to be a consolation for the loss of victory, even 
 after it was in our grasp, and is at the same time so comforta- 
 ble a persuasion that I shall always cherish it. ' The ways of 
 Heaven are dark and intricate,' and, though we cannot fathom 
 the designs of infinite wisdom, it becomes us, notwithstanding, to 
 acquiesce in its dispensations. For my own part, I am so fully 
 convinced of the justice of the cause in which we are contend- 
 ing, and that Providence, in its own good time, will succeed and 
 bless it, that, were I to see twelve of the United States overrun 
 by our cruel invaders, I should still believe the thirteenth would 
 not only save itself, but also work the deliverance of the others. 
 This, however, is not the case. From the bravery, and, I may 
 add, the discipline, of our troops, much may be expected. In 
 the late engagement they did their duty, maintaining the action 
 upwards of two hours and a half, teaching themselves and the 
 world this useful truth, founded on experience, that British troops 
 are proof against neither a surprise nor a vigorous attack. Our loss 
 I believe to be much less than at Brandywine. The enemy's, 
 6
 
 42 MEMOIR. 
 
 by accounts from the city and by deserters, has been great ; 
 some say twelve hundred, some sixteen hundred, others, two 
 thousand or more, killed and wounded. General Agnew was 
 killed on the spot, as also was Colonel Bird, of the fifteenth regi- 
 ment ; General Grant was wounded. On our part, General Nash, 
 mortally wounded, is since dead, with some other brave officers. 
 General Sullivan's division behaved gallantly ; he lost two aid- 
 de-camps, dead of their wounds. We had three officers of ar- 
 tillery wounded, viz. Captain Frothingham, Captain-Lieutenant 
 Hewman, and Lieutenant Parsons, who are all likely to do well. 
 A proportion of privates were killed and wounded. 
 
 " Our army is now encamped in a good part of the country, 
 about twenty-six miles from Philadelphia, is in good spirits, 
 and expects soon to have the other watch. 
 
 " Though 't is something late in the day, I must, however, con- 
 gratulate you on the success of our arms at the northward, 
 particulars of which you, without doubt, have heard. This by 
 way of balance, as I have to sympathize with you on the loss of 
 our forts on the North River, an event which might have been 
 attended with fatal consequences, had it happened early in the 
 year. The drawing of troops for reinforcing this army so weak- 
 ened our posts in that quarter, that it was a great temptation to 
 the enemy to risk a little. However, I hope they will yet be dis- 
 appointed in their main object, which is conjectured to be the 
 relieving Burgoyne, as it is not improbable there may be soon 
 a very good account of him ; if not, the hazard the enemy 
 would run by leaving General Putnam in their rear must make 
 them extremely cautious how they venture to his assistance. 
 
 " 15th, 8 o'clock, morning. 
 
 "An important piece of intelligence arrived last night in 
 camp. Burgoyne has received another check. Great part of his 
 camp, nine pieces of brass cannon, and upwards of five hundred 
 prisoners, have fallen into our hands. This, without doubt, will 
 induce Clinton to return again to New York, as it is too late for 
 him to relieve Burgoyne, who, to all human appearance, must
 
 MEMOIR. 43 
 
 be ruined. This news increases the ardor our troops have to 
 engage the enemy, which we seem to be under a double 
 obligation to do, first for our country, and next for our own 
 honor, which seems very nearly concerned ; as great things 
 are justly expected from us in this quarter, from the main 
 American army." 
 
 The following letter, also to his father, is dated at the 
 " Camp at White Marsh, thirteen miles from Philadel- 
 phia, November 19th, 1777." 
 
 " Although I have not received a line from my dear parents, 
 in answer to three or four letters already written to them, 
 I think it nevertheless incumbent on me to embrace every oppor- 
 tunity of acquainting them of my situation, that they may be 
 under as little anxiety on my account as possible. I am in as 
 good health as ever, and wish for nothing, except now and then 
 a little sociable chat with some of my Boston friends ; for 
 really a person might live in some parts of Pennsylvania to the 
 age of Methuselah without forming one valuable or agreeable 
 connection. This same State of Pennsylvania is certainly the 
 most disaffected of any of the thirteen, and seems quite ripe for 
 slavery. Will posterity believe, nay, would the present genera- 
 tion credit it, did not melancholy experience make it undenia- 
 ble, that, at a time when the enemy are in the bowels of their 
 State, and possessed of their capital city, they have not more 
 than twelve or thirteen hundred militia in the field,* and not two 
 thirds of their quota of Continental troops ? Pitiful exertion ! 
 yes, pitiful indeed ! Had the New-England States observed a 
 similar line of conduct, Mr. Burgoyne, instead of being at this 
 time their prisoner, had been dealing chains and death to those 
 who are now his masters. You may perhaps be desirous of 
 knowing on what principles such monstrous inactivity can be 
 accounted for. It is easily done ; one third of its inhabitants 
 pretend conscience ; another, are a set who wish to enjoy their 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. V., pp. 120-146, 
 for a corroboration of these statements.
 
 44 MEMOIR. 
 
 property on any terms ; while the remainder, instead of uniting 
 to save their convulsed and distracted state, are wrangling about 
 a form of government, which never had, and in the nature of 
 things, never can have, any stability. But I quit so disagreeable 
 a subject. 
 
 " Since the action at Germantown, nothing very material has 
 taken place between the two armies, excepting the affair at Red 
 Bank, and the operations in the river. Fort Mifflin has at 
 length, after a most gallant resistance, been evacuated ; though 
 not till its block-houses were levelled, the works torn to pieces, 
 and all its cannon dismounted by the exceeding heavy fire of the 
 enemy's batteries and shipping. The noble defence of that 
 place has been the means of keeping the enemy out of the river 
 with their fleet, till the season has got too far advanced for them 
 to weigh the chevaux-de-frise. This will render their stay in 
 Philadelphia inconvenient, if not dangerous. It is with the most 
 sensible affliction I must here mention the loss of a friend, 
 almost as near as a brother, the brave, the amiable, the mod- 
 est Captain Treat, who was killed by a cannon-ball while de- 
 fending his post with an intrepidity that would have done honor 
 to an old soldier. Surely, if real merit and true courage, joined 
 with the greatest benevolence of heart, and a most ardent desire 
 to promote the good of his country, could ' shield one mortal 
 from the shaft of death,' the deceased hero, who possessed those 
 qualities in an eminent degree, had yet remained. Unrelenting 
 war! that, without distinction, layest in the same dust the 
 coward and the brave ! I pity, from my soul I pity, his dis- 
 tressed mother, who, by this severe stroke, has lost the staff and 
 comfort of her age. May Heaven afford her that support and 
 consolation of which she must stand so greatly in need ! "
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EULOGY OF WASHINGTON. BATTLE OF MONMOUTH. ARREST 
 
 OF GENERAL LEE. HIS CHARACTER. PICTURE OF MEN 
 
 AND TIMES. DUEL BETWEEN GENERAL LEE AND COLONEL 
 
 LAURENS. EFFECTS OF THE DEPRECIATION OF THE PAPER 
 
 CURRENCY. 
 
 IN March, 1778, Mr. Shaw was raised to the rank 
 of Major of Brigade in the corps of artillery. Between 
 this period and March, 1779, he wrote to his friend Eliot 
 six letters, from which extracts here follow in their 
 order. 
 
 " Artillery Park, April 12th, 1778. 
 
 " It would be paying very little attention to that warm attach- 
 ment which you so justly have to our illustrious Commander-in- 
 chief, were I to omit acquainting you, that he enjoys a perfect 
 state of health, and is the same steady, amiable character he 
 ever has been. His fortitude, patience, and equanimity of soul, 
 under the discouragements he has been obliged to encounter, 
 ought to endear him to his country, it has done it exceedingly 
 to the army. When I contemplate the virtues of the man, 
 uniting in the citizen and soldier, I cannot too heartily coincide 
 with the orator for the Fifth of March last, who so delicately 
 describes him, as a person that appears to be raised by Heaven 
 to show how high humanity can soar. It will afford you no 
 small pleasure to be told, that the faction which was breeding 
 last winter in order to traduce the first character on the Continent 
 is at an end." 
 
 " New Brunswick, July 3d, 1778. 
 
 " You have already heard of the evacuation of Philadel-
 
 46 MEMOIR. 
 
 phia by the enemy, and their setting out on a tour through 
 Jersey. This tour has cost them dear. In two days after they 
 left the city, we had upwards of two hundred deserters come 
 in ; and in three days more the number (as appeared by the 
 town-major's books) was augmented to five hundred ; these 
 came to the city, exclusive of such as went different ways, and 
 more or less were daily flocking in. The enemy continued their 
 march, meeting with a variety of obstructions from the militia 
 and our light parties, who constantly kept near them, till Sunday 
 last, the 28th ultimo, when their rear was overtaken at Monmouth 
 Court-house by some of our detachments sent out to harass them, 
 and act as occasion should require. Our main body was then 
 from six to eight miles distant, and advancing. A cannonade 
 commenced, and it was expected the action between these two 
 parties would have immediately become general ; but our de- 
 tachments were ordered to retire. I will not presume to judge 
 of the propriety or impropriety of this measure ; it is a nice 
 point, and something difficult to draw proper conclusions. Let 
 it suffice barely to relate facts, as I saw them, being at that time, 
 with some officers from the main army, reconnoitring the ene- 
 my. Our detachments might consist of between four and five 
 thousand, without cavalry, at the above-mentioned distance from 
 the main body ; the enemy's consisted of their grenadiers, 
 guards, Highlanders, and cavalry, of which last it is supposed 
 there were between four and five hundred, and their main body 
 was at hand ready to sustain them. The ground was open, and 
 by no means advantageous to us. Would, then, an immediate 
 attack, under these circumstances, though it would undoubtedly 
 have distressed the enemy's rear at the first onset, yet, as it 
 might probably have involved a general action before our detach- 
 ments could receive support, have been advisable ? But where 
 am I running ? Instead of giving you an account of the trans- 
 actions of that memorable day, I was beginning to tire you with 
 reflections which I have no business to make. To return. 
 
 " Our detachments accordingly began to retire, but in good 
 order, skirmishing more or less with the enemy, who, taking
 
 MEMOIR. 47 
 
 
 
 courage by this movement, which they fancied a general retreat, 
 were following briskly. Our main body having by this time got 
 within supporting distance, the detachments made a stand, and a 
 very hot action ensued. After much manoeuvring, and many at- 
 tempts to gain our flanks and rear, which were constantly defeated 
 by the precautions taken by our illustrious Commander-in-chief, 
 the enemy were repulsed with considerable loss, leaving many 
 killed and some wounded on the field. They then had it in their 
 power to bring on a general action, but the reception they met on 
 this occasion left them no relish for such an entertainment ; they 
 called in their parties and sneaked back to a secure piece of 
 ground three miles from the scene, from whence, at two o'clock 
 the next morning, they went off with some precipitation, leaving, 
 besides those on the field of battle, four officers and upwards of 
 fifty men wounded, whom they could not take away. A pursuit 
 would have been in vain, as our army were too.much fatigued to 
 follow with a probability of overtaking them, after having made 
 such rapid marches to come up with them. 
 
 " Lieutenant-Colonel Monckton (brother of the general), com- 
 manding the enemy's grenadiers, and several other officers, were 
 found among the slain, and buried by us with the honors of war. 
 They regret his loss exceedingly, but were sure the Americans 
 would pay proper respect to his remains, from a principle of grati- 
 tude to his brother, who refused to draw his sword against them. 
 I rode over the field, and the proportion of dead was at least six, 
 some think eight, to one, on their part. Some brave officers and 
 men have fallen on our side, among whom the detachments from 
 the artillery came in for a share. Lieutenant M c Nair from 
 Pennsylvania had his head shot off by a cannon-ball, and Cap- 
 tain Cook from our State (in Crane's regiment) is badly wound- 
 ed, I think mortally, besides seven killed and thirteen wounded. 
 At present I cannot ascertain our loss, though I am sure it is in- 
 considerable when compared with theirs, which was greatly in- 
 creased by a galling fire from a wood, that took them in flank 
 while they were advancing to the attack of our detachments. 
 Two days after the action, the adjutant-general told me he had re-
 
 48 MEMOIR. 
 
 ceived returns of two hundred and forty -seven of the enemy's 
 dead, from the officer who had the care of burying the slain on 
 both sides. Deserters who have come in since say they have nev- 
 er been so severely handled in America ; and, indeed, if we judge 
 by the affair of Bunker's Hill, it is true enough. On that occa- 
 sion their loss was one thousand and fifty -three, only one hun- 
 dred and sixty odd of whom were killed, which was a proportion 
 of more than five wounded to one killed. If we follow the same 
 rule now, it will make them twelve hundred and thirty-five 
 wounded ; taking only two thirds of that proportion, still their 
 loss must be great, and this, too, from the flower of their ar- 
 my ; were it otherwise, they would have kept the field, which in 
 this case they were forced to abandon. 
 
 " During the whole action, such part of our army as were en- 
 gaged exhibited a spirit which would have done honor to veteran 
 troops ; the remainder seemed impatient for the battle ; not a sign 
 of fear was to be observed. Our brave Commander-in-chief, by 
 his gallant example, animated his forces, and, by exposing his 
 person to every danger common to the meanest soldier, taught 
 them to hold nothing too dear to resign for the good of their coun- 
 try ; he thanked the whole army the next day in general orders, 
 and made particular mention of the good service done by the ar- 
 tillery. The fortune of the day was great, great in itself, and 
 much more so will it be in its consequences ; the superiority of 
 the American arms was never so apparent ; it stood confessed, 
 and the power of Britain has received a check from which it will 
 not soon recover. While we rejoice in our success, while we ex- 
 perience the pleasing satisfactions arising from a virtuous exertion 
 in the cause of freedom and the rights of mankind, let us not be 
 unmindful of the first great Cause and Giver of victory ; but let 
 our hearts expand with gratitude to that beneficent Being, whose 
 providential care has hitherto conducted, sustained, and, in his 
 own good time, will no doubt carry us through the arduous con- 
 flict. 
 
 " I am sorry to write a piece of news which must grieve every 
 good friend to his country. You will be surprised, but it is true ;
 
 MEMOIR. 49 
 
 General Lee, the second officer upon the Continent, is in ar- 
 rest ! The charges against him are high ; disobedience of orders 
 and making an unnecessary and shameful retreat in face of the 
 enemy, are among the catalogue. A court-martial sat this day 
 for his trial ; a more interesting one, perhaps, never came before 
 a court. What will be its decision, God knows. Alas, the con- 
 dition of humanity ! That General Lee, a character known and 
 regarded, not only in America, but in Europe, and ranked in the 
 first class of military fame, should have such matters laid to his 
 charge, is melancholy. Indeed, my dear friend, it affects me 
 exceedingly ; I feel more on the occasion than I am able to 
 express. How precarious is reputation ! On what a slender 
 thread does it depend ! ' It breaks at every breeze ' ! These 
 charges against General Lee respect his conduct while with the 
 detachments of which he had the command, when they came up 
 with the enemy, as already mentioned. It would be presump- 
 tion in any officer, much more so in a young one, to give his 
 opinion in an affair of so much delicacy and importance ; it is 
 now before a court-martial, the members are gentlemen of 
 approved abilities, integrity, and honor, there let us leave it." * 
 
 " Camp at White Plains, August 13th, 1778. 
 
 " It was my design to write you a very long letter ; for, really, 
 my good friend, I want to say a great deal to you, as I wish to 
 remove your prejudice (and, indeed, I think you have a little) 
 against a certain great personage. I say great, because, notwith- 
 standing his whimsicalities, I believe him entitled to that epithet. 
 Two things I lay down as unequivocal, his attachment to Amer- 
 ica, and his personal bravery. Your observations on the great 
 characters of antiquity I esteem just and pertinent, and join in 
 thinking that great men should be possessed of great virtues. At 
 the same time that history informs me of eminent services per- 
 formed for a people, it exhibits a striking picture of their ingrat- 
 itude towards the person to whom they are under the strongest 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. V., p. 425. 
 
 7
 
 50 MEMOIR. 
 
 obligations. I am sorry to draw a parallel to the disadvantage 
 of my countrymen ; but you must forgive me when I deliver it 
 as my opinion, that, in some future day, the pen of calumny will 
 attempt to attack the brightest character that has ever enlightened 
 our hemisphere, especially should he make an unfortunate ma- 
 noeuvre, a man not only great in arms, but eminently so in 
 virtues ; so true is that hackneyed remark, Finis coronal opus. 
 
 " It will be no news to tell you that we are at length on this 
 side the great gulf, Hudson's River. The ten thousand Greeks 
 did not discover greater signs of satisfaction at seeing the ocean, 
 than our New England lads did on arriving at the banks of this 
 river. Well, perhaps say you, what 's to be done now ? I can 
 only answer, that I do not know ; our movements, I think, will, 
 in a great measure, depend on those of the enemy, and if, in a 
 fit of despair, they should come out, they will find a very cordial 
 reception. We are exceedingly anxious about the Rhode 
 Island expedition. Lord Howe sailed last Friday from the 
 Hook ; though we cannot precisely ascertain his force, it is ad- 
 mitted he has received some small reinforcement. The attack 
 was to have been made last Monday. It is a week of suspense, 
 and every moment big with expectation. Our force there is 
 ample, and the success, from appearances, probable." 
 
 " Fredericksburg, November 3d, 1778. 
 
 " Previous to your letter the public prints had informed me 
 of the loss your amiable family had sustained,* and my heart 
 sympathized in their distress. Taught in my early days to 
 reverence the good man, and confirmed in my attachment, 
 as well by the many endearing and benevolent qualities he 
 possessed in the private walk, as by the shining example his 
 public life and conversation exhibited, I feel myself a sharer 
 in the visitation, and, from what passes in my own breast, can 
 form some idea of the measure of your affliction, under the 
 
 * By the death of the Rev. Dr. Andrew Eliot.
 
 MEMOIR. 51 
 
 pressure of so heavy a misfortune. Could piety, universal 
 philanthropy, and the virtues of humanity combined, have length- 
 ened out the span, your excellent father had yet remained, a rich 
 and diffusive blessing. But alas ! neither these or the tears of 
 surviving friends can avail. 
 
 ' Nee te tua plurima, Pantheu, 
 Labentem pietas, nee Apollinis infula texit ! ' 
 
 " You ask whether we shall enjoy peace this winter ? Indeed, 
 my good friend, it is an interesting inquiry, and I wish it was in 
 my power to answer in the affirmative. Yet, though it does not 
 amount to an absolute certainty, there is much presumptive 
 evidence that the smiling divinity will ere long visit us. The 
 enemy are making great preparations at New York, either for a 
 large detachment or a total evacuation. From many circum- 
 stances, and the best information, the latter seems to be the pre- 
 vailing opinion ; though some few think that the former will be the 
 measure adopted, to secure their possessions in the West Indies, 
 and that with a small force they will remain this winter, and try 
 the effects of a negotiation. Which of these are right, time must 
 discover. I think, however, they can have but little prospect of 
 the success of a negotiation with a part of their force, after the 
 whole has been found incompetent to the purpose. 
 
 " If they quit New York, they must also abandon Rhode 
 Island, and at the same time take leave of the Continent. In- 
 deed, if we take a view of their present distracted condition, 
 what they ought to do is apparent ; in short, it is the only alterna- 
 tive. Let them renounce the chimerical idea of enslaving a 
 people determined to be free ; and, instead of flattering them- 
 selves with the acquisition of new territory, let them secure that 
 which at present they hold by a very slender tenure. Should 
 Monsieur le Franpais make love to their Islands, and succeed 
 in his suit, they will be deprived of a source of much wealth, 
 and the national credit receive a shock beyond what it has ever 
 experienced. 
 
 " In every stage of the controversy, Great Britain has mani-
 
 52 MEMOIR. 
 
 Tested a spirit of perverseness scarcely to be equalled. Our 
 most humble and earnest entreaties for peace were rejected, 
 an appeal has been made to the sword, its efficacy has been 
 tried, and now, unable to subdue us by dint of arms, she is 
 reduced to the necessity of carrying on the war by manifesto 
 and proclamation. You have no doubt seen this last weapon, this 
 swan-like production of the expiring triumvirate. Notwithstand- 
 ing this, they still endeavour to keep up the farce. Their news- 
 papers talk loudly of the folly and obstinacy of America, and 
 warn her of the impending danger, should she rouse the British 
 lion by refusing to comply with the gracious terms of his most 
 gracious Majesty's manifesto and proclamation, published under 
 his commission." 
 
 "November 20th, 1778. 
 
 "After waiting till this advanced season of the year for 
 the moving of the waters, we are at length preparing to 
 go into whiter-quarters, which are allotted in Jersey. From 
 their past experience, I believe the good people of that State 
 will not consider us as the most welcome guests; for wher- 
 ever an army goes, be it ever so well disposed, more or less 
 inconvenience, to say no worse, will attend the inhabitants. 
 The park of artillery will, I expect, be stationed at Pluckemin, 
 a little village about fifteen miles to the southward of Morristown, 
 at no great distance from the main body of the army. We shall 
 all hands have to go to work, as the whole are to be hutted in 
 the same manner as the last year ; and I hope we shall make 
 quick way in the business, as Jack Frost is a very powerful 
 stimulus to people in such a case. When the mode of hutting 
 was proposed, at the close of the last campaign, some treated the 
 idea as ridiculous, few thought it practicable, and all were 
 surprised at the facility with which it was executed. To be 
 sure, it was a considerable exertion for the remnant of an army, 
 exhausted and worn down by the severity of a long and unsuc- 
 cessful campaign, to sit down in a wood, and, in the latter end of 
 December, to build themselves houses. It will not make a dis- 
 graceful page in our ' new history.'
 
 MEMOIR. 53 
 
 " A few weeks ago it was pretty generally believed, that the 
 enemy would soon evacuate New York and Rhode Island ; but 
 now those who were then the most sanguine in their expecta- 
 tions of such an event seem to be much disappointed. It may, 
 or it may not, take place. The disaster Mr. Byron's squadron 
 has met with will, without doubt, procrastinate their departure 
 for some time, perhaps till the spring. If so, I think our good 
 friends and allies may have an opportunity to exhibit a little in 
 the West Indies this winter, unless the Count's ill-luck should 
 still attend him. Poor fellow ! I wish Fortune may be in a better 
 humor with him than she has hitherto manifested. The sailing 
 of his fleet, and the marching of the conventionalists, must, I 
 think, have a tendency to reduce the price of the necessaries of 
 life, and afford the good people of the town considerable re- 
 lief from the hardships under which they have labored, on 
 account of the late demand. 
 
 " It must be no small mortification to the stubborn Britons to 
 be obliged to undertake a march at this season ; but they may 
 thank that spirit of perverseness which has been the cause not 
 only of this, but of every other evil that has befallen them and 
 us, for the occasion. Had General Heath been continued in the 
 command at Boston, the departure of these gentry would, no 
 doubt, have been a pleasing circumstance to him ; at present I 
 think he need not be affected one way or the other. I hardly 
 know what term to afford it, but it was a great piece of indelica- 
 cy, at least, in a certain respectable body, after the good man had 
 gone through the drudgery of business, and that with as much 
 propriety as any one could, to supersede him in the manner they 
 did. I only hope that they will have equal reason to be satisfied 
 with his successor. It is not in my power to give you a particular 
 detail of the affair between him and Wilkinson, as I do not recol- 
 lect all the circumstances ; but, as far as I have been able to 
 judge, I believe the parties acted with becoming spirit on the oc- 
 casion. The papers contain a tolerably good account of the dis- 
 pute between Kosciuszko and Carter. Full credit is due to what 
 the former says, so that you cannot be at a loss to form an 
 opinion of the matter."
 
 54 MEMOIR. 
 
 " March 22d, 1779. 
 
 " It is a very common question, though I think at present a 
 very serious one, What do you think of the times ? People 
 who come from the eastward present us with a very melancholy 
 picture. Depreciation of virtue, of paper currency, which you 
 know touches the poor soldier, and every species of extortion, 
 are the outlines ; while luxury, effeminacy, and the long train of 
 attendants on too sudden an accumulation of wealth, lend their 
 assistance to finish the piece. Nor is this peculiar to the 
 Eastern States. In Philadelphia, the metropolis of America, as 
 some call it, every species of rascality is practised. It was a 
 diversion, though enjoyed at the expense of one's philanthropy, to 
 attend to the different scenes; to say nothing of trade, and 
 matters of that sort, which I believe are pretty generally the 
 same. In one place, you find ' Common Sense,' Mr. Deane, 
 and the adherents to both parties, entering the lists and kindling 
 a flame which will not very soon subside. They have alarmed 
 the public, and, I fear, in a great degree unhinged the confi- 
 dence which ought to be reposed in its representatives. They 
 have so twisted and tortured the affair, and that without answer- 
 ing a single good purpose, that all ranks are dissatisfied, 
 though none appear to know where to fix their suspicions, or in 
 what manner they may be removed. For my own part, I read 
 Mr. Deane's Address to the public. I felt for him, because, from 
 the mode of his complaining, I thought he had been injured. 
 ' Common Sense ' attacks him, their partisans take the field, 
 perplexity becomes more perplexed, exitus in dubio est, and the 
 readers are left, in the condition of old Sir Roger de Coverley, to 
 draw this conclusion, that ' much may be said on both sides.' 
 
 " I am afraid, should I go on, you '-11 think I tampered too much 
 with my philanthropy. I can't help it, though this I assure 
 you, that the piece will not be overdone. Balls, entertainments, 
 routes, rackets, assemblies, drums, &c., seem, on the other 
 hand, to have taken full possession of all classes. Jack is be- 
 come the gentleman, and, to keep up the farce, he must appear 
 as such. Why should n't he ? especially as it 's only making the
 
 MEMOIR. 55 
 
 purchaser pay a little more, and where 's the harm of that? 
 In the streets, the big looks of the men of consequence, and the 
 blustering deportment of downy veterans, almost put the poor, 
 little, modest soldier out of countenance. For it is a certainty, 
 that nothing has a greater tendency to make the latter discon- 
 tented with his fare than these and other occurrences of a like 
 nature, when at the close of a campaign he visits the place of 
 his former abode ; docet experientia. Nor is this all. These 
 new gentry expect a great deal of deference, their ideas are 
 sublimed, and, fond of imitating their betters, they cannot abate 
 an iota of this article. Hence duels ensue, which are now ex- 
 ceedingly in vogue, though fortunately seldom attended with 
 fatal consequences. Indeed, it is to be lamented that men of 
 worth are sometimes, from the force of custom, obliged to give 
 in to this mode of adjusting disputes. Witness a late affair of 
 honor between two members of Congress, and another between 
 General Lee and Colonel Laurens. 
 
 " Perhaps this is a piece of history which you may not yet 
 have been acquainted with. On this presumption I give it you. 
 The parties are all gentlemen, and men of true honor. The late 
 President of Congress, in speaking before that body, observed, 
 that he had opened a certain matter to them before he took the 
 chair, but, as he conceived there would have been an indelicacy 
 in prosecuting it while in that station, he had postponed it till 
 now, when, as a member only, he could resume it without any 
 impropriety. Mr. Penn, a delegate from North Carolina, got 
 up and denied that the House had, at any time, been made 
 acquainted with any part of it. This was done in such a man- 
 ner as induced the other gentleman to think himself affronted. 
 Satisfaction was demanded, and the parties exchanged a shot, 
 but without injury to either, when, through the interposition of 
 the seconds, an accommodation took place. 
 
 " The freedom with which General Lee had spoken of his 
 Excellency, the Commander-in-chief, was resented by one of his 
 aids, Colonel Laurens (son to the late President above men- 
 tioned), who wrote him a note, purporting, that as the relation
 
 56 MEMOIR. 
 
 he stood in to his Excellency would not allow him to hear his 
 character trifled with, he desired General Lee to meet him in 
 order to come to an explanation. Lee answered, that, though it 
 was rather unprecedented in modern times for one gentleman to 
 meet another on the principle now laid down, yet, if Colonel Lau- 
 rens was desirous of reviving the ancient custom of pro vidua* 
 he should consider himself as obliged to conform. They met ac- 
 cordingly. The ultima ratio decided the matter, and the Gen- 
 eral received his antagonist's shot in the lower part of his side. 
 They behaved with the utmost politeness to each other, and Lee 
 has since declared that the Colonel's conduct on the occasion 
 was perfectly genteel, and such as had obliged him to entertain 
 an ' odd sort of respect ' for him. 
 
 " Somehow or other, I can never mention General Lee, with- 
 out reflecting on the uncertainty of human prospects, so striking- 
 ly exhibited in the fall of that unfortunate man. The young 
 soldier must moderate his ambition, when he sees a reputation, 
 which had been years in growing, and which a long course of 
 service had almost brought to maturity, fall a victim to the 
 mistakes of an hour, and be irrecoverably ruined ! 
 
 " The newspapers, I suppose, have informed you of the 
 British progress at the southward. Colonel Campbell (the same 
 who was prisoner) commands, and is carrying on the war in the 
 usual mode of sword and proclamation. His letter to General 
 Clinton and his proclamation show the man ; but we hope 
 General Lincoln will soon be able to give a good account of 
 him. Some advantages have been already gained by our people, 
 which have produced good effects in raising the spirits of all 
 ranks, and strengthening the opposition ; insomuch that Mr. 
 Campbell has been obliged to call in his outposts, and proceed 
 with the utmost caution. This has destroyed his communication 
 with the disaffected part of the country, and will prevent his 
 receiving the expected supplies of men and provisions. On the 
 
 " Monks, old women, and widows were, in ancient times, allowed 
 a champion, whence the term."
 
 MEMOIR. 57 
 
 whole, affairs are in such a train that we may reasonably expect 
 soon to hear good news from that quarter. 
 
 " The folly and madness of Britain will become proverbial. 
 Their inactivity during the last campaign is an indelible stain on 
 the former lustre of their arms. Colonel Webb, who lately came 
 out from New York on parole, says, that, previous to Campbell's 
 expedition to Georgia, the necessity of granting Independency to 
 America was talked of in all parts of the city with the utmost 
 freedom. Force, they said, had been tried without effect ; the 
 opposition had been more general than was expected, and the 
 sooner a reconciliation took place the better. This was the lan- 
 guage of past experience ; but, mark their inconsistency ; no 
 sooner did the tidings of Campbell's success reach them but their 
 note changed, and nothing but crushing the rebellion, and reduc- 
 ing America to unconditional submission, could be heard. De- 
 luded people ! they don't consider, that the longer they delay this 
 necessary work, for come to it they must, the more difficult 
 will it be. If they do not choose to negotiate with France and 
 America now, they will presently be obliged to take Spain into 
 the bargain. 
 
 " There has some important intelligence lately arrived on the 
 Continent, though, for political reasons, it has not been announced 
 to the public. Members of Congress, however, report that Spain 
 has acceded to the alliance, and agreed upon a very considerable 
 loan, that the king of the Sicilies has opened his ports to the 
 Americans, that the empress of Russia has spurned at the prop- 
 osition of supplying Britain with men and ships, and that the 
 city of Amsterdam was, by its influence in the States-General, 
 agitating the question for a treaty to be entered into by the United 
 Provinces with America, the result of which it was expected 
 would be favorable, and, besides all this, there was something 
 letter still. Various are the conjectures respecting this last ar- 
 ticle ; some, that a very capital loan has been negotiated ; oth- 
 ers, that overtures for an accommodation have been made by the 
 British ministry to our commissioners at Paris. Whether either 
 or both are the case, or whether ' something better still,' time
 
 58 MEMOIR. 
 
 will soon disclose. In the mean time we should be ready. The 
 best way to procure an honorable peace is by being in a condi- 
 tion of carrying on war to advantage." 
 
 On the 28th of June, 1779, Major Shaw writes to his 
 parents from New Windsor ; and, after expressing his 
 vivid hopes that the expedition under General Lincoln 
 to the Southern States would terminate the war, he pro- 
 ceeds thus graphically to relate his view of the state of 
 the country, and his own discouragements : 
 
 " I wish, seriously, that the ensuing campaign may terminate 
 the war. The people of America seem .to have lost sight entire- 
 ly of the noble principle which animated them at the commence- 
 ment of it. That patriotic ardor which then inspired each breast, 
 
 that glorious, I had almost said godlike, enthusiasm, has giv- 
 en place to avarice, and every rascally practice which tends to the 
 gratification of that sordid and most disgraceful passion. I don't 
 know as it would be too bold an assertion to say, that its deprecia- 
 tion is equal to that of the currency, thirty for one. You may 
 perhaps charitably think that I strain the matter, but I do not. I 
 speak feelingly. By the arts of monopolizers and extortioners, 
 and the little, the very little, attention by authority to counteract 
 them, our currency is reduced to a mere name. Pernicious so- 
 ever as this is to the community at large, its baneful effect is 
 more immediately experienced by the poor soldier. I am my- 
 self an instance of it. For my services I receive a nominal sum, 
 
 dollars at eight shillings, in a country where they pass at the 
 utmost for fourpence only. If it did not look too much like self- 
 applause, I might say that I engaged in the cause of my country 
 from the purest motives. However, be this as it may, my con- 
 tinuance in it has brought me to poverty and rags ; and, had I 
 fortune of my own, I should glory in persevering, though it 
 should occasion a sacrifice of the last penny. But, when I con- 
 sider my situation, my pay inadequate to my support, though 
 within the line of the strictest economy, no private purse of 
 my own, and reflect that the best of parents, who, I am per-
 
 MEMOIR. 59 
 
 suaded, have the tenderest affection for their son, and wish to 
 support him in character, have not the means of doing it, and 
 may, perhaps, be pressed themselves, when these considera- 
 tions occur to my mind, as they frequently do, they make me 
 serious ; more so than my natural disposition would lead me to 
 be. The loss of my horse, by any accident whatever (unless he 
 was actually killed in battle, and then I should be entitled only to 
 about one third of his value), would plunge me in inextricable 
 misfortune ; two years' pay and subsistence would not replace 
 him. Yet, the nature of my office renders it indispensable that 
 I should keep a horse. These are some of the emoluments an- 
 nexed to a military station. I hardly thought there were so 
 many before I began the detail ; but I find several more might 
 be added, though I think I have mentioned full enough. 
 
 " Believe me, my dear and honored parents, that I have not 
 enumerated these matters with a view to render you uneasy. 
 Nothing would give me more pain, should they have that effect ; 
 but I think communicating one's difficulties always lessens, and, 
 of course, makes them more tolerable ; and I fancy it has al- 
 ready had some influence on me. I feel much easier than when 
 I began to write, and more reconciled to my lot. It is true I 
 shall see many persons grown rich at the end of the war, who 
 at the commencement of it had no more than myself ; but I shall 
 not envy them. I must, notwithstanding, repeat my wish that this 
 campaign may put an end to the war, for I much doubt the virtue 
 of the people at large for carrying it on another year. Had the 
 same spirit which glowed in the breast of every true American 
 at the beginning of the controversy been properly cherished, the 
 country, long ere now, had been in full enjoyment of the object 
 of our warfare, ' peace, liberty, and safety.' But, as matters 
 are at present circumstanced, it is to be feared these blessings 
 are yet at a distance. Much remains to be done for the attain- 
 ment of them. The recommendations of Congress, in their late 
 address to the inhabitants of the States, should be in good ear- 
 nest attended to. We are not to stand still and wait for salva- 
 tion, but we must exert ourselves, be industrious in the use
 
 60 MEMOIR. 
 
 and application of those means with which Heaven has furnished 
 us, and then we may reasonably hope for success." * 
 
 * The coincidence of Major Shaw's views relative to the moral and 
 political aspect of the times with those entertained by General Wash- 
 ington is too striking to be omitted. In a letter to Benjamin Harrison, 
 from Philadelphia, on the 30th of December, 1778, Washington thus 
 wrote : " If I were called upon to draw a picture of the times and 
 of men, from what I have seen, heard, and in part know, I should in one 
 word say that idleness, dissipation, and extravagance seem to have laid 
 fast hold of most of them ; that speculation, peculation, and an insa- 
 tiable thirst for riches, seem to have got the better of every other con- 
 sideration, and almost of every order of men ; that party disputes and 
 personal quarrels are the great business of the day ; whilst the moment- 
 ous concerns of an empire, a great and accumulating debt, ruined finan- 
 ces, depreciated money, and want of credit, which in its consequences 
 is the want of every thing, are but secondary considerations, and post- 
 poned from day to day, from week to week, as if our affairs wore the 
 
 most promising aspect Our money is now sinking fifty per 
 
 cent., and I shall not be surprised if, in the course of a few months, a 
 total stop is put to the currency of it ; and yet an assembly, a concert, a 
 dinner, or supper, which will cost three or four hundred pounds, will 
 not only take men off from acting in this business, but even from think- 
 ing of it, while a great part of the officers of our army, from absolute 
 necessity, are quitting the service, and the more virtuous few, rather 
 than do this, are sinking by slow degrees into beggary and want. This 
 is not an exaggerated account." Writings of Washington, Vol. VI., 
 pp. 151, 152 ; also pp. 210, 211.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 RAVAGES OF THE BRITISH IN CONNECTICUT. CAPTURE OF 
 
 STONY POINT BY GENERAL WAYNE. ENTERPRISE AGAINST 
 
 PAULUS HOOK UNDER MAJOR HENRY LEE. HIS ARREST FOR 
 
 MISCONDUCT. TRIAL. DEFENCE, AND HONORABLE ACQUIT- 
 TAL. 
 
 BETWEEN July and October, 1779, Major Shaw wrote 
 three letters to his friend, Mr. Eliot, from which are 
 extracted the following passages. 
 
 " New Windsor, July 16th, 1779. 
 
 " The sentiments expressed by you are congenial with my 
 own, and I am sorry to find that the decay of our currency, and 
 consequently of our public virtue, is so general. No persons are 
 more sensible of its effects than the poor continentals. Expe- 
 rientia docet. But this is so copious a subject, that I shall wave 
 any thing further upon it ; for, when one fairly dips, there 's no 
 emerging. I shall dismiss it with my benediction, God speed 
 the endeavours for producing a reformation ! 
 
 " The enemy have begun to put their threats in execution. 
 Murder, devastation, and every species of violence compose their 
 system. Witness, ye different parts of this Continent who have 
 felt its rage. Witness, even now, Connecticut, thy pleasant 
 towns * laid in ashes, thy old and defenceless inhabitants slaugh- 
 tered in their houses, and, shame to humanity, the chastity of 
 thy women violated! Surely such complicated outrages call 
 
 * Fairfield, Norwalk, New Haven, and East Haven. See Sparks's 
 Writings of Washington, Vol. VI., p. 292.
 
 62 MEMOIR. 
 
 for the severest chastisement, and revenge becomes a virtue. 
 Can, then, any American be so lost to every manly sentiment as 
 ever to think of uniting his interests with those of a people desti- 
 tute of every generous feeling, whose oppression at first 
 drove us to seek redress by arms, and whose cruelties in 
 every stage of the contest have added to the horrors of war ? 
 Forbid it, Heaven ! forbid it, the duty we owe to the manes 
 of our slaughtered countrymen ! The most warm advocate for 
 a re-union with such a people must now be silent, and every 
 nerve must be exerted to repel the invader, and avenge our in- 
 jured country. The rascally manner in which our enemies 
 prosecute this predatory war would disgrace savages. To land 
 where no opposition can be made, to plunder, burn, and 
 destroy defenceless towns, and on the appearance of danger run 
 away, is a mode of warfare peculiarly reserved to dignify 
 the British arms. By such proceedings, the enemy have an ad- 
 vantage ; it renders a division of our force necessary, and I fear 
 will confine us to act more on the defensive than is consistent 
 with the welfare of our country. But I wish the time may come 
 when we shall have just a fair chance at them. That thirst of 
 revenge and glory united, which pervades our troops, I am sure 
 will lead them to the most vigorous efforts. 
 
 " Give me your hand, my dear friend, and let your honest 
 heart receive my congratulation. Take the following as an 
 indisputable fact ; it is no Carolina story. The enemy previ- 
 ous to going down the river garrisoned Stony Point on this side, 
 and the work which they took from us on the other, by which 
 they cut off the communication of King's Ferry. His Excellen- 
 cy, our illustrious Commander-in-chief, having pretty good intel- 
 ligence of the situation and strength of the garrison at Stony 
 Point, determined to attempt carrying it.* The enterprise was 
 resolved on last night, and executed this morning between one 
 and two o'clock, by General Wayne, and the light infantry of 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VI., pp. 298, 333, 
 336.
 
 MEMOIR. 63 
 
 the army, who gallantly effected one of the most complete sur- 
 prises which has taken place during this war. The fort, cannon, 
 stores, and garrison of about five hundred men, from the seven- 
 teenth and seventy-first regiments and new levies, are our own. 
 Our killed and wounded do not amount to ten ; among the latter, 
 General Wayne slightly, who had his head scratched by a mus- 
 ket-ball. Notwithstanding it was night, -a surprise, the usage 
 of arms justifying, and the lex talionis demanding, a carnage, 
 yet that humanity, that amiable weakness, which has ever distin- 
 guished Americans, prevailed. No unnecessary slaughter was 
 made ; the forfeited lives of the garrison were spared. Immedi- 
 ately after this affair the enemy's guard-ships went down the 
 river, leaving their troops on the other side to shift for them- 
 selves. Perhaps something may be attempted against them, 
 though, after such an example, it is to be supposed they will 
 be pretty well guarded against a surprise. This success will 
 be an incitement to future attempts, and doubtless give a com- 
 plexion to the ensuing operations of the campaign. I hope it is 
 only a prelude to something better. 
 
 " The fortifications and defences of the river are in such a 
 state, that, should the part of our army in this quarter make a 
 movement, which is not improbable, we need be under very 
 little, if any, apprehensions for its fate. The whole British 
 army would not dare to storm it ; and, should they regularly be- 
 siege it, our army might arrive in time for its relief. Ergo, I 
 believe they will not try the experiment. 
 
 " You wish to know if General Lee will again have a com- 
 mand in our army ? I believe not ; he cannot this campaign, 
 as the time of his suspension will not expire till next December, 
 one year from the confirmation of his sentence by Congress. 
 However people may, on the one hand, pity that unfortunate 
 officer, and lament the severity of his fate, or, on the other, 
 lend their assistance to asperse a reputation in military matters, 
 till that unhappy affair, unsullied, yet it seems the general and 
 prevailing sentiment, that it will not be for the good of America, 
 should he again be admitted to command. It may be so, per-
 
 64 MEMOIR. 
 
 haps it is expedient that it should be so. The condition of this offi- 
 cer is one of the many instances of the instability of popular ap- 
 plause ; and the variety of opinions mankind entertain respecting 
 his conduct must point out to the biographer how arduous is the 
 task he undertakes. To do justice to any character is no easy 
 matter ; but when that of a great man, for instance, such an 
 one as General Lee, eminent in many respects, a person in 
 whom the contending passions by turns have their rule, and whose 
 faults, virtues, and whimsicalities alternately succeed, and are so 
 blended that there is no saying which predominate, when a 
 character of this cast comes on the carpet, it must render a 
 proper and impartial decision exceedingly difficult." 
 
 " New Windsor, September 30th, 1779. 
 
 "Pope, in my humble opinion (notwithstanding the thought 
 has been cavilled at by some), was undoubtedly right in his 
 
 ' honest man, the noblest work of God.' 
 
 Let others be celebrated for the force of their genius, their ac- 
 quirements, and the racket they make in the world, either as 
 scholars, statesmen, or heroes, these may make them great ; 
 but be it the care of you and me to cultivate that which will 
 make us good. The nature of your profession inevitably ex- 
 poses you to the observation of all, the narrow scrutiny of many, 
 and the uncharitableness and ill-will of (I wish I could say only) 
 a few. But under these and many other discouragements inci- 
 dental to the sacred character, the ' mens sibi conscia recti ' is a 
 never-failing support. I pray God, that the whimsicalities and 
 ingratitude of mankind may never drive my dear friend to take 
 refuge there. I wish you every consolation that your calling 
 and Christianity afford ; and these, we are told, are not small. 
 You are, I trust, pretty well acquainted with my sentiments 
 respecting the study and practice of divinity. I had an early 
 predilection for it. I think it the most noble employment the 
 human mind is capable of, and I honor its professors. But 
 as you observe, ' Dls aliter visum estS I wished to be a
 
 MEMOIR. 65 
 
 preacher of peace ; I am a soldier, and Heaven knows what / 
 shall be ! 
 
 " I condole with you, and our disappointed brethren, on the 
 failure of the Penobscot expedition. The disposition of mankind, 
 as well in this as in other instances, naturally inclines them to 
 condemn men and measures, the issue whereof has been unsuc- 
 cessful. With many, to be unfortunate is to be criminal. For 
 my own part I will not, from the little information I have receiv- 
 ed, presume to say who is to blame ; but certainly there is blame 
 somewhere ; whether in the preparation, the want of secrecy, 
 or in the execution, I leave to wiser heads to determine. 
 
 " While our State are cudgelling their brains what they shall 
 do with those whom they shall find to have been the cause of the 
 aforementioned misfortune, some geniuses in this enlightened 
 part of the world have used their every endeavour to ruin a 
 man, for what ? Why, for achieving one of the most splendid 
 actions of the war, which you will not be at a loss for, when 
 I mention that the object of their vengeance was Major Lee. 
 Your opinion respecting that gentleman is exceedingly well 
 founded. He will make a figure anywhere ; as a scholar he is 
 considerable ; as an attentive, enterprising, active, good soldier, 
 conspicuous. He has those shining qualities remarkable in the 
 character of Caesar, a soul capable of attempting the most 
 hazardous undertakings, true courage joined with a judgment 
 and penetration beyond his years, and, above all, a modesty 
 which would never suffer him, even under similar circumstances, 
 to be guilty of the egotism of that celebrated commander, 
 ' Feni, vidi, vici." 1 Agreeably to your request, I will give you a 
 detail of the Paulus Hook affair, and of its consequences, so far 
 as respects Major Lee. 
 
 " That gentleman, having on all occasions, by his uniform 
 good conduct, distinguished himself as an officer, his Excellen- 
 cy General Washington was pleased to commit the enterprise 
 against Paulus Hook to his charge. Having been stationed on 
 the line with his partisan corps for near two months, he was 
 9
 
 66 MEMOIR. 
 
 constantly in the neighbourhood, and had frequent opportunities, 
 as well by his own observation as by the accounts of deserters, 
 of gaining every necessary information respecting that garrison. 
 He communicated his intelligence to the Commander-in-chief, 
 and at the same time proposed a plan for surprising the post. 
 The attempt was daring, the difficulties many, the success uncer- 
 tain, and the retreat, admitting the enterprise to succeed, from 
 the situation of the place and its vicinity to New York, exceed- 
 ingly precarious. Notwithstanding these obstacles, he remained 
 fully of opinion that a surprise might be effected. He obtained 
 the command ; and the management of the affair was intrusted 
 entirely to his discretion. The troops were one company of his 
 dragoons dismounted, and three hundred men from the Maryland 
 and Virginia line, under the command of a Major Clarke, who 
 was joined in the detachment at the particular instance of 
 Major Lee. 
 
 " The party marched in a good season, but by the timidi- 
 ty (if not treachery) of one of the guides, a considerable part 
 of it was separated and lost in the woods, and the remainder 
 did not arrive at their destination till almost daybreak, three 
 hours after the time intended. This was an unforeseen difficul- 
 ty, and the loss of those men rendered a new disposition neces- 
 sary ; but the near approach of day would not allow of it. With- 
 out suffering himself to be embarrassed by these circumstan- 
 ces, our hero gave the orders for an immediate attack. It was 
 made accordingly, and crowned with deserved success. A party 
 of the enemy threw themselves into a little inclosed werk inside 
 the main one, and stood on their defence. It was now sunrise, 
 no time to be lost, the taking of those few refractory lads by no 
 means an object, compared with the much greater one of making 
 a retreat from under the very nose of the enemy's whole force. 
 Major Lee, therefore, ordered his party, with their prisoners, to 
 the number of one hundred and fifty-seven, to move off to a fer- 
 ry, where boats were to be ready, which in a few moments would 
 convey them entirely out of danger ; for the retreat wholly by 
 land was so extremely hazardous, that the Commander-in-chief
 
 MEMOIR. 67 
 
 absolutely forbid it. But here was a fresh disappointment. By 
 the delay of the party beyond the time fixed, the officer, in 
 whose care the boats were, fancied that the attack had not been 
 made, and, anxious for their safety, had removed them. By this 
 time the party that were lost in the night joined. Major Lee 
 then ordered a retreat by land, and picking out about fifty of 
 the last-mentioned men, formed them into a rear-guard, of which 
 himself took the command, and the rest, with the prisoners, 
 moved on. He was obliged to take these men, as those with 
 whom he had made the attack damaged every cartridge in pass- 
 ing a canal, which, by reason of the delay in the night, they 
 were obliged to pass at high water, so that in the attack not a 
 musket was fired, the party depending solely on their bayonets. 
 
 " The enemy, in the mean while, had pushed over a party 
 from New York ; and a Colonel Buskirk, with about two hundred 
 men, who left the garrison the day before, with a view of inter- 
 cepting a small party of ours on another quarter, was still out. 
 Lee was informed of this circumstance by one of the prisoners, 
 an officer, whom he told that his life should be the penalty if he 
 deceived him by false intelligence. The distance before our 
 troops could gain their ultimate point of safety was eight miles, 
 they having three defiles to pass, in either of which, had they 
 been intercepted, they must have been ruined. Sensible of this, 
 Major Lee made his main body quicken their pace, and remain- 
 ed himself with the rear-guard to cover their retreat. It was 
 not long before the enemy under Buskirk came up ; but, having 
 received a check at a bridge covered by a stone house, into 
 which our gallant officer had, after taking the planks off the 
 bridge, thrown a few men, they returned, not being able to make 
 any impression, and our troops gained their point. 
 
 " While the main army, who were in general orders informed 
 of Major Lee's success, applauded his good conduct, a prosecu- 
 tion against him was set on foot by a number of officers in the 
 Maryland and Virginia lines. What might have been the motive 
 I will not pretend to say, military folks value themselves 
 on their candor and honor, the public good was alleged
 
 68 MEMOIR. 
 
 to be the one in the present instance. Be that as it may, he was 
 arrested and tried upon eight charges. I shall inclose you these 
 charges, together with the opinion of the court before whom they 
 were tried. Major Lee, on finding himself in this predicament, 
 applied by letter to his Excellency the Commander-in-chief, re- 
 questing that he would be pleased to give him in writing the sub- 
 stance of the instructions he had the honor to receive from him 
 verbally previous to the attempt. His Excellency complied with 
 the request, and I had the satisfaction of seeing the paper. The 
 particulars, as far as my memory serves, were, that he should go 
 down with the troops allotted for that service, endeavour to gain 
 further information, and if, after having done it, the enterprise 
 should appear too hazardous, either in the execution, or the diffi- 
 culty of effecting a retreat, he was at liberty to abandon it. The 
 necessity of making a timely and safe retreat was very strongly 
 inculcated, and he was directed to lose no time in attempting to 
 remove or destroy any stores there, or even in collecting strag- 
 glers ; the object of the enterprise being to throw a lustre upon 
 our arms, by surprising the post and immediately retiring with 
 such prisoners as he could conveniently make. 
 
 " This, I am pretty sure, was the spirit of what I saw, under his 
 Excellency's own hand.* How far Major Lee came up to it, 
 his success and the very honorable testimony of the court-mar- 
 tial will evidence. Major Clarke, who is exceedingly the gen- 
 tleman, advised and endeavoured to dissuade those officers from 
 the prosecution, but in vain. On the trial, he supported this char- 
 acter ; though the only person who could reasonably be thought 
 to be injured by Major Lee's having the command, his whole evi- 
 dence, as well as that of every other person examined, might be 
 considered as an encomium on his conduct. I was present when 
 Lee made his defence. It was perfectly extempore, consisting of 
 remarks on the evidence, the aforesaid instructions, and his own 
 orders to the troops previous to the attack, and his subsequent 
 directions ; concluding nearly in these words, which a conscious- 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VI., pp. 326, 333, 336.
 
 MEMOIR. 69 
 
 ness of his innocence enabled him to deliver with a becoming 
 confidence : 
 
 " ' I have now gone through with my defence, and, after thank- 
 ing the court for their attention and the patience with which they 
 have heard me, have only to beg, that, whatever may be their 
 decision, it may be pointed. If I have misbehaved, punish me 
 with severity ; but, if it shall appear that I have done my duty, 
 and that the prosecution is groundless and vexatious, I trust, gen- 
 tlemen, you will tell the world so.' 
 
 " The court, as you will see, have acquitted him, in a manner 
 which does both him and themselves the highest honor. Thus, 
 my dear friend, I have given you the particulars of this interest- 
 ing affair. It has led me, unawares, far beyond what I intend- 
 ed ; however, if it should prove tedious, you must e'en thank 
 yourself, and me too, for I really meant to oblige you. 
 
 " As I have begun a new sheet, I wish it was in my power to 
 tell you a little good news ; but all we have at present is second- 
 hand, it comes from your way. Suppose we hazard a con- 
 jecture. Should the French fleet arrive at the southward, and 
 orders be given to General Lincoln to cooperate, might we not 
 hope that the destruction of the British armament in that quarter 
 would be the consequence ? Alas, poor John Bull ! what a hob- 
 ble have you got yourself into. It is now no longer a babyish 
 quarrel with your daughter, but a serious contention with France, 
 Spain, and America. How different from what you were at the 
 conclusion of the last war ! your arms victorious in every 
 quarter of the globe, your fleets triumphant on the ocean, 
 your enemies ashamed, your subjects happy, and your then 
 colonies contributing cheerfully in supporting your credit and in- 
 dependence, in which their own welfare seemed so closely inter- 
 woven. Look upon what you then were, and weep ! - consider 
 what you now are, and tremble for what may yet befall you ! 
 
 " Our troops and those of the enemy occupy nearly the same 
 posts as heretofore. They look on Stony Point as impregna- 
 ble, and we consider West Point much in the same light. I be-
 
 70 MEMOIR. 
 
 lieve neither will be attempted this campaign. They are, how- 
 ever, plotting a few days will discover what ; perhaps some 
 rascally, plundering, predatory expedition. Upon my honor, 
 were I a general, I would hang every scoundrel taken in such an 
 unmanly piece of business." 
 
 " New Windsor, October 19th, 1779. 
 
 " I have seen a very pretty plan of operations chalked out in 
 a late paper from our town, the issue of which, no doubt, is gen- 
 erally expected to be the reduction of New York and the capture 
 of all who have taken refuge there. It is strange that a matter 
 which has only been whispered in the army, and which, should 
 the undertaking of it be judged expedient, one would think ought 
 to be kept as secret as possible, should nevertheless make its first 
 appearance in the public papers. Don't you remember the se- 
 cret expedition, publicly known, under General Spencer, to 
 Rhode Island ? and, to come nearer home, letting the cat out 
 of the bag in the Bagaduce affair ? It is confidently asserted, 
 that Sir George Collier has declared upon honor he had no oth- 
 er intelligence respecting that enterprise but what he got from 
 a Boston paper, consequent on which alone he took his measures. 
 If this be really a fact, the conclusion that secrecy is ever the 
 soul of enterprise must be self-evident. However, experience 
 will teach politicians wisdom. 
 
 " From your account of the convention for forming a consti- 
 tution for our State, and from others, I flatter myself with the ex- 
 pectation of seeing a good one. I am told it will be similar to, 
 or rather an improvement on, that for this State, the only new 
 one in the Union deserving that name. The want of energy in, 
 and the opposition to the constitution of, Pennsylvania have already 
 produced very tragical effects. Six men perishing in a contest 
 respecting a government originating in the people is no favor- 
 able argument in behalf of human wisdom. I hope the States 
 whose governments are yet to be organized will profit by this 
 melancholy lesson. How will the enemy exult over this instance
 
 MEMOIR. 71 
 
 of public imbecility, and triumph when it is mentioned ? Citizen 
 against citizen ! how will the tale sound in the ears of posterity ? 
 ' Audiet pugnas vitio parentum 
 Kara juventus.' 
 
 I will neither pain you nor myself by a recital of this unhappy 
 transaction ; it has undoubtedly been told you. Would it could 
 be buried in oblivion ! 
 
 " Pray, my dear friend, how go on your own concerns ? 
 Does the door of admission yet stand open, or have you already 
 entered ? For my own part, I know not when I shall arrive at 
 my point of rest. The time I should have employed in making a 
 fortune has been spent in the army, in the service of my country, 
 and though the effect of this may be poverty, the reflection is 
 
 nevertheless a source of true satisfaction My ideas of 
 
 happiness are altogether social, and at the same time moderate. 
 Such a run of business as to place me above dependence, and 
 leave me a little leisure for domestic concerns, a dear partner 
 in those concerns, with a circle of friends, and I would en- 
 vy neither hero or statesman. Thus happy, I would enjoy life 
 while it lasted ; and, should Fortune so order that my friend and 
 I pitch our tents in different quarters, I will console myself under 
 the separation, as I do now, by cultivating such an intercourse 
 with him as circumstances will allow." 
 
 On the 24th of December, 1779, he writes to his 
 brother Nathaniel : 
 
 " The army have, in the usual manner, after the fatigues of the 
 campaign, completed their huts, and are now in comfortable 
 quarters. Hutting was a monstrous undertaking at Valley 
 Forge, in 1777, but it has now become an easy employment, 
 and, should the war continue a few years, it will be mere mat- 
 ter of amusement ; so much do necessity and custom reconcile 
 mankind to what once appeared almost insurmountable difficul- 
 ties." 
 
 On a duel, which had occurred in the vicinity of the 
 camp, in which the injured party had the satisfaction to
 
 72 MEMOIR. 
 
 receive two balls in his breast, he remarks in the same 
 letter to his brother : 
 
 " There is something really ridiculous in this mode of adjust- 
 ing disputes. One man calls another a rascal, and, by way of 
 satisfaction, shoots him through the body ! Absurd soever as 
 this kind of arbitration may be, yet custom, that tyrant custom, 
 
 and 
 
 ' the world's dread laugh, 
 Which scarce the firm philosopher can scorn,' 
 
 have rendered it infamous for gentlemen to decline it, its in- 
 fluence being felt, not only by those whose profession is the 
 sword, but extending to the more peaceable walks of domestic 
 life."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 INCURSION OF THE BRITISH INTO THE JERSEYS. ARNOLD'S 
 TREACHERY. DIFFICULTIES IN THE EXCHANGE OF PRISON- 
 ERS. THE COMMAND IN THE SOUTHERN DEPARTMENT CON- 
 FERRED ON GENERAL GREENE. HIS CHARACTER AND POPU- 
 LARITY. 
 
 UNTIL April, 1780, Mr. Shaw's rank in the line of the 
 army was only that of Lieutenant. He, at this time, re- 
 ceived a commission of Captain in the third battalion of 
 artillery, and continued to sustain the office and rank of 
 Major of Brigade. On the 20th of June, 1780, he wrote 
 from " Short Hills " : 
 
 " Three days after getting to camp, we had intelligence of the 
 enemy's making an incursion into this State from Staten Island. 
 This was on the 7th instant. Our army was immediately put in 
 motion to cooperate with the militia and a detachment of Conti- 
 nental troops, who, being in the neighbourhood of Elizabeth- 
 town, where the enemy landed, harassed them exceedingly in 
 their approach. This small body was, however, obliged to re- 
 tire before their superior numbers, until our army, such as it 
 was, came up. The enemy then took a strong position near a 
 small village, called Connecticut Farms, where they burned up- 
 wards of twenty dwelling-houses and other buildings, besides the 
 meeting-house, and committed such enormities as would have 
 disgraced savages. Helpless women and children were forced 
 from their houses, which were immediately set on fire, before the 
 unfortunate sufferers could have time to save so much as their 
 clothing from the flames ! The wife of Mr. Caldwell, a preacher 
 of the gospel, and a patriotic Whig, was shot by two soldiers 
 10
 
 74 MEMOIR. 
 
 while sitting in a back room with her children, where she had 
 retired in order to be safe ; and, before her corpse could be re- 
 moved, they had put fire to the house. Jt was, however, by a 
 considerable exertion of the neighbours, taken away before the 
 house was consumed. I should go near writing a volume were 
 I to relate every particular instance of their barbarity. Suffice 
 it to say, that it has never been exceeded by them since the com- 
 mencement of the war. In the evening of the same day they 
 returned to Elizabethtown Point, where they still remain, under 
 cover of Staten Island and a number of armed vessels which 
 have been brought up for their protection.* 
 
 " The enemy have been greatly disappointed in this expedi- 
 tion. They had been told, that, should they march five thousand 
 men into Jersey, the inhabitants of the State, so dispirited as 
 they must be on account of our misfortune at the southward, 
 would submit without resistance ; and that the soldiery of the 
 Continental army would desert to them on every occasion. But, 
 thank Heaven, in this they reckoned without their host. Nothing 
 could surpass the spirit with which the militia turned out. It was 
 Lexington repeated ; and, had there been a sufficient regular force 
 to make a general action on our part warrantable, the most 
 ample revenge would have been taken on those cruel and merci- 
 less incendiaries. I could almost curse the country we are fight- 
 ing for. Think, my friend, of our mortification on seeing a 
 number of the enemy, not exceeding five thousand, laying waste 
 the pleasant fields and burning houses almost under our noses, 
 and then retiring, without our daring to pursue. The army have 
 never experienced any thing like it before. It is amazing, and 
 it is true, that a community, at open war with an enemy in 
 the very bowels of it, should not be able at this season, this late 
 period of the contest, to have a force in the field sufficient to 
 chastise the ravages of so inconsiderable a number as I have just 
 mentioned. Indeed, it should seem so improbable, that I can 
 hardly suppose it will gain credit with a person who has not been 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VII., p. 76.
 
 MEMOIR. 75 
 
 an eyewitness to it. But, believe me, our army our grand 
 army, with the illustrious Washington at the head of it did not 
 amount to three thousand men ! And, were it not for the as- 
 sistance we received from the militia of this State, it would not 
 be able to keep the field. 
 
 " Charleston has fallen. This, though at present a severe 
 shock, will be productive of very happy consequences. People 
 begin to awake, and recollect that the war yet rages. Pennsyl- 
 vania has put herself under military government, and her Presi- 
 dent, with his council, is vested with all the powers of a Roman 
 dictator. This must certainly fill up her battalions ; and, in addi- 
 tion to the powers of government, hard money to the amount of 
 upwards of six thousand pounds is already subscribed for that 
 purpose. Jersey is immediately to fill up hers by a draught 
 from the militia. In short, there are hopes we shall yet prose- 
 cute the war with vigor, if the States follow the good example set 
 them by Pennsylvania and Jersey. Without a great exertion 
 this campaign, future resistance will be in vain. Now is the 
 time. A hearty cooperation with our good allies, who are daily 
 expected, may terminate the war in our favor. The enemy are 
 preparing for such an event. Sir Harry Clinton and Admiral 
 Arbuthnot, with between three and four thousand troops, arrived 
 at New York last Saturday from Carolina, so that we may soon 
 expect stirring times." 
 
 On the 10th of August, 1780, he writes from the camp 
 to his brother Nathaniel, complaining of his pecuniary 
 embarrassment on account of the depreciation of the 
 currency, of the arrears due to him, and of his disap- 
 pointment at not receiving them. 
 
 " The quartermaster-general has had no money in his depart- 
 ment for upwards of ten months. The army have not received 
 a dollar since last December. This must be my excuse for my 
 non-compliance with my engagements. Our army is at Dobbs's 
 Ferry, on the North River, twenty-five miles from New York. As 
 to numbers we are pretty respectable. But alas ! we have more
 
 76 MEMOIR. 
 
 men than soldiers. The levies are almost totally unacquainted 
 with service, and, what is worse, by the time they will be good 
 for any thing, their enlistments will expire. These short enlist- 
 ments, and the amazing bounties given to the levies for six 
 months, greatly discourage our veteran soldiery, and I fear that, 
 if such measures are again repeated, the army will hardly be 
 kept together. Had spirited exertions been made, in the first 
 instance, for raising an army during the war, the contest ere 
 now had been at an end, and America in quiet possession of her 
 independence ; an event which may now, probably, be at a 
 distance. 
 
 " We are in expectation, shortly, of forming a junction with 
 our allies, and commencing our operations. It is painful to think 
 that our country, instead of exerting the powers God has given 
 her to work out her own salvation, should be under the necessity 
 of calling in foreign troops. It is a disgrace we shall not easily 
 get over. As to a navy, we must be indebted to such friendly 
 powers as will furnish us with one. But, while the inhabitants of 
 America are so numerous, the employing of foreign land troops 
 will make an infamous page in her history. I speak as a citizen 
 of America. I love the French ; but, unless we learn to do with- 
 out their assistance, or that of any other power by land, we shall 
 become contemptible as a nation." 
 
 On the 31st of August, 1780, he again writes to the 
 same brother : 
 
 " For the last eight days our army has occupied the grounds in 
 the neighbourhood of Fort Lee, about fourteen miles from New 
 York. The country between us and the enemy, and below them, 
 has been pretty thoroughly gleaned by us of the little the enemy 
 left there. We call this foraging ; but it is only a gentler name 
 for plundering. It is, however, customary in war, and of 
 course justifiable. Two motives in the present instance render 
 foraging necessary ; first, to prevent the enemy from drawing 
 these supplies when they should feel themselves pinched, and to 
 support our own troops, who were three days without meat be-
 
 MEMOIR. 77 
 
 fore the measure was adopted, and have now no other animal 
 subsistence but what is obtained in this way. In truth, it may 
 be said that our country neither pays, feeds, nor clothes its 
 armies.' 1 '' 
 
 On the 27th of September, 1780, he wrote from 
 " Head-Quarters at Robinson's House " to the Rev. Mr. 
 Eliot : 
 
 " Were I writing to any friend but a reverend one, I should 
 say, the Devil has been to pay in this quarter. His Excellency 
 the Comrnander-in-chief, the Marquis de la Fayette, and General 
 Knox, with their suites, came here on the 25th, from visiting the 
 French general and admiral at Hartford, when a scene was unfold- 
 ed, the relation of which will make your ears to tingle. Alas, my 
 dear Eliot, how little do we know the human heart ! Arnold * 
 has gone to the enemy ! America has tottered on the brink of 
 ruin, and, had not the treachery been providentially discovered, 
 West Point and its dependencies had probably at this time been 
 possessed by the enemy. By means of some of Clinton's 
 emissaries, an interview was brought about between Arnold and 
 Major Andre, late an aid to Sir Harry, but now Adjutant-Gen- 
 eral to the British army. He came up the river in the Vulture 
 man-of-war, and met Arnold at the house of a Mr. Joshua Smith, 
 at Haverstraw, where measures were concerted between them 
 for betraying these posts. During these transactions the Vulture 
 shifted her position, as she lay exposed to the fire of a cannon, 
 which had been sent to annoy her. This, as it rendered Andre's 
 return difficult, determined him to try his fortune by land. Ac- 
 cordingly, by virtue of a pass from General Arnold, he crossed 
 King's Ferry, disguised as a citizen, under the name of John 
 Anderson ; and, after having got without all our patrols, was taken 
 up by some militia, or rather a species of freebooters, who live by 
 the plunder they pick up between the lines. There was some- 
 thing extraordinary in the manner of his capture. As soon as 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VII., pp. 215-217.
 
 78 MEMOIR. 
 
 the men presented themselves, he said, supposing them to be 
 some of De Lancey's corps, that he was a British officer. But 
 on finding his mistake, he produced General Arnold's pass, and 
 offered them his gold watch if they would suffer him to go on. 
 They took the watch, and searched him for money; but, not 
 meeting with any in his pockets, they pulled off his boots, on 
 which he exclaimed, 'All 's gone, by G .' Here they found 
 an exact plan of all the works at these posts, a particular descrip- 
 tion of the nature and strength of each, their dependence one on 
 the other, the number of troops necessary for their defence, 
 and the number and distribution of those he at present had for 
 that purpose, his dispositions and orders in case of the enemy's 
 appearance, and directions for attacking the weakest and most 
 vulnerable parts, together with an exact return of all the 
 ordnance and stores, and how disposed of. Besides these, there 
 was found a copy of the state of our army as it stood the 6th 
 instant, which Arnold had received some days before. Also, 
 other papers containing remarks on our political affairs, the state 
 of our currency, the difficulty with which the war was carried on, 
 and our prospects as to foreign connections, all tending to 
 point out the necessity of the enemy's improving the present 
 opportunity. These papers were principally in Arnold's own 
 handwriting. 
 
 " Andre, on this discovery, offered his captors five hundred 
 guineas, and indeed any thing they would demand, provided 
 they would permit him to escape. But all would not do. 
 They brought him to the Continental officer commanding on the 
 lines, who wrote to Arnold that he had taken a spy by the name 
 of John Anderson ; but said nothing of the papers, which he sent 
 by another hand to General Washington, then within a few 
 miles of West Point, on his return from Hartford. Arnold re- 
 ceived his letter first, and, finding the plot was discovered, went 
 immediately down the river and got on board the Vulture. His 
 Excellency was then in sight, and coming directly to Arnold's 
 quarters, who desired one of his family to excuse him to the 
 General, as he was absolutely obliged to go immediately to West
 
 MEMOIR. 79 
 
 Point, but should be back in two hours. His Excellency and the 
 company, not long after, went over to West Point to view the 
 works, supposing he should see Arnold at the same time. On 
 our return, he was presented by an express with a letter inform- 
 ing of the capture of Andre, and inclosing the papers taken 
 with him. This disclosed the whole, and the absence of Arnold 
 was no longer a mystery. His Excellency immediately ordered 
 two brigades from the main army to these posts, and has taken 
 ample measures for their security. 
 
 " This matter was so managed by Arnold, that no person was 
 in the secret excepting the aforesaid Smith, who was a necessary 
 agent. He was taken in bed at Fishkill the same night, before 
 he heard of the discovery, and will meet the just punishment of 
 his demerits. 
 
 " Thus, my friend, you have a narrative of a conspiracy 
 which, considering every circumstance, stands without a paral- 
 lel. That a man, whose reputation as a soldier was universally 
 acknowledged in all parts where the history of our contest is 
 known, who stood so fair in the list of fame, and shared so large- 
 ly in the military honors of his country, should at once plunge 
 himself so deeply in guilt, is a consideration which reflects no 
 honor on human nature. Avarice was his darling passion, and 
 to that he fell a sacrifice. 
 
 ' Quid non mortalia pectora cogis, 
 Auri sacra fames ? ' 
 
 Whether the enemy fulfil their engagements with him, or con- 
 sider him as an acquisition to their party, is by no means ma- 
 terial to us. His failure in this capital undertaking will soon de- 
 stroy any influence he may have with them. They, on their part, 
 will feel the loss of Andre. His military knowledge, his address 
 and talents, were so exceedingly necessary to Sir Harry, that 
 nothing of any consequence was undertaken but by his concur- 
 rence and approbation. It is said, he was the soul of their army. 
 However, were he ten times more than he is, the fate of a com- 
 mon spy will be his fate."
 
 80 MEMOIR. 
 
 On the 1st of October, 1780, he again writes to the 
 same friend : 
 
 " We are now returned to our former camp at Tappan, from 
 whence General Lincoln sets out to-morrow morning on his 
 return to Boston. This amiable man has been endeavouring to 
 negotiate an exchange with the enemy, but some difficulties 
 which cannot easily be got over have occasioned the accomplish- 
 ment of this desirable object to be again postponed. I fear Con- 
 gress, as well as the people at large, do not properly attend to 
 the distresses of our unfortunate brethren in captivity, or they 
 would otherwise accede to the mode at this time proposed. The 
 enemy ask a general exchange ; we offer an exchange of officers 
 only, because the exchange of their privates would be a rein- 
 forcement to them which might probably prove prejudicial to us. 
 So, because our rulers have been inattentive to the first interests 
 of this country, I mean the establishment of a regular army for 
 its protection, we are under a necessity, for the good of our 
 country, of permitting the most flagrant injustice. This, as you 
 divines style it, is ' going on in sin that grace may abound,' with 
 a witness. 
 
 " Before you receive this, people will, I imagine, have recov- 
 ered themselves a little from the horror in which the intelligence 
 of Arnold's villany must have thrown them. Great Heaven ! 
 what an escape we have had ! The loss of any three capitals on 
 this continent would not have been a misfortune of equal magni- 
 tude. West Point and its dependencies constitute the palladium 
 of American independence ; and, this grand link in the chain of 
 our union being once broken, we may bid adieu to peace, liberty, 
 and safety. Considering the many obstacles we have to sur- 
 mount in keeping up the existence of our little army (owing to 
 the supineness which pervades the whole body politic), even now 
 that the communication is open, certainly, had it been de- 
 stroyed, the continuation of that existence would have been a 
 miracle. The enemy would, had the treason succeeded, have 
 had entire possession of the country from New York to Ticonde-
 
 MEMOIR. 81 
 
 roga. This, with the impression they have already made on the 
 Southern States, would have reduced us to an extremity from 
 which nothing, in the present spirit of the times, but a creating 
 power could have extricated us. 
 
 " We have had one escape, but the danger is not yet- over. 
 The enemy have a powerful armament by sea and land ; and, 
 though they now treat us with respect, they will undoubtedly 
 watch the period of the expiration of our new levies' enlistments, 
 when we shall not have one half of our present force to enable us 
 to counteract them. Notwithstanding I shudder at what may be 
 the consequence, yet I do not despair. Mine is not the language 
 of despondence. I have seen America at her lowest ebb, and I 
 have been a witness to the turning tide of her good fortune ; indeed, 
 from her recent deliverance I am convinced she is not to be lost. 
 Ought we not, however, to use the means Providence has intrust- 
 ed to us, if we wish to see the end happily accomplished ? For 
 shame ! let us bestir ourselves, as a people worthy the blessings 
 for which we contend. The present campaign is hastening to a 
 close. Our gay prospects of conquest are vanished, ' like the 
 baseless fabric of a vision,' and our only hope, under Heaven, is 
 in the improvement of the interval between this and the opening 
 of another campaign. 
 
 " Somehow or other, I cannot get Arnold out of my head. 
 Nothing has transpired more than I wrote you when on the spot, 
 excepting the reception he met with in New York. It does not 
 appear that he is exceedingly caressed there. The apprehen- 
 sions of all ranks in their army for the fate of the accomplished, 
 the enterprising Andre, make them view and curse Arnold as the 
 cause. Sir Henry Clinton is almost frantic upon the occasion, 
 and, it is believed, would sacrifice a thousand Arnolds to his safe- 
 ty, could it be done without fetal injury to the policy and faith of 
 his nation. As it is, poor Andre is to make his exit at five o'clock 
 this afternoon. A board of general officers found him guilty of 
 a violation of the laws and customs of nations, and accordingly 
 sentenced him to die. His behaviour previous to and at his ex- 
 amination was decent and manly, and I dare say his judges felt 
 11
 
 82 MEMOIR. 
 
 no small share of pity when they passed the fatal sentence. How 
 much more grateful a sacrifice would the perfidious Arnold be to 
 the just resentments of his injured country ! " 
 
 On the same day he writes to his father from the 
 camp at Tappan : 
 
 " I suppose you have all been, as it were, thunderstruck at Ar- 
 nold's conduct. It wants a name. It can scarcely be matched 
 by any piece of villany, ancient or modern. I have not time at 
 present to detail that most diabolical piece of rascality. Thank 
 Heaven ! it was discovered in season to prevent the dreadful train 
 of evils which might otherwise have been its consequence. The 
 situation of our public affairs is truly alarming. It is growing 
 worse every day. The fleet of our allies, which was to assist us in 
 the conquest of New York, is blocked up at Rhode Island. This 
 is not uncommon in war. The next throw of the die may reduce 
 our enemies to a similar condition. But we must not permit the 
 liberties of America to depend altogether upon chance. Without 
 vigorous exertions they may be lost. This is not impossible, 
 though one would judge it was, from the behaviour of the people 
 at large." 
 
 On the 20th of October, 1780, he wrote thus to his 
 brother William, from the camp at Totowa, in New Jer- 
 sey : 
 
 " Do you wish to know what our army have done this cam- 
 paign ? The answer is easy. Nothing. The superiority of the 
 British in our seas has rendered the assistance afforded us by our 
 generous allies entirely useless, and the sanguine hopes we had 
 of going hand and hand to New York have proved abortive. As 
 far as depended on us, every measure was taken to induce the 
 enemy to settle the matter genteelly in the field. Our positions 
 were frequently made, in such a manner as gave them every ad- 
 vantage over us in point of situation, and could be justified on no 
 other principle than as being designed merely as invitations to 
 them to enter the lists. Their commander, Sir Harry, as often 
 declined accepting them. Thus the campaign is drawing near to
 
 MEMOIR. 83 
 
 a close, and our conjectures are now employed in endeavouring 
 to find out with certainty what designs the enemy have for the 
 ensuing winter. It is generally supposed they will prosecute 
 the war vigorously at the southward ; and, indeed, there is much 
 to be feared on account of our friends in that quarter. A rein- 
 forcement of about three thousand troops sailed the day before 
 yesterday from New York, at which place a larger number has 
 lately arrived from England, so that the garrison there is not 
 weakened by this detachment. Congress begin to be alarmed 
 for the safety of the Southern States. They have recalled Gates, 
 and desired General Washington to send a commander for that 
 department from this army. General Greene is to go. Let the 
 people in that quarter furnish the men and the necessary sup- 
 plies, and, if any thing is to be expected from the abilities and 
 exertion of a single person, I think no one will be more likely to 
 answer every reasonable expectation than this amiable officer. 
 There can be no better proof of his worth than the universal re- 
 gret which all ranks among us feel at the idea of parting with 
 him, although the good of our country calls loudly for the sep- 
 aration. A glorious tribute this, which can only be paid to true 
 merit.* 
 
 " The war is but just begun. The enemy seem determined to 
 avail themselves of that languor which pervades and clogs our 
 public transactions. While we are engaging levies for three and 
 six months, they are receiving recruits which are substantial re- 
 inforcements for the war. Our whole system of politics must be 
 changed. It is time the country realized that an enemy is in its 
 bowels ; and experience ought to convince them of the absolute 
 necessity there is for providing a permanent force, sufficient to 
 defend its invaded rights and secure to us a happy issue of the 
 present contest. The interval between now and the opening of 
 another campaign is big with importance. On the improvement 
 of it will probably depend our existence as a nation." 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VII., p. 275.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 REVOLT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE. THE FRENCH ARMY UN- 
 DER ROCHAMBEAU. BATTLE NEAR THE COWPENS. REVOLT 
 
 IN THE NEW JERSEY LINE. A SUBALTERN'S OUTFIT IN THE 
 
 AMERICAN ARMY. IMPOSITIONS ON THE ARMY, AND THE IN- 
 JUSTICE DONE TO ITS SOLDIERS BY THE STATES. CHEVALIER 
 
 MAUDUIT DU PLESSIS. 
 
 ON the 6th of January, 1781, Major Shaw writes to 
 the Rev. Mr. Eliot from New Windsor : 
 
 " Be prepared, my dear Eliot, for a shock, and attend to an 
 event which must sensibly affect every honest heart. The accu- 
 mulated distresses of the army have at length produced most 
 dreadful effects. The noncommissioned officers and privates of 
 the Pennsylvania line, stationed at Morristown, have mutinied, 
 broken up their cantonments, and in a body are marching to 
 Philadelphia, to demand redress of their grievances from Con- 
 gress. 
 
 " The particulars of this revolt,* as nearly as I have been able 
 to collect them, are as follow. On the 1st instant, the whole 
 line, except three regiments, by a signal given for that, purpose, 
 turned out under arms, without their officers, and declared for a 
 redress of grievances. General Wayne and the officers did ev- 
 ery thing that could be expected to quell the tumult, but in vain. 
 Numbers of them were wounded, and one (a captain) killed. 
 The three regiments above mentioned paraded under their offi- 
 cers, but, being called on by the others to join, threatened with 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. VII., pp. 348-362.
 
 MEMOIR. 85 
 
 death in case of refusal, and actually fired on, they complied. 
 They then seized upon the field-pieces, and forcing the artillery- 
 men, who had not yet joined them, to do it instantly, under pen- 
 alty of being every man bayoneted, the mutiny became gen- 
 eral. 
 
 " Besides the many and complicated injuries, arising from the 
 want of clothing, pay, and provision, which the army at large 
 have for so long a time groaned under, there was one circum- 
 stance peculiarly aggravating to the soldiers of the Pennsylvania 
 line, and which conduced not a little to hasten the catastrophe. 
 A deputation from the State had arrived in camp a few days be- 
 fore, with six hundred half-joes, to be given, three to each man, 
 as a bounty to such of the six-months levies, whose times were 
 then expired, as would enlist again for the war. This was too 
 much for veterans who had borne the burden of the day to put 
 up with. They made it the principal article of grievance, and 
 told their officers they neither could nor would be any longer 
 amused ; that they were determined, at every hazard, to march 
 in a body to Congress and obtain redress. On General Wayne's 
 cocking his pistols there were a hundred bayonets at his breast. 
 ' We love you, we respect you,' said they, ' but you 're a dead 
 man if you fire ' ; and added, ' Do not mistake us ; we are 
 not going to the enemy ; on the contrary, were they now to come 
 out, you should see us fight, under your orders, with as much 
 resolution and alacrity as ever.' They began their march that 
 night, and the next day General Wayne forwarded after them 
 provisions, to prevent the otherwise inevitable depredation which 
 would be made on private property, himself and three principal 
 officers, supposed highest in their esteem, following to mix with 
 them, assist them with their advice, and endeavour to prevent 
 any outrages. They were civilly received, have acquired much 
 of the confidence of the troops, and are conducting them to 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 " Immediately on this event the Jersey line were posted in the 
 neighbourhood of Elizabethtown, where they are joined by a 
 body of the militia of the State, constituting a force sufficient to
 
 86 MEMOIR. 
 
 frustrate any attempt of the enemy to avail themselves of this 
 unhappy affair. 
 
 " Thus, my dear friend, is the scene opened ; when it will 
 close, and what may be its final consequences, God only knows. 
 At any rate, it is a reproach to our country, and must materially 
 injure, if not totally ruin, the discipline of its armies. 
 
 " To relieve both yourself and me a little from our present anx- 
 iety, I will give you the substance of two very agreeable pieces 
 of intelligence from the southward, which are announced in the 
 general orders of this day. Tarleton, the famous British parti- 
 san, having formed a design of surprising General Sumpter, 
 made an attack on his post with the legion, consisting of about 
 five hundred cavalry and infantry. In the first onset he was re- 
 pulsed by Sumpter's out-parties ; but, returning to the charge, he 
 drove them in upon the main body, who by this time were 
 formed in good order, and received him so warmly, that he was 
 obliged to retire with the utmost precipitation, leaving ninety-two 
 killed, and one hundred wounded, on the spot. What is re- 
 markable is the small loss our people sustained, having only 
 three killed and four wounded ; among the latter is the gallant 
 Sumpter himself, in the shoulder. The other is a very pretty 
 stroke, and discovers much address. Colonel Washington, with 
 ninety dragoons, having information of a party under a Colonel 
 Rugeley, at Rugeley's farm, determined to attack them. On his 
 approach they betook themselves to some log buildings, and 
 stood upon their defence. Washington called on them to sur- 
 render, which they refusing, he mounted a pine log on the 
 small wheels of a wagon, and, advancing with this new-con- 
 structed artillery, threatened them with the consequences of their 
 obliging him to storm their garrison. This had the desired 
 effect ; they surrendered prisoners of war, to the number of one 
 hundred and twelve. 
 
 " Accept, my good Sir, of my warmest acknowledgments 
 
 for your friendly and affectionate condolence on the death of my 
 brother. Your observations and advice under this dispensation of 
 Providence, at the same time that they evince the sensibility and
 
 MEMOIR. 87 
 
 goodness of your heart, I pray they may have a suitable influ- 
 ence in healing the wound inflicted on mine. How much pleas- 
 ure have I enjoyed in anticipating that happy period, when I 
 should sit down, after the fatigues of war, and participate with 
 my brothers the blessings of peace. A considerable part of the 
 endearing prospect has vanished. Heaven gives the call, and 
 man must submit without repining. Long, very long, my amia- 
 ble friend, may it be before your heart experiences the distress 
 of a similar bereavement. That Heaven may bless you, and 
 grant you a succession of happy years, is the fervent wish of 
 your sincere friend." 
 
 On the 13th of February, 1781, he again wrote to the 
 same correspondent. 
 
 " On our return to this place, we called at Rhode Island to 
 pay our respects to Messieurs les Frangais, with whom we passed 
 two days most agreeably. Their politeness and attention to us 
 could not be exceeded. They showed us every thing, both by land 
 and by water, and we in our turn were pleased with every thing. 
 This was very civil, you will say ; but, seriously, I never wish to 
 see a better army, for its numbers, than that of our good allies at 
 Newport. No troops that have ever yet been at Boston can be 
 called their superiors, and I suppose the flower of the British 
 army may fairly be included in that number. Add to this, that 
 their officers, as a body, are perhaps the likeliest and genteelest set 
 of men in the world. Probably you may think me a little extrav- 
 agant in my encomium. But consider, my friend, we have been 
 taught to view these generous fellows through the medium of 
 prejudice, and it has been the forte of our wily foe to keep us in 
 the dark respecting their true character. I must freely confess I 
 was not entirely free from this prejudice till I had an opportunity 
 of being convinced of its unreasonableness. I am now fully and 
 decidedly of opinion, that a Frenchman is as good as an English- 
 man, or any other man whatever ; and I have not a shadow of 
 doubt, that, if ever we should be called to try the dangers of the 
 field together, Mr. British will be found to have scandalized and 
 calumniated these good folks without any foundation.
 
 88 MEMOIR. 
 
 " Give me your hand, my honest old friend. I Ve a most 
 capital piece of intelligence for you from the southward. It ar- 
 rived piping hot this morning at head-quarters. General Mor- 
 gan, who was the rifle colonel in the Northern campaign of 
 1777, has ruined Tarleton, the celebrated British partisan, horse 
 and foot. It seems that Morgan, who commanded the advanced 
 corps of our arrny in that quarter, had the address, by retreating 
 from before Tarleton, to engage him in a pursuit, and by that 
 means draw him away at a distance from the main body under 
 Cornwallis. As soon as Morgan had got to a convenient position, 
 he made a stand, and was immediately attacked by Tarleton, 
 whom he finally repulsed so effectually, as to kill, wound, and 
 capture almost the whole of his party. I cannot give you a bet- 
 ter account of this gallant action than by transcribing General 
 Greene's orders on the occasion. 
 
 " ' Head-Quarters, Hicks's Creek, Tuesday Evening, January 23d. 
 
 " ' The General is happy to congratulate the army on the glori- 
 ous victory obtained by Brigadier-General Morgan, commanding 
 the light troops and militia, on the 17th instant, near the Cow- 
 pens, over a superior body of British troops commanded by Col- 
 onel Tarleton, wherein the enemy lost upwards of one hundred 
 killed, between two and three hundred wounded, and above five 
 hundred British officers and soldiers taken prisoners, with two 
 brass field-pieces, eight hundred stands of arms, thirty-five wagons 
 and all their baggage, with the loss of only ten men killed and 
 fifty-five wounded.' 
 
 " This important victory will give a new face to our Southern 
 affairs, and perhaps be productive of the most extensive good 
 consequences. Our friends in that quarter will be encouraged 
 to persevere in their opposition to tyranny, convinced by the 
 success which has so far crowned their virtuous exertions, that 
 there is a great difference between an enemy's overrunning their 
 country and their conquering it. 
 
 " The affair of the Pennsylvania line has been compromised, 
 and in a manner which will reflect no honor on those who had a 
 hand in it. The State have dismissed about one half of the
 
 MEMOIR. 89 
 
 troops as three-years men, taking the bare ipse dixit of the 
 soldier where the original enlistment could riot be produced ; 
 the remainder were furloughed for forty days. A very hopeful 
 compromise ! Few of these fellows will ever be again brought 
 into the field, and the State, if they determine upon having a 
 line, must try their powers in creating a new one. 
 
 " The Jersey line, too, thought it was time for them to follow 
 the pretty example of the Pennsylvanians, in setting up for them- 
 selves ; but their capital was so small, that they soon became 
 bankrupt. They discarded their officers, and were preparing to 
 take some further steps in rebellion. But the vigorous measures 
 pursued by General Washington quickly reduced them to reason. 
 A detachment from the Massachusetts line was sent against 
 them under General Howe, who had the good fortune, after a 
 tedious night-march, to surprise them napping in their huts just 
 at daybreak. Five minutes only were allowed them to parade 
 without their arms, and give up their ringleaders. This was 
 instantly complied with, and two of them were executed on the 
 spot. Thus the mutiny was quelled, the officers resumed their 
 command, and every thing remains in statu quo. 
 
 "Notwithstanding the bad effects these insurrections may have 
 on the discipline of our army, yet some good consequences have 
 already been derived from them. The country has taken the 
 alarm ; people find that the care of supplying and keeping up an 
 army will be necessary, that a good body of troops will be no 
 contemptible instrument for working out their political salvation, 
 and that honesty, in military as well as in civil and private trans- 
 actions, is the best policy. While they cherish these sentiments 
 the republic will be safe ; whenever they lose sight of them, its 
 misfortunes will begin." 
 
 On the 15th of March, 1781, he wrote from New 
 Windsor to his brother Nathaniel : 
 
 " Our last advices from the southward inform us, that Lord 
 Cornwallis, who, after Tarleton's defeat, made most rapid march- 
 es to overtake Morgan, was again retiring. His Lordship had trav- 
 12
 
 90 MEMOIR. 
 
 ersed an extent of country of two hundred miles, and at last came 
 up with our army at the Dan River, which divides North Caro- 
 lina from Virginia. Here Generals Greene and Morgan, having 
 formed a junction, and daily receiving reinforcements, waited the 
 attack. But Cornwallis, not being pleased with the looks of 
 things, began a retreat the next day (I think the 21st of Febru- 
 ary ) . General Greene crossed the river in pursuit of him. Corn- 
 wallis, ever since the defeat of his favorite partisan, seems to have 
 been acting like a man blinded by passion. His last manoeuvre 
 was that of a desperado. If the people in that quarter turn out 
 with a proper degree of spirit, he must be ruined, as the first 
 point of safety at which he can arrive is one hundred and thirty 
 miles from the place where his retreat commenced. We wait 
 the receipt of further accounts with the utmost anxiety. 
 
 " The present is a time of great expectation. Besides our 
 concern for the issue of our Southern affairs under General 
 Greene, we are exceedingly interested for the fate of a most 
 capital enterprise against the traitor Arnold. A very handsome 
 detachment under the Marquis de la Fayette went from this 
 army, and we hope, from the ready cooperation of our generous 
 allies, that tfte important undertaking will be crowned with de- 
 served success." 
 
 On the 13th of May, 1781, Major Shaw wrote to his 
 father from New Windsor, on the subject of his brother 
 Nathaniel's wish to join the American army : 
 
 " I have received a letter from Nat, intimating his wishes to 
 become a soldier. This is a matter which I have long de- 
 sired ; but, as I had rather it should be a motion of his own, I 
 forbore saying any thing to him on the subject. From the cir- 
 cumstances he mentions, there can be no very urgent call for 
 him to remain at home. An opportunity now offers for bringing 
 him forward in life, and I shall be exceedingly happy if you and 
 my dear mother will consent to his embracing it. 
 
 " The profession of arms, in such a cause as we are now en- 
 gaged in, is both just and honorable, and I am persuaded it would
 
 MEMOIR. 91 
 
 be a piece of injustice to deprive a young man of an opportunity 
 of having it in his power, at some future period, to look back on 
 the present and enjoy the heartfelt satisfaction flowing from a 
 consciousness of having done his duty. This, I trust, will be a 
 sufficient inducement with you to gratify Nat's wishes. Besides, 
 there are many advantages which he may derive from a military 
 education. The army has been esteemed no inconsiderable 
 school for the study of mankind ; and Nat, poor lad, has as yet 
 had no opportunity for acquainting himself with this necessary 
 branch of science. He is now at an age well calculated to re- 
 ceive the best impressions ; and I am happy in having it in my 
 power, not only to provide genteelly for him in the army, but al- 
 so to introduce him to its first characters. I propose placing him 
 with Captain Lillie, whose reputation as an officer is second to 
 none of his rank in service. Besides this advantage, he will be 
 constantly under my own eye, and shall never want any advice 
 or assistance which it may be in my power to give him. 
 
 " If I shall be so fortunate as to have the approbation and con- 
 currence of my dear parents in this matter, with which my own 
 happiness is so nearly connected, I wish Nat to come on as soon 
 as possible. You cannot be insensible, my dear Sir, of the stress 
 which the world lays on external appearances, and that the opin- 
 ion formed of a young man at first sight is commonly the strong- 
 est and most lasting. Therefore it will be absolutely essential 
 that he come on completely equipped as an officer. For this 
 purpose I have annexed an estimate of such articles as will be 
 necessary, at the same time having as much regard to economy 
 as possible. 
 
 " I am well aware that this expedition will be attended with 
 some expense ; but, as it is only for once, and will be fairly set- 
 ting him afloat in the world, where he can in future take care of 
 himself, it will not be an extravagant bargain. However, as it 
 may not be in your power to supply him amply, I shall be obliged 
 to you to raise what money you can on my notes now in your 
 possession, furnish him with the articles, and accept the amount 
 of them from me as a small token of the sense I have and shall
 
 92 MEMOIR. 
 
 ever retain of the many obligations I owe to the kindest of pa- 
 rents. I beg you not to let any idea that I may want this money 
 myself prevent your acceptance of it. The arrearages of my 
 pay for the whole of the last year, added to what I may receive 
 for the present, will afford me a decent support. I can cheerful- 
 ly dispense with a luxurious one, where the interest of my broth- 
 er is so nearly concerned. 
 
 " I wish my dear mother and yourself every possible happi- 
 ness, and remain, affectionately, 
 
 " Your dutiful 
 
 " S. SHAW. 
 
 " Clothing, &c., necessary for a young campaigner : 
 
 Beaver hat, 15 
 
 Coat, faced and lined with scarlet, white vest 
 and breeches, plain yellow buttons, (super- 
 fine will be cheapest), 60 
 
 3 white linen vests and breeches, ... 25 
 6 ruffled shirts and stocks, 60 
 
 4 pairs white cotton or linen hose, ... 10 
 
 Boots, 10 
 
 Sword, 20 
 
 Silver dollars, 200 
 
 " If the above sum can be raised on my notes, I can spare it 
 without injury to myself, and as much as will bring Nat on to 
 camp." 
 
 On the same day he wrote to his brother Nathaniel on 
 the same subject : 
 
 " To the pleasure of seeing my good friend Lillie was added 
 that of receiving your letter. The sentiments you express with 
 respect to the subject of my last coincide exactly with the opin- 
 ion I wished you to entertain of it ; and your letter itself is a con- 
 vincing and very flattering proof of the attention you paid to 
 my advice. I thank you, my dear Nat, for the satisfaction it has
 
 MEMOIR. 93 
 
 given me, and I hope you will afford me frequent opportunities 
 of being grateful to you for similar favors. 
 
 " ' What think you ? should I make a good soldier ? ' Indeed, 
 my good boy, this is one of the most important questions you 
 could have proposed. The solution of it rests almost entirely 
 with yourself. Your own feelings must determine. It cannot be 
 supposed that your thoughts have been unemployed on so serious 
 a matter during the progress of this war, which commenced as 
 you were emerging from childhood, and infant reason putting 
 forth its tender shoots. No, I rather believe that they have been 
 often thus occupied, and that the present inquiry is the result of 
 deliberate reflection, and amounts to a determination on your part, 
 that you will be a soldier. After this, nothing need be said on the 
 fatigues, the hardships, and dangers, incident to a military life. 
 You must have duly considered and be prepared to meet them 
 all. If I am right in the conjecture, nothing which my influence, 
 prompted by fraternal affection, can effect, shall be wanting to 
 complete your wishes. As a preliminary step, I inclose you an 
 introductory letter to Colonel Crane, in whose battalion you can 
 have a second-lieutenancy. This letter must be countersigned 
 by him, and forwarded to General Knox, for his approbation 
 (which I have already obtained), who sends it to the war-office, 
 from whence the commissions are issued. 
 
 " After having sacrificed so much of my own time to the du- 
 ties which every young man owes his country, the satisfaction 
 arising from that reflection is greatly increased by having a 
 brother who is equally willing to do the same. Come on, then, 
 my dear lad, the sooner the better. Though my situation will 
 not allow you to be directly with me, yet I have made such an 
 arrangement as will be very advantageous for you, and peculiarly 
 agreeable to myself. Under the guidance of Captain Lillie I 
 think you cannot fail of getting a competent knowledge of duty ; 
 and I am sure your own good qualities, and his friendship for 
 your brother, will induce him to manifest the utmost attention to 
 your welfare.
 
 94 MEMOIR. 
 
 " As the world are much influenced by external appearances, 
 and the first impressions a young man makes being generally the 
 strongest, I wish you to come on completely equipped as a sol- 
 dier, from head to foot. For this purpose I have written to our 
 dear parents, inclosing an estimate of what will be wanted, and 
 I doubt not you will be amply supplied." 
 
 On the 26th of July, 1781, he writes to the Rev. Mr. 
 Eliot from camp : 
 
 " What shall I say ? Shall I tell you, my honest friend, that 
 every thing goes well, and that, in all human probability, New 
 York will soon be ours ? I wish to Heaven I could. No man 
 more firmly believes in the justice of our present struggle, nor 
 does any one rely more on the smiles of Providence in its favor. 
 But we must help ourselves ; and it would be impious in a people 
 to expect a divine interposition in their behalf, at a time when they 
 refuse or neglect to avail themselves of the means in their own 
 possession. It may be asked, Are we not doing so ? Are we not 
 sending you recruits, and contributing every thing in our power 
 to render the issue of the present campaign decisive and glo- 
 rious ? I believe many think this is doing . It is strange 
 
 how mankind differ in their ideas with respect to right and wrong. 
 A private character who should use fraud to get rid of his en- 
 gagement would be considered as a scoundrel, while a collective 
 body do not blush at transactions for which an individual would 
 be kicked out of society. Had the different States honestly com- 
 plied with the requisitions of Congress, we should at this period 
 have had an army in the field equal to any exigence of service. 
 How contrary has been their conduct ! Of the recruits which 
 have come in, to say nothing of their deficiency in point of num- 
 ber, few of them will be able, before the expiration of their en- 
 listments, to perform the duties of a soldier. When I have seen 
 boys of a yard and a half long paraded for muster, absolutely in- 
 capable of sustaining the weight of a soldier's accoutrements, 
 and been told that these shadows have been sent as part of the 
 State's quota, I have cursed the duplicity of my countrymen, and
 
 MEMOIR. 95 
 
 pronounced them unworthy the blessings of freedom. The army 
 at large considered this conduct of their respective States as a 
 vile imposition, and we began to send back the unqualified re- 
 cruits ; but so proportionably great was their number, that we were 
 obliged to retain many, who, though they are not so at present, 
 yet may in a campaign or two be in some degree serviceable. 
 This is no exaggerated picture. It might, by a deeper coloring, 
 be made a more striking likeness. The country is sanguine, 
 and great things are expected from their army. Let the former 
 do their duty, and I trust there will be no deficiency on the part 
 of the other. 
 
 " The army at present occupy a position between Dobbs's 
 Ferry and the White Plains, about twenty-five miles from New 
 York. The French compose our left wing. Nothing can exceed 
 the harmony which subsists between the two wings, who seem ex- 
 ceedingly happy in the connection. On the night of the 21st we 
 moved to Kingsbridge, leaving sufficient guards for the security 
 of our camp. This was done with a view of reconnoitring the 
 enemy's works, &c., there and on the island. This purpose 
 was completely answered ; and, though we remained there two 
 days, ready for battle, yet the British general did not think fit to 
 accept our invitation. If he had, the fate of America would 
 have depended on the issue of a single action. We are now 
 strong enough to maintain a defensive war. Our country has 
 need of peace, for obtaining which offensive operations are 
 necessary. Whether with our present strength and prospects 
 they will be successful, the event must determine. Had an 
 honest and vigorous exertion been seasonably made, there does 
 not remain a shadow of doubt but the present campaign would 
 terminate the war." 
 
 Again he writes to the same correspondent, on the 
 13th of August, 1782 : 
 
 " I must tell you a piece of good news. Sir Guy Carleton 
 and Admiral Digby have jointly, in their character as com- 
 missioners for restoring peace, &c., addressed a letter to General
 
 96 MEMOIR. 
 
 Washington, informing him, that the British administration have 
 sent Mr. Grenville to Paris, with full powers to treat upon a 
 peace between the belligerent parties, the basis of which is to be 
 the Independence of America. They therefore propose immedi- 
 ately entering upon a general exchange of prisoners of every 
 denomination, on both sides ; which, under the present prospect 
 of affairs, they hope will be agreed to. This letter, which bears 
 date the 2d instant, the General has forwarded to Congress. In 
 the mean while disturbances have been so high in New York, 
 that the British commanders have been obliged to publish it, in 
 order to quiet the Loyalists, who are exceedingly uneasy under 
 the apprehension that they will be neglected. After the letter, 
 follows a short address, exhorting these said Loyalists to perse- 
 vere in their steadiness, and assuring them that their interests 
 shall be attended to. 
 
 " This account is published in Rivington's last ' Royal Ga- 
 zette,' and I suppose will find its way to the eastward, and have 
 a place in the first papers published after the post gets in." 
 
 On the 1st of September, 1782, he writes to his 
 brother William from New Windsor : 
 
 " I anticipate with the highest pleasure the heartfelt satisfac- 
 tion we shall all enjoy, when peace, of which we have now the 
 strongest expectation, shall restore me to the walks of life, which 
 will afford us an opportunity of cultivating the social duties, and 
 tasting the sweets of domestic happiness. 
 
 " Nothing will be done this campaign by either army. A 
 great part of it is gone, and the remainder will wear away, in 
 the pleasing prospect that it will be the last." 
 
 From West Point, on the 4th of October, 1782, he 
 writes to his brother Nathaniel : 
 
 " Since my last letter to you, I have been with General Heath 
 and General Knox, to meet commissioners from the British 
 army, in order to settle a general cartel for the exchange of 
 prisoners ; but some difficulties, which could not be got over, pre-
 
 MEMOIR. 97 
 
 vented any thing being done. It is painful to every humane 
 breast, when motives of policy militate so strongly with the dic- 
 tates of humanity. Our poor fellows, who are all of them naval 
 prisoners, cannot be released at present but on terms which 
 would be materially injurious to the country. They must, there- 
 fore, have patience a little longer. We are not without hopes 
 that the commissioners on the great scale in Europe will adjust 
 matters in such a way as not only to release prisoners, but put 
 an end to the calamities of war in every quarter." 
 
 In a letter to the Rev. Mr. Eliot, dated from West 
 Point, on the 3d of November, 1782, Major Shaw thus 
 characterizes the Chevalier Mauduit du Plessis, a French 
 gentleman, who had early joined the army of the United 
 States : 
 
 " Having written you a very long letter four days ago, I shall 
 make use of this solely to introduce to your acquaintance and 
 civilities the Chevalier Mauduit du Plessis, at present Aide Major- 
 General to the French Artillery. This gentleman very early 
 engaged in the cause of freedom, and came to America in 1777, 
 when he made the campaign as volunteer aid-de-camp to Gen- 
 eral Knox, and of course became the intimate of your friend. 
 His agreeable manners, and the goodness of his heart, engaged 
 him the love and esteem of all who were acquainted with him, 
 and his conduct as an officer was so conspicuously good, as not 
 only to gain him additional rank here, but to recommend him to 
 the approbation of his sovereign, from whom he obtained very 
 substantial promotion in the French army. After having a 
 second time served this country, he is now preparing to encoun- 
 ter new dangers, and gather fresh laurels in another climate. I 
 regret most sensibly the parting with this valuable friend. His 
 remembrance will ever be dear to me, and I am sorry that his 
 short stay at Boston will so soon deprive you of the happiness 
 you will find in his company and conversation. He is a man of 
 science, a soldier, and a gentleman." 
 13
 
 98 MEMOIR. 
 
 On the 13th of the same month, from the same place, 
 he wrote to his father : 
 
 " Another campaign has passed away, and our army are 
 again in winter-quarters. It has been a harmless one ; nobody 
 killed or wounded. Happy would it be for America, happy for 
 her much injured soldiers, were it the last. The treatment the 
 application to our State, in behalf of its troops, has met with from 
 the legislature occasions universal discontent. Not to enumerate 
 many other instances wherein the army have reason to complain 
 of the injustice of their countrymen, what shall we say to their 
 behaviour, when the business of a future compensation for the 
 services performed by their brethren in arms was brought before 
 them ? What promises on the part of our country ought to gain 
 the least confidence, after members of Congress themselves have 
 declared that the solemn engagements of that body to give half- 
 pay, or its equivalent, to such of their troops as should continue 
 to the end of the war, was only intended to answer certain pur- 
 poses for the time being, and ought not now to be considered as 
 
 binding. Public faith but I forbear to urge the ungrateful 
 
 subject any further. 
 
 " My bond to Mr. I intend to pay when it is due ; though 
 
 to do this I must contract another debt. It is no satisfaction to 
 me to reflect that I am obliged to do this, notwithstanding the 
 public owes me for nearly three years' services, when I find, at 
 the same time, I cannot make calculation upon the pay of a 
 single month." 
 
 From West Point, on the 14th of November, 1782, 
 he again wrote to his brother Nathaniel : 
 
 " I expect to stay here this winter ; let me hear from you as 
 often as you can. If our enlightened countrymen considered 
 common honesty as a moral duty, I should have it in my power 
 to spend a little money in Boston, and enjoy the company of my 
 friends in that quarter ; but, as it is, I must endeavour to make 
 myself as contented as possible where I am."
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DISCONTENT OF THE AMERICAN ARMY. ADDRESS TO CONGRESS 
 
 IN ITS BEHALF BY ITS OFFICERS. PROCEEDINGS ON THAT 
 OCCASION. THE NEWBURG ANONYMOUS ADDRESSES. MEAS- 
 URES TAKEN TO COUNTERACT THEIR INFLUENCE. GLORIOUS 
 
 CONDUCT OF WASHINGTON. THE PERSECUTING SPIRIT MANI- 
 FESTED TOWARDS THE TORIES CONDEMNED. 
 
 BETWEEN the month of December, 1782, and May, 
 1783, four letters were addressed by Major Shaw, from 
 West Point, to the Rev. Mr. Eliot, from which are ex- 
 tracted the following passages : 
 
 " December 22, 1782. 
 
 " I believe I have mentioned to you in a former letter the un- 
 easiness which then existed in the army. Its influence has been 
 universal ; it pervades every breast, from the major-general 
 downwards. We have experienced for years together the most 
 oppressive treatment that ever an army endured. Could we 
 suppose that the country is unable to prevent or remove the 
 grievances under which we labor, there are no people under 
 heaven who would support them with greater cheerfulness. But 
 this is not the case. We see the most unequal conduct observed 
 towards us, and, of the enormous sums of money levied for carry- 
 ing on the war, no part reaches the army. Its distribution in- 
 variably among the numerous civil officers throughout the conti- 
 nent, while the soldiery are wholly excluded, aggravates their 
 sufferings, and seems like adding insult to injury. There have 
 been several meetings for considering and adopting measures to 
 obtain redress. General M c Dougall, Colonel Ogden, and Colo- 
 nel Brooks, as a delegation from the whole, set out to-morrow
 
 100 MEMOIR. 
 
 morning with an address and petition to Congress. It is happy 
 for the country that the officers have taken up the business, since 
 nothing else could have kept the soldiers quiet. Congress will 
 now be made fully acquainted with the sufferings and the dispo- 
 sition of their troops in consequence of them. Point, d'argent, 
 paint de Suisse, is the prevailing sentiment, and, though a little 
 more amplified, is the language of the address and petition. It 
 is devoutly to be wished that this application may have the de- 
 sired effect. If it does not " 
 
 "February 23, 1783. 
 
 " Before this reaches you, the story of peace may probably be 
 no news ; perhaps a confirmation of its reality may arrive first. 
 Would to Heaven it might ! The last language from the throne 
 is infinitely different from any that has been used during the 
 contest, and it is evident the British nation are heartily tired of 
 the war. But say, my friend, is America prepared for the re- 
 ception of the long wished-for blessing ? What system has she, 
 adequate to the government and prosperity of her rising empire ? 
 No money, no funds, and what is worse, no disposition in the 
 people to establish funds, the certain consequence of which must 
 be the death of public credit. It is astonishing with how much 
 obstinacy the State of Rhode Island has opposed the impost, and 
 by its non-concurrence defeated a measure which seemed so 
 essential to the public welfare. That the smallest State in the 
 union should thus counteract and annul the proceedings of the 
 other twelve argues an awful defect in the Confederation. Un- 
 less there be a power vested in some supreme head, sufficient to 
 enforce a compliance with such regulations as are evidently cal- 
 culated for the general good, adieu to all government, I mean 
 that species of it which alone deserves the name. Thirteen 
 wheels require a steady and powerful regulator to keep them in 
 good order, and prevent the machine from becoming useless. 
 The prospect of peace makes a politician of the soldier. We 
 are thirteen States, and a hoop to the barrel is the prevailing 
 sentiment.
 
 MEMOIR. 101 
 
 " The expectation of a speedy peace has greatly lulled the 
 discontents of the army, and is a reason why so little redress 
 has been granted by the country. On this account our applica- 
 tion to Congress did not answer our intention. The mountain 
 has brought forth a mouse. One month's pay to the army is all 
 they could obtain the promise of; the mode of settling past ar- 
 rearages was not agreed on, and as to half-pay or a compensation 
 for it, we must wait till there is a more full representation in 
 Congress, there being only nine States present, and three of 
 them opposed to any consideration for past services, though ac- 
 companied with a sacrifice of time, health, and property." 
 
 One of these letters, dated in April, 1783, was accom- 
 panied by a series of documents, containing the address 
 from the army to Congress, the anonymous letters from 
 Newburg, the proceedings of a meeting of the officers, 
 the address of Washington to the army, and the general 
 orders issued on this occasion.* Major Shaw, after refer- 
 ring to these documents, thus proceeds : 
 
 " These will give you a pretty good idea of our proceedings ; 
 and that you may not want any information on the subject, I 
 shall take the liberty of adding a few particulars, by way of nar- 
 rative. 
 
 " The accumulated hardships under which the army had 
 so long labored made their situation intolerable, and called aloud 
 for immediate redress. An application to the supreme authority 
 of America was thought a salutary measure, and the improbabil- 
 ity of obtaining relief from the States individually, after the 
 treatment the Massachusetts line had experienced from their 
 State, rendered it absolutely indispensable. 
 
 " With this view, a delegation from the several regiments 
 
 * All these are already, in many forms, in possession of the public ; 
 and appear at full length in Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. 
 Vm., from page 551 to page 566, inclusive. Their publication in 
 this place, therefore, does not seem to be necessary.
 
 102 MEMOIR. 
 
 composing the Massachusetts line, having conferred together, 
 came to a determination of taking the sense of the army at large ; 
 and on the 16th of November appointed a committee of seven, 
 who should assemble on the 24th of the same month, and, in 
 conjunction with the delegates from those lines who might sec 
 fit to send any, agree and determine upon such measures as 
 should be found best calculated to promote the desirable pur- 
 poses for which the convention was called. 
 
 " Agreeably to this proposal there was a full representation of 
 the whole army, when ' it was unanimously agreed that Major- 
 General Knox, Brigadier-General Huntington, Colonel Crane, 
 Colonel Courtlandt, and Doctor Eustis, be a committee to draft 
 an address and petition to Congress, in behalf of the army, and 
 lay the same before this assembly for consideration at their 
 meeting on the 1st of December.' 
 
 " At the meeting on the 1st of December, ' the draft of the 
 address and petition to Congress was read, and voted to be laid 
 before the several lines of the army for consideration,' and it 
 was determined, ' that the army at large choose a general officer, 
 and each line send a field-officer, any two of whom, as a majori- 
 ty of them should agree, should, in conjunction with the said 
 general officer, form a committee to wait on Congress and exe- 
 cute the business of said address.' Instructions were also direct- 
 ed to be prepared for the conduct of said committee, and the 
 necessary sum of money raised for their expenses. 
 
 " On opening the ballots the 5th of December, Major-General 
 McDougall, Colonel Ogden, and Colonel Brooks were chosen to 
 proceed to Congress with the address and petition, which was 
 signed on the 7th, and delivered to the committee, after which 
 the meeting adjourned without day. 
 
 " The delegation from the army to Congress set out on their 
 mission the 21st of December. On the address and petition 
 being read in Congress, a grand committee, consisting of a 
 member from each State, was chosen to confer with our com- 
 missioners. The result of this conference was certain resolves 
 of Congress, passed on the 25th of January, the purport where-
 
 MEMOIR. 103 
 
 of was, that the army should receive one month's pay, and 
 that their accounts should be settled as soon as possible, for dis- 
 charging the balances of which Congress would endeavour to pro- 
 vide adequate funds. The matter respecting a commutation of 
 the half-pay was recommitted. These resolutions at large were 
 transmitted by our commissioners, in a letter of the 8th of Feb- 
 ruary, to General Knox, which was immediately communicated 
 to the respective lines of the army. 
 
 " This report, though far from being satisfactory, joined to the 
 certainty that we were on the eve of a general peace, kept the 
 army quiet. In this state of patient expectation, the anonymous 
 address to the officers made its appearance. Immediately on 
 this, the Commander-in-chief, by an order of the llth of March, 
 directed the officers to assemble on the 15th, which produced 
 the second anonymous address. 
 
 " The meeting of the officers was in itself exceedingly respect- 
 able, the matters they were called to deliberate upon were of the 
 most serious nature, and the unexpected attendance of the Com- 
 mander-in-f hief heightened the solemnity of the scene. Every 
 eye was fixed upon the illustrious man, and attention to their 
 beloved General held the assembly mute. He opened the meet- 
 ing by apologizing for his appearance there, which was by no 
 means his intention when he published the order which directed 
 them to assemble. But the diligence used in circulating the 
 anonymous pieces rendered it necessary that he should give his 
 sentiments to the army on the nature and tendency of them, and 
 determined him to avail himself of the present opportunity ; and, 
 in order to do it with greater perspicuity, he had committed his 
 thoughts to writing, which, with the indulgence of his brother 
 officers, he would take the liberty of reading to them. It is need- 
 less for me to say any thing of this production ; it speaks for it- 
 self. After he had concluded his address, he said, that, as a 
 corroborating testimony of the good disposition in Congress to- 
 wards the army, he would communicate to them a letter received 
 from a worthy member of that body, and one who on all occa- 
 sions had ever approved himself their fast friend. This was an
 
 104 MEMOIR. 
 
 exceedingly sensible letter ; and, while it pointed out the difficul- 
 ties and embarrassments of Congress, it held up veiy forcibly 
 the idea that the army should, at all events, be generously dealt 
 with. One circumstance in reading this letter must not be 
 omitted. His Excellency, after reading the first paragraph, 
 made a short pause, took out his spectacles, and begged the 
 indulgence of his audience while he put them on, observing at 
 the same time, that he had grown gray in their service, and now 
 found himself growing blind. There was something so natural, 
 so unaffected, in this appeal, as rendered it superior to the most 
 studied oratory ; it forced its way to the heart, and you might see 
 sensibility moisten every eye. The General, having finished, 
 took leave of the assembly, and the business of the day was con- 
 ducted in the manner which is related in the account of the 
 proceedings. 
 
 " I cannot dismiss this subject without observing, that it is 
 happy for America that she has a patriot army, and equally so 
 that a Washington is its leader. I rejoice in the opportunities I 
 have had of seeing this great man in a variety of stations ; 
 calm and intrepid where the battle raged, patient and persevering 
 under the pressure of misfortune, moderate and possessing him- 
 self in the full career of victory. Great as these qualifications 
 deservedly render him, he never appeared to me more truly so, 
 than at the assembly we have been speaking of. On other oc- 
 casions he has been supported by the exertions of an army and 
 the countenance of his friends ; but in this he stood single and 
 alone. There was no saying where the passions of an army, 
 which were not a little inflamed, might lead ; but it was general- 
 ly allowed that longer forbearance was dangerous, and modera- 
 tion had ceased to be a virtue. Under these circumstances he 
 appeared, not at the head of his troops, but as it were in opposi- 
 tion to them ; and for a dreadful moment the interests of the 
 army and its General seemed to be in competition ! He spoke, 
 every doubt was dispelled, and the tide of patriotism rolled 
 again in its wonted course. Illustrious man ! what he says of 
 the army may with equal justice be applied to his own character.
 
 MEMOIR. 105 
 
 4 Had this day been wanting, the world had never seen the last 
 stage of perfection to which human nature is capable of attain- 
 ing."'. 
 
 " West Point, May 3d, 1783. 
 
 " It has been one of the principal pleasures which I have ex- 
 perienced during the war to sit down now and then, and, forget- 
 ting the distance that separates us, hold a little friendly commu- 
 nication with my dear Eliot. Though, as a good member of the 
 community, I rejoice in the happy issue of an eight years' con- 
 flict, which has terminated so gloriously for our country, yet I 
 hail the return of peace with the most heartfelt satisfaction, as it 
 will enable me to pursue that quiet line of life for which I have 
 long sighed, and restore me to those friends in whose society I 
 anticipate much happiness. 
 
 " When a person considers the commencement, progress, and 
 complete accomplishment of the revolution which has taken 
 place, the different situations to which it has brought us, one 
 while on the very brink of destruction, and, as it were, abandon- 
 ed even by hope, then rising, by the most unexpected turn of 
 affairs, superior to the misfortunes which threatened us, and 
 finally attaining the great objects of our war, when, I say, one 
 considers these astonishing events, he must acknowledge a 
 superintending Providence, and kindle at the recollection of its 
 mercies, unless he be obdurate to the last degree, and do not 
 possess one single spark of gratitude. 
 
 " America is now become an empire, and the eyes of the 
 world are fastened upon her. If ever the spirit of wisdom was 
 necessary to direct a nation, it is most peculiarly so at this instant. 
 We have a character to establish among the great powers of the 
 earth, who will for the most part form their opinion of us from 
 the manner in which we set out. Let, then, humanity, a love 
 of justice, and a universal spirit of moderation be its distinguish- 
 ing traits, and this will be the way to render it truly respectable. 
 I am led to these remarks by a view of that intolerant, persecut- 
 ing temper, manifesting itself towards those unhappy people who 
 14
 
 106 MEMOIR. 
 
 have been seduced from their allegiance to this country by the 
 artifice, and in many instances, indisputably, the compulsion, of 
 its foes. What a disgrace to us, and how repugnant to humanity, 
 are those declarations which fill the newspapers of the present 
 day ! How little does such a disposition prove us worthy to en- 
 joy the blessings of that peace which Heaven has granted us ! 
 But I would hope, for the honor of human nature, that it does not 
 generally prevail, and that it is rather an ebullition of intemper- 
 ate, misguided zeal in a few individuals. It is a Godlike attri- 
 bute to forgive ; and America has now an opportunity, by the 
 forgiveness of these returning penitents, to render herself as re- 
 nowned for moderation in prosperity, as she is for her firmness 
 under adversity. Some perhaps may object, that these people are 
 not again to be trusted. ' What ! ' say they, ' shall we take these 
 vipers to our bosoms, and put it in their power to sting us to the 
 heart ? ' No such thing, mankind never act without a motive. 
 These deluded wretches feel their error ; the bitterest experience 
 has convinced them of it, and, if they have any remaining enmity, 
 it is against those who have thus cruelly cast them upon the mercy 
 of an injured country. Receive them, restore to them their prop- 
 erty, and you will make it their interest to become good citi- 
 zens. Surely, in a young country, like ours, this is a dictate of 
 true policy, to say nothing of the superior obligation of human- 
 ity. 
 
 " As it ever affords me great satisfaction when I can in any way 
 conduce to yours, I have lately amused myself in copying those 
 papers which you requested, as well as some others which were 
 necessary to give you a just idea of the important transaction to 
 which they relate. I have also added a few remarks by way of 
 narrative, which I thought it better to do in a separate letter, than 
 to assign them any part of this. It was not in my power to com- 
 ply with your request as to the author of the anonymous papers, 
 as I have never been able to ascertain who he is. Numbers are 
 suspected as being concerned, for it is generally allowed to be a 
 partnership affair. Among others, an acquaintance of ours, a son 
 of jEsculapius, formerly a classmate, and, if my memory serves
 
 MEMOIR. 107 
 
 me, a chum of yours, is supposed to have had no small share 
 in it. Sat verbum, and remember this information is sub rosd. 
 Whatever may have been the writer's design, these papers cer- 
 tainly produced a good effect, as I verily believe but for them the 
 army would not have had an opportunity of appearing in that 
 patriotic and honorable point of view in which their conduct on 
 that occasion has placed them. 
 
 " We are now waiting the arrival of the definitive treaty. As 
 soon as it comes and the necessary arrangements can be made 
 for ascertaining the dues of the army, and providing for the 
 security of our frontiers, the trumpet will sound, ' Every man 
 to his tent, O Israel ! ' What will become of a very large por- 
 tion of the poor fellows who are about quitting a line of life that 
 has rendered them almost unfit for any other, Heaven alone 
 knows, and I hope will take care of them. If the country treats 
 them properly, they will be a valuable acquisition as citizens ; if 
 not, it will be well if they should be simply of no service to her. 
 Many people, I know, wish to do well by us ; but a greater num- 
 ber think the distinction of a uniform coat and the splendor of a 
 military character a sufficient compensation for the hardships and 
 dangers it is obliged to encounter ; even these they envy us, 
 though attended by a poverty which is almost proverbial. From 
 such we do not expect gratitude, but we have a right to justice."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES PROCLAIMED TO THE AMERICAN AR- 
 MY. WASHINGTON'S AND KNOX'S CERTIFICATES OF MAJOR 
 SHAW'S SERVICES AND MERIT. HE ENGAGES IN THE FIRST 
 COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CHI- 
 NA. RETURNS, AND IS APPOINTED THE FIRST CONSUL FROM 
 
 THE UNITED STATES AT CANTON. HIS SECOND VOYAGE TO 
 
 THE CHINESE EMPIRE. HIS RESIDENCE THERE. VOYAGE TO 
 
 BENGAL, AND RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 THE preceding extracts from the letters of Major Shaw 
 to his friends and relatives include all that can now 
 be collected concerning the events of his military life. 
 Written amid the excitement of the camp, often in the 
 moment of victory or of defeat, intended for a circle of 
 private friends, without a thought of self-illustration or of 
 further publicity, they yet bear internal evidence of the 
 kindness of his heart, of his zeal and fidelity in the cause 
 of his country, of the soundness of his judgment, and 
 of the purity and elevation of his spirit. They thus ac- 
 count for that singular confidence with which he was 
 regarded by his military superiors, and for the affection 
 entertained for him by those who in rank were his equals 
 or his subordinates. Perhaps no individual of the same 
 rank, in the army of the United States, quitted it, at the 
 end of the Avar, with a reputation in all these respects 
 better deserved, or more generally acknowledged. 
 
 On the 19th of April, 1783, just eight years from the
 
 MEMOIR. 109 
 
 day on which, by the battle of Lexington, hostilities 
 were commenced, their cessation was proclaimed to the 
 American army, in orders from General Washington, 
 who also devolved upon General Knox the immediate 
 command during the disbandment of the troops, which 
 occupied the remainder of the year. Major Shaw re- 
 mained, as aid-de-camp, in the family of General Knox, 
 and assisted, by his advice and influence, in the ardu- 
 ous and delicate duties incident to that process. Feel- 
 ing not less keenly than others the wrongs the army 
 had sustained, and the poverty in which they had been 
 turned adrift upon the world by the injustice of their 
 country, he was one of those who sustained the policy 
 of the Commander-in-chief, and was among the most 
 active and, by his influence and popularity, effective, 
 in allaying the discontents, which, about that period, 
 threatened to disgrace both the army and the country. 
 In all the interesting events which ensued, he was ei- 
 ther an actor or a witness ; enjoying the general gratifi- 
 cation they caused and partaking of the glory of them. 
 As a member of the military family of General Knox, 
 with him, in the ensuing November, he accompanied 
 General Washington, when he and Governor Clinton 
 took possession of New York, after its evacuation by the 
 British. He was present when, on the 4th of the ensu- 
 ing December, Washington took his final, heart-rending 
 leave of the officers of the American army ; a moment 
 of intense reciprocated joy, yet of impressive, affection- 
 ate tenderness, for which language has no adequate 
 expression. To a soldier, like Major Shaw, who could 
 witness this touching scene with a consciousness, that, 
 in the events of which he had been so largely a par- 
 taker, his every feeling towards his country had been
 
 110 MEMOIR. 
 
 right, and every duty fulfilled, it was an adequate re- 
 ward for all the sufferings and privations to which he 
 had been subjected. 
 
 In November, 1783, he received from General Wash- 
 ington the following testimonial of his merit and services 
 in the army of the Revolution : 
 
 " By his Excellency George Washington, Esq., General 
 L. S. and Commander-in-chief of the forces of the United 
 States of America. 
 
 " This certifies that Captain Samuel Shaw was appointed a 
 Lieutenant of Artillery in the army of the United States of Amer- 
 ica in 1775 ; the year following he was appointed Adjutant, and 
 in 1777 was promoted to the rank of Captain-Lieutenant and 
 Brigade-Major in the corps of Artillery, in which capacity he 
 served until August, 1779, when he was appointed Aid-de-camp 
 to Major-General Knox, commanding the Artillery, with whom he 
 remained till the close of the war, having been promoted to the 
 rank of Captain of Artillery in 1780. 
 
 " From the testimony of the superior officers under whom 
 Captain Shaw has served, as well as from my own observation, I 
 am enabled to certify, that, throughout the whole of his service, 
 he has greatly distinguished himself in every thing which could 
 entitle him to the character of an intelligent, active, and brave 
 officer. 
 
 " Given under my hand and seal this third day of November, 
 1783. 
 
 " GEO. WASHINGTON. 
 
 " By his Excellency's command. 
 
 " BEN. WALKEK, Aid-de-camp. ," 
 
 On the 5th of January, 1784, Major Shaw took final 
 leave of the family of General Knox, from whom he re- 
 ceived, in his own handwriting, the following certificate, 
 reflecting honor alike on the qualities of his heart and his 
 excellence as an officer :
 
 MEMOIR. Ill 
 
 " This is to certify that the possessor, Captain Samuel Shaw, 
 has borne a commission in the artillery of the United States of 
 America upwards of eight years ; more than seven of which he 
 has been particularly attached to the subscriber in the capacities 
 of adjutant, brigade-major, and aid-de-camp. In the various and 
 arduous duties of his several stations, he has, in every instance, 
 evinced himself an intelligent, active, and gallant officer, and as 
 such he has peculiarly endeared himself to his numerous ac- 
 quaintances. 
 
 " This testimony is given unsolicited on his part. It is dictated 
 by the pure principles of affection and gratitude, inspired by an 
 unequivocal attachment during a long and trying period-of the 
 American war. 
 
 " Given under my hand and seal, at West Point, upon Hud- 
 son's River, this 5th day of January, 1784. 
 
 L. S. " H. KNOX, M. General" 
 
 Major Shaw took an active and efficient part in the 
 formation of the Society of the Cincinnati. He was 
 chosen secretary of the committee of the officers of the 
 army who formed it, and, according to information de- 
 rived from the late Colonel Timothy Pickering, the orig- 
 inal draft of its constitution was from his pen. Like 
 other soldiers of the Revolutionary army, Major Shaw 
 was now destined to enter upon civil life, in debt, with- 
 out property, and with no other foundation of hope than 
 the character he had attained, and the general confidence 
 which his talents and integrity had inspired. His man- 
 ners and address were singularly winning and polished. 
 His countenance was open, and expressive of benevolence 
 and intelligence. The judgment, fidelity, and capacity for 
 business, which he had displayed in the several offices he 
 had sustained in the American army, attracted attention 
 and general interest ; and an association of capitalists, 
 who had united for the purpose of opening a commercial
 
 112 MEMOIR. 
 
 intercourse between the United States and China, offered 
 to him the station of factor and commercial agent for the 
 voyage. This he accepted, upon the condition that Cap- 
 tain Randall, with whom he had formed an intimate 
 friendship in the course of the American war, and who 
 was as destitute of property and employment as himself, 
 should be united with him and share with him the prof- 
 its of the agency. To this condition the owners acced- 
 ed ; and he accordingly engaged in their service. The 
 only notice of this transaction given to his friends, which 
 is now preserved, is contained in the two following let- 
 ters, which, as indications of brotherly affection, ought 
 not to be omitted. 
 
 On the 24th of December, 1783, he wrote from Boston 
 to his brother William, then residing at Goldsborough, in 
 the Province of Maine : 
 
 " My prospect of seeing you in the course of the winter is at 
 an end. I shall sail for China by the 15th of January, from New 
 York. The terms on which I go promise something clever, and 
 I hope to shake you by the hand in two years. Though fortune 
 has dealt rather hardly with you, it will never do to give out. 
 Things may take a favorable turn in the spring. If Heaven 
 prospers my present undertaking, it will be in my power to help 
 you. Therefore, keep up a good heart, and be assured that in 
 me you have a brother who will cheerfully share with you his 
 last penny. Adieu. I wish you every happiness." 
 
 On the same day (December 24th, 1783), he wrote to 
 his brother Nathaniel, giving him the same account of 
 his intended departure for China, and adding : 
 
 " It gives me a great pleasure to find that you are getting into 
 a good way of business. May you be successful and happy. 
 Having a silver watch to dispose of, I thought I could not do bet- 
 ter than send it to you. Accept it as a mark of my affection
 
 MEMOIR. 113 
 
 for you, my dear brother, and believe that, however fortune may 
 dispose of me, you will ever be near my heart." 
 
 Of the events of Major Shaw's commercial life few- 
 records remain, except those which are furnished by the 
 subjoined Journals. On the llth of May, 1785, he re- 
 turned to New York, in the same ship in which he had 
 sailed, and in which was consummated the first enterprise 
 in that commerce with China, since carried on so large- 
 ly by his countrymen. But, on his arrival, he found that 
 the profits of his agency, divided as it had been with his 
 friend Randall, scarcely amounted to a remuneration for 
 his time and services. 
 
 General Knox welcomed him on his return with open 
 arms, and offered him the place of a secretary in the 
 War Office, he being then at the head of the War Depart- 
 ment of the United States. Accepting it, Major Shaw 
 immediately entered upon its duties, and accompanied 
 General Knox on a tour to inspect the magazines at the 
 southward of Virginia. Within ten days after his arrival 
 from China, he addressed a letter to Mr. Jay, the Minister 
 of the United States for Foreign Affairs, giving an account 
 of the occurrences in the voyage of " the first vessel that 
 had been fitted out by inhabitants of the United States 
 of America for essaying a commerce with those of the 
 empire of China " ; and received from Mr. Jay, by order 
 of Congress, an expression " of their peculiar satisfaction 
 at the successful termination of the enterprise." This 
 and two other letters of a like official character, written 
 to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, are subjoined in the 
 Appendix, notwithstanding that the information they 
 contain is substantially communicated in his Journal ; 
 as it seems but just to his memory to present in this 
 15
 
 114 MEMOIR. 
 
 work the facts he deemed important, in the form in 
 which he saw fit to prepare them for the public. 
 
 Major Shaw was not destined to continue long as a 
 secretary in the Department of War. For, in the month 
 of December, 1785, he writes to his three brothers : 
 
 " I am once more going to China, under such circumstances 
 as have induced me to resign my employment in the War Office, 
 for I am now certain that this undertaking will answer my most 
 sanguine expectations. Colonel Sears, of New York, Mr. Ran- 
 dall, who was my companion in the other voyage, and myself, 
 are joint agents. If I live to return, I shall be in easy, very easy 
 circumstances. If I should die only one day after the ship sails 
 from this country, I am, by agreement, entitled to every privi- 
 lege and emolument that would come to me, should I perform the 
 whole voyage. I shall leave a state of my affairs with our moth- 
 er. I make no will, as the law will give her and you every thing 
 I leave without one. I commend you and myself to the protec- 
 tion of Heaven, and remain ever, my dear brothers, 
 
 " Your affectionate 
 
 " S. SHAW." 
 
 By a certificate of General Knox it appears that in the 
 February succeeding he was honorably discharged from 
 the office of secretary in his department. In the preced- 
 ing January he had by Congress been elected Consul 
 from the United States at Canton, " without being enti- 
 tled to receive any salary, fees, or emoluments whatsoev- 
 er "; and on the 30th of that month he addressed a letter 
 to Mr. Jay, then Secretary of the United States for For- 
 eign Affairs, expressing his " grateful acknowledgments 
 for the honor the Congress of the United States had 
 been pleased to confer upon him," and begging that of- 
 ficer to assure them, that nothing on his part should be 
 wanting to discharge faithfully the trust reposed in him,
 
 MEMOIR. 115 
 
 and to render the appointment as far as possible a public 
 benefit. 
 
 Major Shaw sailed on his second voyage from New 
 York on the 4th of February, 1786, arrived at Canton 
 on the 15th of August, resided during the whole of the 
 year 1787 at that city and Macao, and sailed for Bengal 
 on the 18th of January, 1788. He returned to Canton in 
 September, 1788, from whence he sailed for the United 
 States in January, 1789, and arrived in the harbour of 
 Newport on the 5th of July of that year. The course 
 and events of these voyages constitute the subject of his 
 second Journal. 
 
 On his return from this voyage his strong family af- 
 fections led him to an act which, as an indication of 
 character, and in connection with the circumstances of 
 this publication, ought not to be omitted here. His 
 brother, Francis Shaw, had died in the year 1785, leav- 
 ing, besides daughters, two sons, who were at this time 
 about seven or eight years old. To the widow of this 
 brother, then residing at Goldsborough, Major Shaw, im- 
 mediately on his arrival in the United States, wrote: "I 
 beg you to put your two sons under my care, that I may 
 be to them instead of a father. If you consent, let them 
 accompany, at once, their uncle William to Boston." 
 The offer was gratefully accepted. They were sent, 
 and from that time were regarded by Major Shaw as his 
 children. One of them was Robert Gould Shaw, now 
 one of the most eminent and prosperous merchants of 
 Boston. This gentleman, on assuming the expenses of 
 this publication, as stated in the Preface, addressed to the 
 author of this Memoir the following letter, dated in Jan- 
 uary, 1846, which, in justice to his feelings, is here sub- 
 joined.
 
 116 MEMOIR. 
 
 " I am, Sir, the oldest of those fatherless boys, and I well re- 
 member how affectionately and kindly he received me. He told 
 me, if I would be a good boy, that I should never want a friend. 
 I will not undertake to describe the influence that his kindness 
 had upon my mind. From that day to this I have, as he prom- 
 ised, never wanted a friend in time of need, nor have I ever for- 
 gotten, I trust, those who in such times have been my friends ; 
 by whose aid, protected by a kind Providence, I have been placed 
 in a position to repay, in part, by kindness to others, the debt that 
 is so justly due from me." 
 
 During his absence in the East Indies Major Shaw re- 
 ceived, at the solicitation of several gentlemen of literary 
 eminence, the honorary degree of Master of Arts, his 
 classical attainments being respectable, notwithstanding 
 he had not the advantage of an academical education ; 
 and about the same time he was elected a Fellow of the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THIRD VOYAGE TO CANTON. COMMERCE WITH AMERICANS PRO- 
 HIBITED AT BATAVIA. HIS PROCEEDINGS ON THAT SUBJECT. 
 
 DEATH OF HIS BROTHER NATHANIEL. HE RETURNS TO 
 
 NEW YORK. VINDICATES THE CHARACTER OF GENERAL KNOX. 
 
 HIS MARRIAGE. DEPARTURE FOR BOMBAY. HIS DEATH 
 
 ON THE RETURN VOYAGE. REMARKS ON HIS LIFE AND 
 
 CHARACTER. 
 
 MAJOR SHAW, while absent on the preceding voyage, 
 had given orders for a ship to be built, expressly for the 
 China trade, on his account, at a point of land in the 
 town of Q,uincy, called Germantown. At that period 
 the building of a ship of the burden of eight or nine 
 hundred tons, larger than any merchant vessel before 
 built in the United States, was a subject of great interest 
 to the commercial community. After his return the ship 
 was launched, in September, 1789, and was named the 
 Massachusetts. On this interesting occasion the hills 
 around Germantown, and the boats which covered the 
 harbour and river, were filled with spectators from Bos- 
 ton and the neighbouring country. Both English and 
 French naval commanders, at that time visiting Boston 
 in national ships, expressed their admiration of the model 
 of this vessel ; and it was afterwards pronounced, by na- 
 val commanders at Batavia and Canton, " as perfect as 
 the then state of the art would permit." 
 
 The appointment of Major Shaw as consul was re-
 
 118 MEMOIR. 
 
 newed by President Washington, and he embarked in 
 the Massachusetts * on the 28th of March, 1790, a third 
 time for Canton. On his arrival at Batavia, he found, 
 to his inexpressible surprise and disappointment, that all 
 trade with Americans had been prohibited by the Dutch 
 government, on account of evil reports which had been 
 circulated concerning them by persons unfriendly to their 
 commerce. He immediately, as consul from the United 
 States, addressed a letter to Mr. Englehard, the Shaban- 
 dar of Batavia, inclosing a representation to the governor- 
 general and council of that colony, on the subject of this 
 unjust and injurious policy ; and, while at Canton, he 
 addressed an official letter to the president of the United 
 States, giving an account of his own proceedings, and 
 communicating his views relative to those of the gov- 
 ernment of Holland. These letters and representations 
 are subjoined. f 
 
 Soon after his arrival at Canton, Major Shaw sold the 
 ship Massachusetts to agents of the Portuguese govern- 
 ment ; and, not being able to find an American ship 
 by which he might remit the proceeds of the sale to the 
 United States, he took the only course that then remained 
 to him, and vested his funds in a cargo suitable for the 
 European market, which he placed on board a ship 
 bound to Bombay. He intended " to proceed with this 
 merchandise to that port, thence to freight it for Ostend, 
 and, accompanying it himself, to dispose of it there, and 
 arrive in America in time to sail again the ensuing sea- 
 son for China." 
 
 * Job Prince, commander. A list of the officers and seamen em- 
 ployed in this voyage, and an account of the dimensions and qualities 
 of the Massachusetts, will be found in the Voyages of Amasa Delano, 
 her third officer, published in Boston, in 1817. 
 
 f See Appendix, D, E, F.
 
 MEMOIR. 119 
 
 Having completed his arrangements in pursuance of 
 this determination, he sailed for Bombay on the 12th of 
 January, 1791, accompanied by his brother Nathaniel, 
 then laboring with a disease which terminated his life 
 on the 10th of the ensuing February, at sea, in the twen- 
 ty-ninth year of his age. By this event Major Shaw's 
 plans were sadly affected, as it was his purpose to remit 
 a part of the merchandise to the United States under his 
 brother's care, on whose talents and integrity he placed 
 great reliance. Alluding to this event he thus expresses 
 himself, in a letter to his brother William : 
 
 " Poor fellow ! But why do I say poor fellow ? If innocence, 
 benevolence, and usefulness, while in this life, are qualifications 
 for obtaining happiness in another, our departed brother and 
 friend (for as both I must ever regret him) is rather to be en- 
 vied than pitied." 
 
 On arriving at Bombay, having transmitted a part of 
 his funds to the United States in an American ship, he 
 chartered a Danish vessel and proceeded with the residue 
 to Ostend ; and, after having finished his. business there, 
 sailed, in January, 1792, for the United States, in order 
 to depart again for China, without the loss of a season. 
 
 About this time, party spirit in the United States had 
 begun its first demonstrations in opposition to the policy 
 and influence of Washington, by assailing the character 
 of General Knox, and other members of his cabinet and 
 personal friends. As early in the Revolutionary war as 
 May, 1777, Washington, in writing to Congress, thus ex- 
 pressed his sense of the merits of that officer : " Gen- 
 eral Knox has deservedly acquired the character of one 
 of the most valuable officers in the service, and, com- 
 bating almost innumerable difficulties in the department 
 he fills, has placed the artillery on a footing that does
 
 120 MEMOIR. 
 
 him the greatest honor " ; and in June following, when 
 writing to Richard Henry Lee, he spoke of General 
 Knox as " a very valuable officer, and a man of great 
 military reading, sound judgment, and clear concep- 
 tions." * 
 
 The efficiency and fidelity Knox had displayed 
 throughout the war sustained the confidence and respect 
 he had thus early acquired ; and Washington according- 
 ly placed him at the head of the Department of War as 
 soon as he was himself inducted into the office of pres- 
 ident of the United States. 
 
 When Major Shaw returned, in 1792, and witnessed 
 the assaults party spirit was making upon his early pa- 
 tron and constant friend, a man he so loved and respect- 
 ed, his indignation, heightened by the sentiment of grat- 
 itude, was irrepressible ; and, on the 15th of April of that 
 year, he wrote to General Knox a letter, of which an ex- 
 tract is here inserted in justice to his memory, and as re- 
 cording a tribute to American military skill in the heat of 
 one of the severest battles of the American Revolution. 
 
 " What shall we say, my dear friend, to a certain publication, 
 which, under the title of ' Strictures,' &c., fabricated in Boston, is 
 now circulating here, and no doubt has made its appearance with 
 you. The shameful violation of decency and truth, the virulence 
 and rancor of his remarks on the Secretary at War, show the 
 wickedness and malice of the author of this production in such 
 glaring colors as must expose him to general contempt and detes- 
 tation. Happy must you feel, thrice happy am I, in the re- 
 flection, that, so long as the American name shall last, yours will 
 be handed down with distinction in the list of the ' valued file ' ; 
 and the artillery, which, formed under your auspices, equalled ev- 
 ery exigence of war, will ever be regarded as the child of your 
 
 * See Sparks's Writings of Washington, Vol. IV., pp. 444, 446.
 
 MEMOIR. 121 
 
 genius. Well do I remember the honorable testimony of the gal- 
 lant Lafayette, amidst the thunder of our batteries on the lines 
 at Yorktown. ' We * fire,' exclaimed he, with a charming enthu- 
 siasm, ' better than the French ' (and faith we did, too). To this 1 
 made a suitable objection. His reply was, * Upon honor, I speak 
 the truth ; and the progress of your artillery is regarded by every 
 body as one of the wonders of the Revolution.' Shame, then, to 
 this infamous scribbler ; and let his heart burst under the idea, 
 that your country has derived the most substantial benefit from 
 your services, that the good and wise acknowledge your merit, 
 and that Humphreys was not less just than poetical in charac- 
 terizing, by a single line,t the man to whose abilities he had been 
 witness in the various events of a long and trying war. 
 
 " I take my leave of you for the present, my dear friend, 
 nappy, under all circumstances, in knowing you to be such, 
 and, with the most affectionate regards to yourself and family, 
 
 remain ever your 
 
 " S. SHAW." 
 
 Major Shaw, on arriving in the United States, entered 
 immediately upon engagements incident to the voyage 
 he was contemplating. While these were in progress, 
 he paid his addresses to Hannah, the daughter of William 
 Phillips, Esquire, of Boston, of a family distinguished for 
 its virtues and its prosperity. To this lady he was mar- 
 ried on the 21st of August, 1792, and thus formed a con- 
 nection from which he had every reason to expect the 
 domestic happiness he so highly prized. This event did 
 not, however, either change his plans relative to a voy- 
 age to China, or delay his preparation for it ; and in the 
 month of February, 1793, he sailed from New York, in 
 
 * Lafayette, being in the service of the United States, always spoke 
 as an American. 
 
 f " E'er Steuben brought the Prussian lore from far, 
 And Knox created all the stores of war." 
 
 16
 
 122 MEMOIR. 
 
 a ship of his own, for Bombay. Of his feelings on this 
 occasion no record remains, except the following extract 
 from a letter dated January 28th, 1793, to a young rela- 
 tive of his wife,* who was then contemplating a Euro- 
 pean tour. 
 
 " We are in excellent season, and a better ship than we have 
 need not be under any man's foot. So you and our friends may 
 calculate on seeing me- again in eighteen months, I hope essen- 
 tially the same friend. Any trifling alteration in external appear- 
 ance I will not grudge. That may probably change a little, 
 sed non animus, certainly, as far as the cordial affection I cher- 
 ish for you. The forebodings of my wife I soothe by convincing 
 her that there is no room for anxiety. We go, and of course we 
 shall come, in season ; and I wind up my argument to her with 
 the words of the chaplain in the song of poor Jack : 
 
 ' He said, not a sparrow can founder, d' ye see, 
 
 Without orders that come down below ; 
 And many fine things, that prove clearly to me, 
 There 's a Providence takes us in tow.' 
 
 And now, my dear fellow, to this same kind Providence do I 
 commend you, both at home and abroad, for, on recollection, 
 I find I must not expect to meet you at my return. Your travels 
 will commence before mine end. The essence and quintessence 
 of instruction for travellers are contained in those lines of the 
 immortal Shakspeare, in Polonius's advice to his son, so beauti- 
 fully expressed in ' Hamlet.' A modern traveller (Sherlock in 
 his 'Letters') says, 'I read Polonius's advice once a week 
 during my travels.' The young man who comprehends, in its 
 full extent, the last precept he gives, will win the affections of 
 the deserving every day ; and I will venture to say he will keep 
 his conquests : 
 
 ' This above all, to thine own self be true, 
 
 And it must follow, as the night the day, 
 
 Thou canst not then be false to any man.' " 
 
 * The author of this Memoir.
 
 MEMOIR. 123 
 
 The only other remaining evidence of his feelings 
 about this period is the following entry made in a large 
 quarto Bible, which had been, in January, 1791, pre- 
 sented to him as a New Year's gift, by his friend 
 Thomas Freeman, one of the select committee for man- 
 aging the affairs of the English East India Company at 
 Canton in China. 
 
 " Boston, October 2d, 1792. This day I enter my thirty-ninth 
 year. For the happiness hitherto enjoyed, may gratitude to the 
 Author of my being manifest itself in a humble and honest en- 
 deavour after a conformity to his will, at all times and under all 
 circumstances. To the relations of son, brother, friend, and cit- 
 izen, has lately been added that of husband. Beneficent Parent 
 of the universe ! as in the years that are past, so in those which 
 are to come, may I rejoice in thy goodness, and, whether longer 
 or shorter, may I be satisfied with life, and cheerfully submit 
 myself to the dispensations of thy providence ! " 
 
 His outward voyage, from Boston to Bombay, was 
 prosperous ; but on that from Bombay to Canton his ves- 
 sel encountered the gales called typhoons, which drove 
 her from her track, and prolonged her voyage to nearly 
 three months, so that she did not reach Canton until the 
 2d of November, 1793. Of these voyages, and of his 
 subsequent residence at Canton, no special record re- 
 mains. By a letter to his wife, and by one from his 
 youngest brother, Benjamin Shaw, who accompanied 
 him on this voyage, it appears that during his residence 
 at Bombay he contracted a disease of the liver incident 
 to the climate, which appeared soon after his departure 
 from that city, and confined him to his house during the 
 whole period of his stay at Canton. Finding no relief 
 from medical aid at this place, he sailed in the ship 
 Washington for the United States, on the 17th of March, 
 1794. The disease, however, increased with the voyage,
 
 124 MEMOIR. 
 
 and in about ten weeks terminated his life. An extract 
 from a letter to his widow, written by his friend and 
 partner, Thomas Randall, who accompanied him on this 
 voyage, relates the circumstances of that event, and his 
 own feelings on the occasion. 
 
 " Sandy Hook, August 24, 1794. 
 
 " Dear Madam : With a heart deeply distressed I take the 
 pen to inform you of the death of my beloved and esteemed 
 friend, Mr. Samuel Shaw, who died on board the ship Washing- 
 ton, near the Cape of Good Hope, on Friday afternoon, 3 o'clock, 
 on the 30th of May last. Every effort was used by the surgeon, 
 Mr. Dodge, and the friends of Mr. Shaw, both at Canton and 
 while at sea, to effect his recovery. At Canton, he was attended 
 by the ablest physicians, and at sea was visited by Dr. Gillon, 
 surgeon to Lord Macartney's embassy, then on board the Lion 
 man-of-war ; also by Dr. Macrea, surgeon to the Hindostan India- 
 man ; but, alas ! his disease was too inveterate for medical aid. 
 
 " My friend died with a calm strength of mind, and expressed 
 his solicitude for the happiness of his remaining friends to the last. 
 
 " I feel myself, dear Madam, so greatly afflicted at this event, 
 that I cannot find words to offer you consolation upon the affect- 
 ing loss of so near and dear a connection to you. 
 
 " Permit me, while I most sincerely lament your loss, to join 
 my griefs to yours, and to assure you, dear madam, of the re- 
 spectful arid affectionate esteem, with which I am 
 
 " Your most obedient servant, 
 
 "THOMAS RANDALL." 
 
 An extract from the journal of James Dodge, the sur- 
 geon of the ship, furnishing further particulars of his 
 illness and death, is also here subjoined.* 
 
 * " Mr. Shaw was consul for the United States of America at Canton 
 in China, in which office he. continued from the year 1786 until his 
 death. He was born in Boston, the 2d of October, 1754, and at the
 
 MEMOIR. 125 
 
 The arrival of the ship in which Major Shaw had 
 sailed from Canton brought the first intimation of his 
 illness and death. To Mrs. Shaw, who was every mo- 
 ment expecting his return, this sad intelligence was over- 
 whelming, and its effect permanent. The society of her 
 sister, and the devoted, affectionate attentions of Edward 
 Dowse, Esq., her brother-in-law, in whose family she sub- 
 sequently resided, with the lapse of years, mitigated the 
 poignancy of her deep-seated grief. But no time could 
 obliterate the recollection of her loss, no attentions cause 
 her devoted attachment to the memory of her husband to 
 waver. Constant in her friendships, munificent in acts 
 of charity, assiduous in manifestations of kindness to- 
 wards the relatives of her husband, and seeking and en- 
 joying the consolations of religion, she survived many 
 
 time of his decease was aged thirty-nine years and six months. During 
 the war he was active in the field in defence of his country, in offices of 
 honor and command, while the most amiable disposition made him a fa- 
 vorite in scenes of private life. He was a man rather tall and portly than 
 otherwise, of an open countenance and benevolent heart, cheerful with- 
 out levity, and sedate without reserve ; in the hurry of business he had 
 leisure to attend the distressed, and his hand was ever open to indigence 
 and want. His manners were refined, and his sentiments worthy the 
 character he possessed ; many a heavy heart has been enlivened by his 
 sociability ; and his freedom of conversation and familiar deportment to- 
 wards all the officers endeared him to them by the most pleasant ties. 
 The evening scarcely ever passed away without some little anecdote, and 
 we were often willing to let our tea grow cold at breakfast to attend to 
 his amusing conversation. I was often flattered in his sickness to hear 
 him say, nothing would give him greater pleasure than to see me at his 
 house in Boston ; and then he would tell me of the variety of pleasure I 
 would enjoy at his seat. Not long before his death, as I was standing 
 by him (we were alone), he took hold of my hand and pressed it affec- 
 tionately to his breast ; he then sighed heavily, and, casting his eyes on 
 the miniature of his wife, that hung at the foot of the berth, sighed 
 again, and said, ' God's will be done.' I found it impossible to sup-
 
 126 MEMOIR. 
 
 years, and died at Dedham, on the 24th of January, 
 1833, in the seventy-sixth year of her age. 
 
 The esteem in which Major Shaw was held by his 
 contemporaries, and the impression made upon them by 
 his death, are vividly expressed in an obituary notice 
 published at Boston, in the " Columbian Centinel," on 
 the 20th of August, 1794, from which are taken the fol- 
 lowing extracts : 
 
 " His fine natural talents, elegant erudition, and social benev- 
 olence, gained him the esteem of a numerous acquaintance, and 
 fitted him for extensive usefulness to society. As an officer in 
 the army, in which he served during the whole of the late war, 
 his merit was conspicuous. Though possessed of much roman- 
 tic ardor, he supported a dignity and consistency of character ; 
 was equally prudenf and brave, and ever attentive to the duties 
 of his station." 
 
 " In his' character of American consul for the port of Canton, 
 he was called to act a part which required much discretion and 
 
 press a tear, which fell over ray cheek upon his hand, which when he 
 saw he said, ' My dear friend, you know I am dying ; speak comfort to 
 me.' From this time he sunk rapidly. He took an affectionate leave of 
 all his friends, and I think I have witnessed but one so interesting scene 
 before. His poor servant, who had attended him in all his missions with 
 unceasing and faithful attention, when he could do no more for his mas- 
 ter, stood at his bedside and wept. 
 
 " At one o'clock this afternoon, our dear friend, Major Shaw, expired 
 without a groan, after an illness of eight long months and ten days, 
 during which time he had been afflicted with severe complaints, which 
 seemed determined to carry him off, for, when the violence of their 
 operations in one form was overcome, and yielding to the efforts of art, 
 nature would assume a different type, and commence the siege again 
 with redoubled obstinacy. Twice, indeed, during our stay at Canton, I 
 had the pleasure of leaving him partially convalescent. His strength 
 of constitution was amazing, and fully sufficient to have overcome al- 
 most any one complaint singly ; but a complication of the most unhappy 
 diseases overpowered both nature and art combined."
 
 MEMOIR. 127 
 
 firmness. On the occasion of ' the Canton war,' as it was called, 
 Mr. Shaw represented the American interest in such a manner 
 as to throw a lustre on his commission, and give him great credit 
 among the European merchants and other eminent characters 
 abroad. At his return his conduct met the approbation of the 
 representatives of the United States in Congress." 
 
 " He was considered as an ornament to his country, for his in- 
 flexible integrity, and a greatness of heart which he displayed on 
 every occasion. The virtues which adorn the man, and which 
 he manifested in his youth, became more splendid as he ad- 
 vanced in years, and engaged in public action. In the opinion 
 of some persons, his spirit was too exalted to be successful in the 
 common concerns of life. He did not love property for its own 
 sake, but as the means of making his benevolence more exten- 
 sive. He disdained many of those arts of traffic, which are daily 
 practised, and deemed justifiable. His commercial dealings 
 were regulated by the strictest honor, refined by the principles 
 of philosophy and religion." 
 
 " The engagements of commercial, and even of military life, 
 did not seduce him from a love of science. Though he had not 
 the advantage of an academical education, yet his classical merit 
 was so conspicuous, that, in 1790, he was presented with the 
 honorary degree of Blaster of Arts by the University of Cam- 
 bridge. This was done in his absence, and without his knowl- 
 edge, at the solicitation of several gentlemen of eminence in lit- 
 erature. About the same time he was elected a Fellow of the 
 American Academy of Arts and Sciences." 
 
 " Had he lived a few years longer, his country might have de- 
 rived much benefit from his abilities, his information, and his vir- 
 tues. His zeal to make others happy would have endeared him 
 still more to those who enjoyed his friendship, and made those 
 hearts beat with new sensations of pleasure, which are now heavy 
 with grief. The universal regret caused by his death is an evi- 
 dence of the great esteem in which he was held. All who knew 
 him lament him with expressions of sorrow equally lively and 
 sincere."
 
 128 MEMOIR. 
 
 Having thus, by the aid of such materials as now re- 
 main, traced the course of Major Shaw's life from child- 
 hood to its close, I cannot take a retrospective view of it 
 without a mingled feeling of gratitude and joy, that by 
 accident, or the affection of friends, so much has been pre- 
 served concerning him, at once interesting and unques- 
 tionable. The features of his character have been thus 
 drawn in a manner by himself, not ostentatiously, nor 
 with design. In the unreserved confidence of filial love 
 or social affection, he narrates to his parents, brothers, or 
 friends, the events of his military life. 
 
 His letters contain proofs of the elevation of his 
 spirit, of his love of liberty and of his country, of 
 his devotion to the American cause, and the identity of 
 his motives and views with those which actuated the 
 most honored patriots of the American Revolution ; and 
 these qualities it was, that led Washington to bestow on 
 him that noble commendation already cited, " From 
 the testimony of the superior officers under whom Cap- 
 tain Shaw has served, as well as from my own observa- 
 tion, I am enabled to certify, that, throughout the whole 
 of his service, he has greatly distinguished himself in 
 every thing which could entitle him to the character of 
 an intelligent, active, and brave officer." 
 
 Of his official conduct and commercial proceedings in 
 China, while consul of the United States at Canton, his 
 Journals, which follow, speak sufficiently. It was his 
 fortune and happiness during his residence in that city, 
 by his official influence, to give to its inhabitants the 
 first impression of the character and resources of a new 
 nation, of even whose existence the Chinese had pre- 
 viously no knowledge. His intelligence, business talent, 
 and fidelity to his duties and engagements, his amenity
 
 MEMOIR. 129 
 
 of manners and gentlemanly bearing, greatly contrib- 
 uted to establish, in that remote country, confidence and 
 respect for the American people. The spirit, also, with 
 which he joined the representatives of the European na- 
 tions, on an occasion both critical and hazardous, which 
 his Journal describes, and in the results of which the 
 rights and personal safety of foreigners were exposed to 
 extreme peril, drew from them grateful and respectful 
 acknowledgments ; not excepting the representatives of 
 Great Britain, between whose subjects and those of 
 China the difficulty had occurred. And it is not to 
 be questioned, that his conduct in this affair had a pow- 
 erful tendency to allay those feelings of hostility to- 
 wards merchants from the United States residing at Can- 
 ton, which the war of Independence had cherished, and 
 which time had not yet obliterated. 
 
 n
 
 JOURNALS 
 
 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON.
 
 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 SOON after the close of the war between Great Britain 
 and America, several merchants in New York and Phila- 
 delphia being desirous of opening a commerce with Can- 
 ton, in China, a ship was purchased and loaded principal- 
 ly with ginseng, in order to exchange it for teas and 
 the manufactures of that country. My friend, Daniel 
 Parker, Esq., agent for those concerned, having offered me 
 the appointment of supercargo, I followed the advice of 
 my friends in accepting it ; and finding that Thomas 
 Randall, Esq., my intimate friend, had an inclination to 
 go the voyage, we agreed to try our fortunes together, 
 and sailed from New York on Sunday, 22d February, 
 1784, in the ship Empress of China, commanded by 
 John Green, Esq.* Mr. Parker, Mr. Porter, and several 
 
 * The ship's company were as follows : 
 JOHN GREEN, Esq., Captain. 
 Mr. PETER HODGKINSON, Second Captain. 
 Messrs. ROBERT McCAVER and ABEL FITCH, Mates. 
 Mr. JOHN WHITE SWIFT, Purser. 
 ROBERT JOHNSON, Esq., and Mr. ANDREW CALDWELL, Surgeon 
 
 and Mate. 
 
 Messrs. JOHN GREEN, Jr., and SAMUEL CLAUKSON, Midshipmen. 
 Mr. FREDERICK MOLINEAUX, Captain's Clerk. 
 Also, thirty-four persons before the mast, including- the gunner, two
 
 134 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 other gentlemen, favored us with their company as far as 
 Sandy Hook. In passing the grand battery, we saluted 
 with thirteen guns, and received twelve in return. At 
 half past four, P. M., we anchored near the light-house, 
 as did also several outward-bound ships, the wind having 
 died away, and the flood tide beginning to make. The 
 next day, at noon, having cleared the Hook, our friends 
 took leave of us, and after entering the pilot-boat were 
 saluted with nine guns, which they returned with three 
 cheers. 
 
 On the 24th, out of sight of land ; from which time 
 till the 14th of March, when we saw the island of Palma, 
 one of the Canaries, nothing material happened. Just 
 before making this island, we caught a fish, called by 
 mariners the Albacor, or Bonito. It is of the mackerel 
 kind, with a short, round body, tapering to the tail, 
 which is forked. Its appearance resembles that of the 
 tunny, mentioned by Goldsmith in his " Animated Na- 
 ture." We dressed it two ways, stewed and barbecued, 
 and found it but indifferent food. 
 
 March 17th. Having in yesterday's run passed the 
 northern tropic, the usual ceremonies were observed this 
 afternoon by the crew. Those of them who had never 
 before passed being confined below, about three o'clock 
 our ship was hailed by the Old Man of the Tropic, who, 
 being desired by the officer of the deck to come on board, 
 entered over the bow, attended by his wife, whence they 
 were drawn in their chariot (one of the gratings) by a 
 number of sailors, as Tritons, to the quarter-deck, where 
 the captain and gentlemen received them. Their appear- 
 ance was truly ludicrous, having their faces blacked and 
 
 carpenters, a cooper, and our boys. The ship was three hundred and 
 sixty tons, carpenter's measurement.
 
 CEREMONIES IN PASSING THE TROPIC. 135 
 
 painted, a blanket over their shoulders, by way of robe, 
 and a large swab on their head, instead of a crown, the 
 long strands of which, hanging down to their waist, 
 served for hair. After paying their compliments to the 
 captain, and welcoming the ship to their dominion, they 
 observed, that she was a new ship and had never been 
 there before, and that they saw a number of faces about 
 them who were in the same predicament. The captain 
 having given his word that both the ship and the gentle- 
 men should be properly entered, they returned forward 
 and proceeded to business. The jolly-boat being pre- 
 viously filled with water, and a bucket containing a mix- 
 ture of tar and grease placed alongside, the men who had 
 never passed the tropic were brought up, singly and 
 blindfold. They were welcomed with great ceremony 
 by the old man, who told them that he was glad to see 
 them, and should take the liberty to have them shaved 
 before they went any farther. The candidate is then 
 placed on a seat across the boat, and his feet kept from 
 the water, where, still blindfold, he is lathered with the 
 tar and grease, and shaved with a notched stick. As 
 soon as this is done, the oath is administered to him, 
 namely, That he will, to the best of his ability, prove 
 himself a good fellow, never drink small beer while he 
 can get strong, unless he likes the small better, nor eat 
 brown bread while he can get white, but under the same 
 proviso, never kiss the maid when he can kiss the mis- 
 tress, unless he likes the maid best, never go in an old 
 ship when he can get a new one, unless he knows he is 
 born to be hanged, and, in fine, never suffer any man, 
 where he may be, to pass the tropics or equator, for the 
 first time, without going through the same ceremonies. 
 A speaking-trumpet is now put into his hand, and he is
 
 136 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 told to hail the tropic. As soon as he gets the trumpet 
 to his mouth, with an almost perpendicular elevation, a 
 bucket of water is thrown into it, and, at the same in- 
 stant, the seat on which he is placed being pulled from 
 under him, he falls backward into the boat filled with 
 water, where he is very handsomely washed by the by- 
 standers, which closes the ceremony. About half a doz- 
 en went through this operation, which was conducted 
 with great good-humor, and followed by the parties join- 
 ing in drinking the grog given for the ship and the gen- 
 tlemen who had crossed the tropic for the first time. 
 
 This being also St. Patrick's day, proper attention was 
 paid by the gentlemen to the memory of the patron of 
 Ireland. 
 
 On the 20th, we saw Boavista, at three, P. M., and, 
 during that and the next day, the remainder of the Cape 
 de Verde islands. Between six and seven o'clock, on the 
 morning of the 22d, being close in with the island of St. 
 Jago, we fired a gun, on which two pilots came on board, 
 who soon after brought us to anchor in Port Praya. We 
 found here a snow and two brigs, a boat from one of 
 which came on board with the captain and supercargo, 
 who informed us that the snow and one of the brigs be- 
 longed to Portugal, and were waiting for a third, daily 
 expected, on whose arrival, they should all three proceed 
 to the coast of Africa for a cargo of slaves, with which 
 they should come back to these islands, for account of a 
 company who have the trade of them, and thence return 
 to Lisbon. There was also here a French brig, on her 
 way to Cape Fran$ois, with a cargo of slaves, from Sen- 
 egal, the captain of which, who likewise came on board, 
 told us that he belonged to Havre de Grace, and had one 
 hundred and twenty-three slaves, that cost him, on an
 
 ST. JAGO, CAPE DE VERDE ISLANDS. 137 
 
 average, about five crowns a head, who he hoped would 
 come to a good market at the Cape, whither he intended 
 to sail this evening. The gentlemen did us the honor to 
 take breakfast with us, and it was not a bad caution 
 which our captain gave the people, to have a good look- 
 out after the sailors who brought them on board. " These 
 fellows," said he, "are St. Peter's children, every fin- 
 ger a fish-hook, and their hand a grapnel." 
 
 At nine o'clock, the captain, Mr. Randall, and I, went 
 ashore in the pinnace. We were met on the beach by a 
 negro, rigged in second-hand clothes, quite a la militaire, 
 namely, a blue navy-coat, faced with the same, an- 
 chor buttons ; a scarlet cloth vest, crimson plush breech- 
 es, black silk stockings, and a long brass-mounted sword. 
 " How do do ? " was the only English he could speak ; 
 however, he conducted us to the fort, where we paid our 
 compliments to the commandant, who is a Portuguese. 
 He received us with much formality, and asked, in 
 French, the reason of our stopping at the island. Being 
 answered, that it was to take in water, some live stock 
 and fruit, and get our ship new calked in her upper- 
 works, he told us that the former was very easy to be 
 accomplished, but that for the latter we must depend on 
 ourselves, as he did not know of a single calker in the 
 whole island. He demanded five dollars as a fee for an- 
 chorage, which we paid him ; and added, that, when we 
 came on shore again, we must make him a compliment, 
 after which we might trade for such articles as we want- 
 ed. We gave him a list of what we had occasion for, 
 and he promised they should be ready in the morning, as 
 soon as we should come on shore. After drinking a glass 
 of grog with him, we took leave. 
 
 It being too late in the day to go to St. Jago, the cap- 
 is
 
 138 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 ital, nine miles distant, to pay our compliments to the 
 governor, or viceroy, we went to see the next officer in 
 the port. He is also a Portuguese, genteel in his man- 
 ners, gave us a glass of wine, and appeared very happy 
 to see us. On telling him, by the interpreter, a negro, 
 that we were Americans, he discovered great satisfaction, 
 and exclaimed, with an air of pleasure and surprise, 
 " Bostonian ! Bostonian ! " In his apartment was a wo- 
 man, who we supposed might be his wife. She was by 
 no means handsome ; her complexion, whatever it 
 might have been, was exceedingly sallow ; added to 
 this, her hair was cut all round, as close as possible, and, 
 instead of a cap, or garland, her head was bound with 
 a fold of white cloth, about four inches in width ; a 
 calico petticoat, and a piece of calico thrown over her 
 shoulders by way of mantle, composed her dress. Her 
 whole appearance was entirely different from that of the 
 fair of our own country, and I believe she did not excite 
 in any of us an idea that would militate with the tenth 
 commandment, though she did not seem to be past five- 
 and-twenty. 
 
 We returned on board at noon, and employed ourselves 
 in writing letters to go by the French brig. To Mr. Par- 
 ker I wrote an account of our transactions, respecting 
 ship and cargo, from the time of our departure till our 
 arrival here, taken from my journal kept for that pur- 
 pose, and added a private letter, inclosing one for my 
 friend in New York. Mr. Randall carried them on board 
 and delivered them to the captain, having put them un- 
 der cover to Messrs. Girard & Co., merchants at Cape 
 Francois, with whom he had corresponded from Phila- 
 delphia. The brig is called La Jengat, Captain Pccot, 
 consigned to M. Tartarel, and owned by M. Dorea, at 
 Havre de Grace.
 
 FRENCH SLAVE SHIP. 139 
 
 The French brig sailed the next morning, and in pass- 
 ing gave us a salute of four swivels and Vive le Roi ! 
 which we returned with three cheers. A number of the 
 naked blacks were on deck, poor creatures, going to a 
 state of hopeless slavery, and, torn from every tender 
 connection, doomed to eat the bread and drink the wa- 
 ter of affliction for the residue of their miserable lives ! 
 Good God ! and is it man, whose distinguishing charac- 
 teristic should be humanity and the exercise of every 
 milder virtue, who wears sweet smiles and looks erect 
 on heaven, is it man, endowed by thee with a ca- 
 pacity for enjoying happiness and suffering misery, to 
 whom thou hast imparted a knowledge of thyself, en- 
 abled him to judge of right and wrong, and taught to 
 believe in a state of future retribution, is it man, who, 
 thus trampling upon the principles of universal benevo- 
 lence, and running counter to the very end of his crea- 
 tion, can become a fiend to torment his fellow-creatures, 
 and deliberately effect the temporal misery of beings 
 equally candidates with himself for a happy immortality ? 
 
 After breakfast we went on shore, and made our com- 
 pliment to the commandant, consisting of a round of salt 
 beef, a cheese, and some apples. He demanded a dollar, 
 for watching some of our water-casks, which was paid 
 him, and begged for some wine. The market-people 
 being assembled about his hut, we there made our pur- 
 chases of goats, pigs, poultry, and fruit, which he super- 
 intended in person, and assigned as a reason, that the 
 king received an impost on every thing that was sold. 
 After visiting the second officer, to whom we gave a 
 cheese and some apples, for which he seemed very grate- 
 ful, we returned on board to dinner. 
 
 The mate of the Portuguese brig came on board. He
 
 140 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 had commanded a topsail schooner from Lisbon, which 
 foundered at sea. Two of his people were lost, and an 
 English vessel took him and the remaining six up at sea, 
 in an open boat, forty leagues from land, and brought 
 them here, about three weeks ago ; the boat now lies 
 on the beach, is very old, and not eighteen feet long. 
 How innumerable are the mischiefs to which seafaring 
 people expose themselves ! Well might Horace say, 
 
 " Uli robur et aes triplex 
 Circa pectus erat, qui fragilem truci 
 
 Commisit pelago ratem 
 Primus." 
 
 Towards sunset, the captain called me to look at a 
 whale, which, at the distance of about five miles, ap- 
 peared to be striking the water very forcibly with its tail. 
 The people on board said it was attacked by the sword- 
 fish and thresher, and gave this account of the combat. 
 The sword-fish keeps under the whale, pricking him up, 
 to prevent his descending, while the thresher, with his 
 sharp tail, is cutting large pieces out of him, &c. This 
 account is generally believed among seafaring people ; 
 though, on inquiry, I cannot find any of ours who have 
 ever seen the thresher. It would seem that the tail of 
 the whale striking the water is mistaken by them for this 
 imaginary antagonist. Goldsmith, in his " Animated 
 Nature," gives the following relation of the manner in 
 which the sword-fish attacks the whale. 
 
 " The sword-fish is the whale's most terrible enemy. 
 ' At the sight of this little animal,' says Anderson, * the 
 whale seems agitated in an extraordinary manner, leap- 
 ing from the water, as if with affright : wherever it ap- 
 pears, the whale perceives it at a distance, and flies from 
 it in the opposite direction. I have been myself,' con-
 
 WHALE AND SWORD-FISH. 141 
 
 tinues he, ' a spectator of their terrible encounter. The 
 whale has no instrument of defence except the tail ; with 
 that it endeavours to strike the enemy, and a single blow 
 taking place would effectually destroy its adversary : but 
 the sword-fish is as active as the other is strong, and easi- 
 ly avoids the stroke ; then bounding into the air, it falls 
 upon its great subjacent enemy, and endeavours, not to 
 pierce with its pointed beak, but to cut with its toothed 
 edges. The sea all about is soon dyed with blood, pro- 
 ceeding from the wounds of the whale ; while the enor- 
 mous animal vainly endeavours to reach its invader, and 
 strikes with its tail against the surface of the water, mak- 
 ing a report at each blow louder than the noise of a can- 
 non.' " 
 
 We were not near enough to judge of all these circum- 
 stances, but we very plainly saw the tail of the whale 
 striking the water, and distinctly heard the report of the 
 blows. 
 
 " There is," continues Goldsmith, " another and more 
 powerful enemy, called, by the fishermen of New Eng- 
 land, the Killer. This is itself a cetaceous animal, armed 
 with strong and powerful teeth. A number of these are 
 said to surround the whale, in the same manner as dogs 
 get round a bull. Some attack it with their teeth be- 
 hind ; others attempt it before ; until, at last, the great 
 animal is torn down, and its tongue is said to be the only 
 part they devour when they have made it their prey. 
 They are said to be of such great strength, that one of 
 them alone was known to stop a dead whale that several 
 boats were towing along, and drag it from among them 
 to the bottom." 
 
 On the 25th, at sunrise, the proper arrangements hav- 
 ing been made the evening before, the captain, Mr. Ran-
 
 142 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 dall, the purser, doctor, and I, went on shore, mounted 
 our horses, and proceeded for the town, or rather city, of 
 St. Jago, with a negro guide on foot, who, notwithstand- 
 ing, out-travelled our horses. There are crucifixes at 
 small distances all along the road, and about half-way is 
 a small stone church, in the yard of which is a crucifix 
 surrounded by skull-bones. Our guide, in passing any of 
 these crucifixes, always pulled off his hat. Near this 
 church were a number of small huts, and a plantation, 
 through which ran a small stream, from which we picked 
 and ate a few water-cresses. At the edge of the high 
 ground above the town are the ruins of an old fort, that 
 appears to have been a regular fortification, flanked by 
 four bastions, commanding the town, which is situated 
 near the water. At the first hut after passing these ruins 
 we saw some blacks, decently clothed, who told us, in 
 Latin, that they were scholars, and designed for the 
 church, could read Ovid, Virgil, Horace, and Cicero, but 
 did not understand Greek. They directed us to the 
 house where the viceroy lives, in point of elegance near- 
 ly equal to a good barn. His Excellency was confined 
 to his bed by a fever, but, after being informed that we 
 were Americans, he gave orders for us to be introduced 
 into his chamber. Having announced our reasons for 
 putting in at this island, which I was obliged to do 
 in French, to one of his soldiers, of that nation, who 
 served as interpreter, his Excellency bade us welcome, 
 told us we had permission to go wherever we pleased, 
 and made us a tender of his services in any thing we 
 might have occasion for during our stay. He is a native 
 of the country, and a mulatto, and appears to be about 
 fifty-five years old ; went to Lisbon in 1765, where he 
 remained nine years ; since when he has been viceroy of
 
 VISIT TO THE VICEROY. 143 
 
 this and the other Cape de Verde islands. He inquired 
 very particularly respecting the nature of our govern- 
 ment, which I explained to him, and added that the 
 Americans entertained a grateful sense of the good-will 
 of the Portuguese towards them, manifested in the late 
 decree of the queen, acknowledging their independence. 
 He received the compliment as his due, and, in the 
 course of conversation, mentioned the affair of Commo- 
 dore Johnstone, who with his squadron was attacked, as 
 he lay at anchor in Port Praya, by M. Suffrein, in the 
 year 1780. The force on both sides was nearly equal ; 
 but the French, having the advantage by coming upon 
 the enemy unexpectedly, did him considerable damage 
 and sailed away. He spoke in very favorable terms of 
 Johnstone, and appeared exceedingly partial towards the 
 English. We mentioned a number of articles we had 
 on board in the way of stores, and made him an offer of 
 part, but he declined accepting any, except a few packs 
 of cards, which, if we could spare them, he said he should 
 be glad of. He treated us with wine, sugared almonds, 
 fruits, and cheese, but no bread ; after which, having 
 thanked his Excellency for his civilities, we walked out 
 to visit other parts of the city. 
 
 We went next to the convent, where are seven monks 
 of the Franciscan order. There is a pretty chapel be- 
 longing to it, which we entered, and found a white priest 
 with a black assistant, performing mass ; the audience, 
 exclusive of ourselves, consisting of about a dozen blacks, 
 great and small. After staying a short time here, we 
 went into the convent, saw the brothers, and visited the 
 garden. It was very indifferent, and exceedingly hot, 
 being open to the sun, and surrounded by excessively 
 high rocks, that excluded every breath of air. On re-
 
 144 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 turning through the hall, we found the brothers had 
 spread a table with some fruits, wine, preserves, and cake, 
 of which having partaken, we thanked them for their 
 hospitality, and gave them a few dollars for the use of 
 their convent. All our conversation with these people 
 was either in French, by the interpreter, or in Latin, 
 which, though very bad on our part, they had the good 
 manners perfectly to understand. After walking to sev- 
 eral other parts of the city, we returned and took leave 
 of the viceroy, who presented us with a watermelon. 
 
 St. Jago is a walled town, situated, to the south-west, 
 on the low ground towards the sea, at the foot of a large 
 hill, which keeps off the fresh breezes that are met with 
 on the high grounds, and renders the place extremely 
 hot. When the town was in its most flourishing state, 
 there might have been about three hundred houses ; but 
 the greater part, and some of them the best, are now 
 without inhabitants, and in ruins. This, I was told, is 
 owing to the trade having been diverted from this to the 
 neighbouring islands, and to the removal of many to the 
 town of St. Domingo, a healthy and pleasant situation 
 on the other side of the island. There are two prisons 
 here, and several churches, one of which is large, has 
 four bells, and, by its inscription, appears to have been 
 built in 1696, and is still in good order. The buildings 
 are mostly of stone, covered with brick tile, and have 
 very little glass, either the public or the private. Be- 
 sides the gate by which we entered the town, there is 
 another at the north-west extremity. These openings, 
 for the gates are taken away, appear to be the only places 
 of ingress or egress, by land ; towards the water it is en- 
 tirely open, and has nothing to defend it but the old fort 
 on the hill and four small guns near the shore.
 
 COMMANDANT AT PORT PRAYA. 145 
 
 After ascending the hill, on our return, we sat down at 
 the gate of the ruined fort, to enjoy the cool breeze and 
 eat our watermelon. There is a fine view of the sea 
 from this eminence, and a distant prospect of the island 
 of Fogo, directly opposite, the base of it just visible, 
 then a cloud, and above that the high land appearing 
 very plain. After a fatiguing ride, we got on board ship 
 to dinner, about four o'clock, and sent the viceroy, as a 
 present, some biscuit, half a dozen of good wine (for 
 his own was very ordinary), a cheese, and three packs of 
 cards, accompanied by a letter of acknowledgment, in 
 French, for the attention he had shown us. These were 
 delivered to the soldier that had served as our interpreter, 
 who was sent by the governor to receive the cards we 
 had promised him. 
 
 The next day, our captain, Mr. Randall, and the doc- 
 tor, went ashore, after dinner, a shooting. During their 
 absence, I wrote to my friend in New York, by the two 
 vessels that are to sail for Lisbon after our departure. 
 Our sportsmen returned on board at evening, with a few 
 small birds, and a very excellent turkey, which the second 
 officer, to whom we had given a cheese and some apples, 
 had presented to the captain. 
 
 On the morning of the 27th, the captain and I went 
 on shore and took leave of the commandant, to whom 
 we gave four bottles of wine. This commandant ap- 
 pears in every respect foreign to the idea one would form 
 of a gentleman. He does not seem to want sense, but is 
 exceedingly deficient in good breeding and hospitality. 
 Although we never went on shore without calling to see 
 him, and made him two compliments, instead of one, he 
 did not once, excepting the first day, when he gave us 
 some grog, ask either of us to eat or drink ; and yet, on 
 19
 
 146 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 our return from the city of St. Jago, he knew we had 
 not dined, and told us that we looked very much fa- 
 tigued. We returned on board about eleven o'clock, and, 
 as it was determined the ship should sail in the even- 
 ing, I employed the remainder of the day in writing let- 
 ters. Duplicates of those that went by the way of Cape 
 Francois, together with a detail of transactions since our 
 arrival here, were addressed to Mr. Parker, in New York, 
 with a private letter, enclosing what I had written to my 
 friend. The packet was put under cover to Mr. Le 
 Fevre, merchant in Lisbon, and, in duplicate, carried 
 by Mr. Randall on board the two vessels intended for 
 that place. 
 
 The island of St. Jago is about fifty miles long, and, 
 in some parts, upwards of thirty wide, and is the largest 
 of those called the Cape de Verde. It is exceedingly 
 mountainous, and in those parts entirely barren ; but the 
 valleys are well cultivated from one end to the other, and 
 produce abundance of fruits, such as oranges, cocoa-nuts, 
 tamarinds, bananas, figs, pine-apples, and a few limes ; al- 
 so, very fine Indian corn and small beans. Plenty of live 
 stock may be had here, namely, goats, pigs, sheep, horned- 
 cattle, and poultry. There are, besides, small horses, ass- 
 es, and little green monkeys with black faces. The in- 
 habitants amount to about six thousand ; one hundred 
 and fifty of whom only are whites, the remainder blacks, 
 mulattoes, &c. ; of these, numbers are priests. Besides 
 the city of St. Jago, already mentioned, there is a con- 
 siderable inland town, St. Domingo, lying north-east 
 from Port Praya, and about the same distance from it as 
 St. Jago. 
 
 Port Praya, at the south end of the island, is in lati- 
 tude 14 54' north, and longitude 23 29' west from
 
 PORT PRAYA. 147 
 
 London. Two points projecting towards the sea form 
 the bay, nearly semicircular, where there is good water 
 and safe anchorage for ships of any burden, the distance 
 from one point to the other being about a league. Here 
 the shipping take in water and refreshments, and may 
 ride with safety nine months of the year, during which 
 time the wind is northerly, and off the land. The 
 months of June, July, and August are the rainy season, 
 when the wind, being southerly, renders the bay very 
 dangerous. On an eminence to the eastward, within 
 the bay, is a fort that mounts about a dozen old iron 
 guns, for the protection of the port. It is open in the 
 rear and on both flanks. Its garrison consists of about 
 forty whites and two hundred blacks, who live in mis- 
 erable huts, built of stones and thatched with the leaves 
 of the cocoa-tree. The only good buildings in it are the 
 chapel, the prison, and a store-house. The non-commis- 
 sioned officers are principally blacks. The uniform of 
 the officers is blue, faced with red and trimmed with sil- 
 ver, with red underclothes. The trade of the island is 
 conducted by a company, who have a factory not far 
 from the fort. Their vessels arrive here from Lisbon, 
 whence they go to the coast of Africa for slaves, which 
 they dispose of in their other islands, and return here to 
 complete their hpmeward cargoes. 
 
 Such vessels as put in here for refreshments only pro- 
 cure them from the negroes, many of whom are free. 
 They are generally intelligent, more honest than the 
 whites allow their color to be, and many of them write 
 very well, and speak English. I was particularly pleased 
 with the behaviour of a boy about thirteen or fourteen 
 years of age, who wanted to buy a blanket. " If you 
 sell him to me," says he, " I gib you de little pig, de
 
 148 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 chicken, de orange." I told him I had none to sell, and 
 asked him if he had parents. His father, he answered, 
 was gone to heaven from the coast of Africa, and his 
 mother was still living on the island. I told him he was 
 a good boy, and gave him a small piece of silver. " Ah, 
 massa, you say me good boy, me no teef, me no tell lie," 
 was his reply ; and he seemed more grateful for my good 
 opinion of him than for the money. The men discover 
 much sagacity in their traffic, one of whom, being 
 told that he asked too much for his corn, answered, " No 
 matter ; me see last night in my sleep two English 
 ships come here tree day more, buy much corn, and 
 give one dollar bushel." 
 
 Our putting in at Port Praya was occasioned by the 
 upperworks of our ship proving leaky, and a discovery 
 that part of our water had been lost by the badness of the 
 casks. This rendered an examination of the whole of 
 that article necessary, and the event convinced us of the 
 propriety of the measure ; for, had we gone on without 
 stopping, we must inevitably have wanted it, before we 
 could have reached the Straits of Sunda. Vessels bound 
 from America to China would do well to stop here, or at 
 some of the neighbouring islands, where they may make 
 small repairs, and take in water, l\ve stock, and fruits, 
 which conduce greatly to the preservation of health, in 
 passing the warm latitudes. We accomplished all these 
 objects in six days, stowed ten of our guns below, made 
 room between decks, which rendered the men more com- 
 fortable, and put our ship in much better trim than she 
 had been in before ; and at seven o'clock this evening 
 we came to sail, with a fair wind and pleasant weather. 
 I forgot to mention, that, during our stay at Port Praya, 
 we had plenty of fish, particularly the barracuda and
 
 CROSS THE EQUATOR. 149 
 
 kingfish, which were exceedingly good, and not much 
 unlike our pike in appearance. 
 
 On the night between the 27th and 28th, three flying- 
 fishes fell on board. The 31st, we saw a small shark 
 playing under our stem. A hook baited with a piece of 
 pork soon brought him upon deck. He was two feet 
 and a half long, and made a couple of dishes at dinner ; 
 part was put in pickle for an hour, dried in the sun and 
 broiled, the remainder boiled and eaten with plain butter. 
 The night of the 31st, one of the monkeys, of which 
 our people had three on board, fell into the sea, and the 
 next morning Pug was discovered holding fast by the 
 fishing-line, that had been left out for a fish, and was 
 brought in without further injury. On the 8th of May, 
 we caught a porpoise, and the next day it was cooked 
 several ways : the liver fried, as good as that of a young 
 hog, the flesh boiled, roasted, and made into soup. 
 The roasted had a wild taste, not unlike venison ; and no 
 person, unless he had been told, would ever have sup- 
 posed it to be fish. It was fortunate for those of us who 
 had never been at sea before that we caught nothing 
 worse than shark or porpoise, as it was a point on 
 which we were agreed, to taste, at least, of every thing 
 we. did catch. 
 
 From St. Jago, we proceeded to the southward, till 
 the 9th of April, when we crossed the line, and that day, 
 at noon, observed in 4' south latitude, being, by ac- 
 count, in 20 31' west longitude from London. On the 
 5th of May, we were, by reckoning, in 36 23' south 
 latitude, and 1 20' east longitude ; thence keeping be- 
 tween the parallels of 36 and 39 (26th of May, 39 
 24'), we run down our longitude till the 5th of June ; 
 being that day, by observation, in 36 35' south latitude,
 
 150 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 and, by account, in 76 11' east longitude, we hauled to 
 the northward, without making the island of St. Paul. 
 
 On the 25th of June, being, by account at noon, in 7 
 52' south latitude, and 105 15' east longitude, we ex- 
 pected to make the island of Java, having observed, 
 the four preceding days, pieces of reed, bamboo-root, and 
 other wood passing us, besides a species of birds differing 
 from any we had hitherto seen. These birds are by the 
 sailors called boobies. We killed one of them on the 
 spritsail-yard, and another lodged upon the tafferel and 
 was seized by our boys, who afterwards caught numbers 
 of them by holding out poles, on which they alighted and 
 were taken. They are generally gray, about the size of 
 the tame duck, have a long, pointed beak, webbed feet, 
 and long wings. They live upon flying and other small 
 fishes, which, upon being caught, they instantly disgorge 
 whole. They were lean, very fishy, and but indifferent 
 food. There is also a large bird, called the albatross, 
 that we have frequently seen during our passage. It is 
 of the size of the goose, and very shy. We repeatedly 
 attempted to take them, particularly by baiting a hook 
 with a piece of meat, and letting it go astern with a long 
 line, floated by corks, but without effect. They must 
 be exceedingly strong, as common log-line was insuffi- 
 cient to hold them, and one of them, on being hooked, 
 broke the deep-sea line of the ship, to which the hook 
 was fastened, and carried part of it away with him. 
 
 July 9th, Captain Hodgkinson, being out with the 
 jolly-boat, endeavouring to take some small fishes, caught 
 three snakes, which he struck with the grains. They 
 were between three and four feet long, and had dark 
 brown backs, yellowish sides and bellies, with black and 
 white stripes or checks on the tail. As they had no fins,
 
 ARRIVAL AT JAVA. 151 
 
 and on being opened had a kind of grass in their maw, 
 we considered them as amphibious, and a corroboration 
 of our being near land. 
 
 At sunrise on the 15th, we saw four water-spouts, to 
 the eastward, very near. Where they appeared to touch 
 the water, that element seemed to have a boiling motion, 
 attended with smoke. They were visible more than an 
 hour. 
 
 Friday, July 17th. Having, ever since the 25th ult., 
 been beating to the eastward, and occasionally running 
 in for the land, we had the good fortune, at half past 
 three o'clock this afternoon, to discover it, and soon 
 ascertained it to be Java Head. It bore N. E. by N. ten 
 or twelve leagues. Having made up my reckoning to 
 this time, we were, by account, in 7 24' south latitude, 
 and 111 13' east longitude. Java Head, according to 
 Moore, is in 6 49' south latitude, and 106 55' east lon- 
 gitude from London.* 
 
 The next morning, between nine and ten o'clock, we 
 opened the Straits of Sunda, and at noon saw a ship, 
 distant between three and four leagues, sailing up the 
 straits near the Java shore. At three o'clock we 
 hoisted the American ensign, and at four saw a very 
 large ship at anchor in the cove, the first under sail 
 for, and in half an hour coming to anchor by her, both 
 of them having French ensigns hoisted. 
 
 At four o'clock, two canoes made towards us from the 
 Java shore, one of which, with five natives, came on 
 board, the other not being able to reach us. These people 
 are middle-sized and well-made, complexion similar to 
 
 * A subsequent edition corrects this position, and makes it 6 45' S. 
 and 104 50' E., which agrees with Dunn's Directory.
 
 152 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 that of the North American savage, with regular features 
 and a pleasing countenance, though their teeth are ex- 
 cessively black, owing to an herb they chew, which dyes 
 their lips a .claret, or rather, pompadour color. They 
 wear a handkerchief about their heads, and a piece of 
 calico or check round their waist, hanging as low as the 
 knee. After selling us some fowls and cocoa-nuts, they 
 went to Prince's island. Shortly after, another came on 
 board, and for half a dollar gave us as many fish as would 
 serve both cabins for supper. The boats, or canoes, are. 
 from fifteen to twenty feet long, and about two and a half 
 wide ; mast from ten to twelve feet long ; canvass sail as 
 long, and about four feet wide, extended on two pieces 
 of reed, and crossing the mast diagonally ; a piece of 
 reed, six inches in diameter, fixed with outriggers from 
 the side of the boat, to keep it by the wind, seven or 
 eight feet distance from and two thirds the length of the 
 boat. These boats are covered with pieces of reed, or 
 bamboo, on which the occupants sit, and underneath 
 keep their fish, fowls, &c. ; they have oars, and steer 
 with a paddle. The fish we had of them were the red 
 spotted and common yellow-tailed snappers, the for- 
 mer a most beautiful vermilion color. They, as well as 
 the groper, a shorter and thicker fish, which we also had, 
 are of the perch kind. 
 
 As soon as it was dark, we hung up two lanterns, 
 which being answered by the ships, we came to anchor, 
 at a quarter after eight o'clock, in nineteen fathoms of 
 water, our people all in good health, and no accident 
 having happened since our departure from New York. 
 
 On the 18th, in the forenoon, the captain, Mr. Randall, 
 and I, went on board the large ship, the captain of which, 
 with his officers, received us very politely. She is called
 
 FRENCH SHIPS. 153 
 
 the Triton, a sixty-four, but armed en flute, with only 
 sixteen light cannon, and one hundred and eighty-four 
 men. She left Brest the 20th of March, and arrived 
 here the day before yesterday ; will sail for Canton, after 
 watering and taking in wood to last thither and back 
 to Europe. This is rendered necessary by the circum- 
 stance, that the season makes it unsafe to stop here on 
 the return, and that at Canton wood is sold by weight, 
 and none to be had at the Cape of Good Hope. An- 
 other ship of the same size is gone through the Straits 
 of Malacca, and a third is daily expected here, all bound 
 for Canton, and with their cargoes and money estimated 
 at six million livres. There being no permanent East 
 India company in France, the king has lent these ships 
 to a company of merchants for the present expedition. 
 The captain is a chevalier of St. Louis, appears to be a 
 man of information, and has been repeatedly to China. 
 He says, that, the day before he left Paris, the Marquis 
 de la Fayette received the order of the American Soci- 
 ety of the Cincinnati, and that the king had granted per- 
 mission to such officers as were entitled to it to accept 
 and be invested with it. He adds, that the French are 
 much pleased with the honor done to their nation by the 
 institution. On our leaving his ship, the sides and yards 
 were manned, and we were saluted with thrice vive le 
 roi, which we answered by three cheers. 
 
 The other ship is less than ours, called the Fabius, 
 without guns, and carries thirty-six men. She arrived 
 here yesterday, from the Cape of Good Hope, which 
 she left the 15th of May, bound for Batavia, with can- 
 non and stores for the Dutch government there. As no 
 certain information had been received with respect to a 
 definitive peace between England and Holland, it was 
 20
 
 154 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 politic to employ a French vessel. The captain was in 
 the fleet under the Due d'Orvilliers in the affair with Ad- 
 miral Keppel, in July, 1778, and in that under Count de 
 Grasse, in the Chesapeake ; at the surrender of the Brit- 
 ish army at Yorktown to the combined forces of America 
 and France, in October, 1781 ; and afterwards in the 
 memorable engagement between the unfortunate though 
 gallant De Grasse and Rodney, on the 12th of April fol- 
 lowing. On leaving this ship, the same compliments 
 passed as with the other, and in about two hours after, 
 the captain returned our visit. The commanders of 
 both ships are lieutenants in the royal navy, the first ap- 
 parently sixty, and the other about forty years old. 
 
 We had many of the natives alongside this day. They 
 are exceedingly fond of opium, and would put twelve or 
 fourteen grains at once into their mouths without any 
 bad effect. We bought of them turtle of fifty pounds' 
 weight for half a dollar, and a dozen fowls for a dollar. 
 They had monkeys, of which our sailors bought sev- 
 eral, of the size of those we saw at St. Jago, but of a 
 grayish dun color. 
 
 The captain of the Triton, M. d'Ordelin, and his sec- 
 ond-captain, M. Cordeaz, returned our visit in the fore- 
 noon of the 19th. They examined our charts (Dunn's), 
 which they said were good, and invited us to dine with 
 them the next day. M. Cordeaz was with Count de 
 Grasse 's fleet in the Chesapeake, and in the action with 
 Rodney. After dinner, the captain, Mr. Randall, Mr. 
 Swift, and I, went ashore at Mew island, where the 
 three ships get wood. Water is procured from the Java 
 shore so conveniently, that casks are filled by a short 
 hose without taking them from the boat ; but it is dan- 
 gerous going into the woods, as they abound with tigers 
 and other wild animals.
 
 CATHOLIC MISSIONARY TO PEKIN. 155 
 
 In the forenoon of the 20th, a large Dutch ship passed 
 up the straits. The same day, the captain, Mr. Randall, 
 and I. dined on board the Triton. Dinner as elegantly 
 served as if we had been at an entertainment on shore. 
 There are twenty gentlemen every day at table, ex- 
 ceedingly polite, and very glad at meeting us. The cap- 
 tain having acquainted us that he shall sail on Thursday, 
 and expressed a wish to render us every service in his 
 power, we concluded to go in company with him to 
 Canton. He has been there eleven times, and is perfect- 
 ly acquainted with the navigation in these seas. The 
 principal supercargo, M. Trolliez, made us similar offers 
 in his line. While we were at dinner, another Dutch 
 ship passed up the straits. In the afternoon we went 
 ashore at Mew island, in company with the second cap- 
 tain, also M. Colombe (captain of the Fabius), and_a_cap- 
 tain of the French infantry, who obtained permission to 
 make the voyage in the Triton, merely from motives of 
 curiosity. This principle, combined with the cause of 
 religion, and perhaps other considerations, has induced a 
 young priest not only to undertake the voyage, but to 
 bid his native country adieu for ever. He is to reside at 
 Pekin, in quality of a missionary, where are many of 
 his brethren, who have a large church, the free exercise 
 of their religion, and a handsome establishment. He ap- 
 pears to be under thirty, is_susible and polite. The of- 
 ficers say he is a man of great science, is furnished with 
 a complete apparatus for experimental philosophy, and 
 is acquainted with the principles and construction of 
 the air-balloon lately invented by M. de Montgolfier, at 
 Paris. These, as well as his genteel deportment, will 
 no doubt render him an acquisition to the Chinese, and 
 to his brethren in that country. God speed him ! it is
 
 156 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 a great sacrifice he makes, for, by the laws of China, 
 no stranger, after having been allowed to reside in the 
 imperial city, is ever suffered to return. 
 
 The next day, the captain of the Triton sent us his 
 day and night signals. I wrote duplicate letters to Mr. 
 Parker, in New York, and enclosed them separately to 
 Messrs. John de la Neufville and Son, in Amsterdam. 
 These letters I gave in the afternoon to the captain of 
 the Fabius, on board the Triton, who promised to send 
 one by the first opportunity from Batavia, and take 
 charge of the other himself, if there should not be an 
 earlier conveyance. 
 
 Mr. Swift, Captain Green, Mr. Randall, and I, in com- 
 pany with the second captain and two officers of the 
 Triton, went ashore at Mew island, where, after plant- 
 ing Indian corn, oats, peas, beans, and potatoes, we 
 drank a bottle of madeira, and another of champagne, to 
 the success of our garden. This island, which is unin- 
 habited, is called by the French Cantaya. In the creek 
 that separates it from Java are plenty of fish, and in 
 the neighbourhood a very large kind of bats, that take 
 their flight about sunset. They appear to be as large as 
 a full-grown fowl, and are said by the French to be ex- 
 cellent eating. At this place the captain of the Triton 
 had a board nailed up, whereon were inscribed his name, 
 that of the ship, and the day of her arrival and departure. 
 
 Thursday, July 22d, at sunrise, we came to sail, in 
 company with the French ships. Anchored at ten 
 o'clock at night. The next morning we weighed, and 
 at noon lowered the jolly-boat and took two turtle. At 
 four, P. M., anchored off the island of Serigny. A ser- 
 geant from the shore visited the ship in his prow, with a 
 printed paper containing queries, " Where or by whom
 
 SETTLEMENTS OF SERIGNY. 157 
 
 owned, come from, bound ? " &c., to which the 
 proper answers were annexed by the captain. Mr. Ran- 
 dall, the captain, and I, went on board the Triton. The 
 officers commended the sailing of our ship highly. To- 
 morrow, should the weather be clear, they intend taking 
 an observation to ascertain the longitude by the sun and 
 moon. Four times during their voyage they have thus 
 ascertained their longitude, on neither of which occa- 
 sions, they say, were they out of their reckoning more 
 than twenty miles. At sunset, the Fabius was scarcely 
 visible astern. N. B. Both the Triton and our ship 
 are sheathed with copper. 
 
 After breakfast, on the 24th, Captain Hodgkinson, the 
 doctor, Mr. Randall, Mr. Swift, and I, went ashore to 
 the settlements of Serigny, on Java. A number of na- 
 tives assembled, and, on our landing, an old man ad- 
 vanced and offered us his hand. From the beach, we 
 went into the town, consisting of between four and five 
 hundred huts, built of cane or bamboo reed, and cov- 
 ered with a thatch of leaves and straw, apparently 
 commodious and clean. When we were nearly in the 
 middle of the settlement, we were met by the chief, at- 
 tended by upwards of a hundred of his countrymen, 
 some of whom were armed with spears, and all with 
 knives. He received us with an open, smiling counte- 
 nance, shook hands, and pronounced the words, " Me 
 grandee Bantam " ; and on our making signs to him and 
 pointing to our ship, he replied, " 'Mericans," which in- 
 formation he must have had from the Dutchman on 
 board of us the day before. After conducting us through 
 the main street, he led us into a large yard, enclosed 
 with a stone wall, and well shaded by large trees, his 
 house being in the centre. He invited us to walk into
 
 158 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 the house, which we declining, he attended us to the 
 gate, where we took leave, by shaking hands, and drink- 
 ing a cup of our wine to his health. He was apparently 
 about thirty years old, handsome, and clad in a rich chintz 
 gown and underclothes, with a piece of fine chintz about 
 his head for a turban, and a girdle, or rather sash, of 
 blue, white, and red silk and gold, about his waist, in 
 which was placed his poniard, in a sheath of yellow 
 metal, highly polished ; his feet and legs were bare. 
 There was something noble and very pleasing in his 
 looks, while his behaviour was altogether friendly and 
 engaging. 
 
 From this settlement we walked to the other, about 
 three miles farther, not materially different from the 
 first. Here we found the second captain, the surgeon, 
 the captain of infantry, and three other gentlemen from 
 the Triton, purchasing beef, turtle, fowls, &c. 
 
 The settlements lie on the seashore, and are surround- 
 ed by rice-fields, which the natives cultivate for their 
 subsistence. They have also pine-apples, Indian corn, 
 bananas, cucumbers, cocoa-nuts, besides all kinds of 
 poultry in abundance, buffalo (which is their beef), and 
 goats. The soil is rich, and from the place where we 
 landed to the upper settlement the road is perfectly 
 level, covered with a most beautiful verdure, and lead- 
 ing through a continued grove of cocoa-nut trees, whose 
 shade afforded us a comfortable shelter from the scorch- 
 ing rays of the sun, and the milk of the nuts a most 
 cooling and refreshing liquor. 
 
 The inhabitants of these places get a great part of 
 their subsistence by fishing, there being not much short 
 of two hundred boats, great and small, belonging to 
 them. These are built and rigged in the manner already
 
 SETTLEMENTS OF SERIGNY. 159 
 
 mentioned, and are of every size, from such as will carry 
 only a single person, to those that will take thirty or 
 forty. The larger kind have a shed over them, reaching 
 from the stern to the middle of the boat, made of reeds 
 and straw, to defend the crew from the weather. About 
 seventy of the smaller sort went out at sunrise to fish, 
 and at noon returned with their cargoes of small and 
 large fish, having nets proper for each. The beach is 
 very low for a considerable distance from the shore, over 
 which the sea breaks a great length, and roars exceed- 
 ingly, so that, if any boats were left there, they would 
 soon be stove to pieces. To prevent this, and for the se- 
 curity of their small fleet, the inhabitants have dug ca- 
 nals from fifteen to twenty feet wide, leading to basins 
 in the rear of their settlements, sufficient to contain the 
 whole. Over these canals and basins, which in each 
 settlement must be crossed in many places, are bridges, 
 constructed of timbers laid from one bank to the other, 
 and covered with strips of reed, interlaced in the manner 
 of mats, well fastened, neatly wrought, and sufficiently 
 strong. The people are numerous, and, from the great 
 disproportion in favor of the children, the women must 
 be exceedingly prolific. They are Mahometans, and in 
 each settlement have a mosque. Both men and women 
 are armed with knives, which they constantly carry 
 about them, in a wooden scabbard hanging across the 
 shoulder ; notwithstanding which, they appear placid in 
 their manners to each other, and courteous towards 
 strangers. It is said, however, that they are not pleased 
 with any attention paid by strangers to their women, 
 who, for that reason, probably, are shy, and seldom 
 make their appearance. 
 
 These places are dependent on Bantam and Batavia.
 
 160 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 That which we first visited has a Dutch sergeant and 
 two privates as a garrison, with two small brass cannon, 
 carrying a ball of about half a pound, and a Dutch flag, 
 which is hoisted occasionally. The sergeant goes or 
 sends to every vessel that passes, for answers to queries- 
 like those presented to us, and transmits them to Ban- 
 tam, whence they are forwarded to Batavia. The car- 
 riers go along the seashore all the way, as it would be 
 dangerous for them, on account of the natives, to go 
 through the country. The sergeant showed a poisoned 
 knife, and said many of the natives have them besides 
 their spears, which are also poisoned ,' he added, that, 
 so virulent is this poison, that the smallest scratch with 
 one of these weapons is quick and certain death. 
 
 Refreshments, in general, are nearly twice as dear here 
 as we found them at the entrance of the straits. There are 
 doves, paroquets, and a variety of other birds, both in re- 
 spect to plumage and notes, to be bought here. After re- 
 maining till the tide made, we left the last of these places 
 about nine o'clock, and returned on board ship by eleven, 
 not a little fatigued with the adventures of the day. 
 
 On our concluding to sail in company with the Triton, 
 M. d'Ordelin acquainted us that he intended not to go 
 the common route, through the Straits of Banca, but to 
 attempt one more to the eastward, between Banca and 
 Biliton. He was informed of this passage by a French 
 gentleman, M. Gaspar, who, in a Spanish vessel, made it 
 with the utmost safety, in going to and returning from 
 China, having from twelve to twenty-five fathoms 
 soundings. Accordingly, having come to sail, on Sun- 
 day, July 25th, we proceeded as fast as the winds and 
 currents would allow, till the 2d of August, when the 
 two ships came to anchor, and the Triton sent out her
 
 CASPAR STRAITS. 161 
 
 boat to explore the passage. On visiting M. d'Ordelin, 
 he informed Captain Green and me that his coming to 
 so early was owing to an apprehension either that the 
 land we saw could not be that through which the pas- 
 sage would be found, or that his information respecting 
 it must have been wrong, as, on sounding, he found only 
 five and a half, where he expected twelve fathoms. 
 His charts seeming to confirm the latter opinion, he sent 
 out an officer in a boat to make further discovery, and 
 we agreed, that, if the wind should not permit the boat 
 to return during the night, we would, in our ship, taking 
 one or two of his officers with us, stand in towards the 
 shore at daylight, under easy sail, and make him signals. 
 He gave us one of his charts, and the next morning, 
 when M. Cordeaz with another officer came on board, 
 we had the satisfaction to learn that their boat had just 
 returned, after finding the passage, with the soundings as 
 marked in the chart ; and that the apprehension they 
 had been under arose from a mistake of the man who 
 gave the soundings at noon, in calling the eleven mark 
 jive. Making sail, at five o'clock in the morning, we 
 led the way through the straits, having regular sound- 
 ings, and came to anchor at three o'clock, P. M., the 
 body of Caspar isle bearing from our ship S. E. by E., 
 two miles distant. Mr. McCaver, Mr. Randall, the sur- 
 geon, and I, went on shore. On the rock off Gaspar we 
 found many eggs and young birds. There is only a 
 boat-passage between it and Gaspar, and on the other 
 side of the island there are shoals which render it impru- 
 dent to go nearer than we did. We had not time to as- 
 certain whether there was water on the island, but, from 
 its verdure, the croaking of frogs, and the flocks of white 
 pigeons, that article is no doubt to be found there. 
 21
 
 162 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 Leaving Gaspar island, on the morning of the 4th of 
 August, the two ships proceeded in company ; and hav- 
 ing, on the 23d, in the forenoon, got pilots from Macao, 
 they anchored in the roads at four, P. M., and saluted 
 the town. 
 
 On the 24th, in the morning, the French consul, with 
 several gentlemen from Macao, visited us, and, on leav- 
 ing the ship, were saluted with nine guns. These gen- 
 tlemen having invited me to pass the day with them at 
 Macao, I accompanied them in their boat. The consul 
 went with me to present me to the Portuguese governor, 
 but his Excellency not being at home, he left a written 
 report of our visit. I dined at this gentleman's house, 
 in company with the French, Swedish, and Imperial su- 
 percargoes, and some gentlemen from the Triton. In 
 the afternoon, Mr. Randall, Captain Hodgkinson, the 
 doctor, Mr. Swift, and Mr. Green, with some gentlemen 
 of the Triton, who had dined on board our ship, came 
 on shore. The doctor, Captain Hodgkinson, and I, 
 passed the evening and lodged with the Swedish con- 
 sul ; Mr. Randall and the other gentlemen did the same 
 with the French consul. Having given these gentle- 
 men copies of the treaties between America and the 
 European powers in amity with her, we took leave of 
 them the next morning, and returned on board. 
 
 This day (25th) being the anniversary of St. Louis, 
 the same was announced by twenty-one guns from the 
 Triton, at sunrise, which were answered by thirteen 
 from our ship. These salutes were repeated at noon. 
 At two, P. M., having our pilot on board, we came to 
 sail, and, in passing M. d'Ordelin, saluted him with 
 nine guns, which he returned with an equal number. 
 
 " The city of Macao," says the writer of Anson's
 
 ARRIVAL AT CANTON. 163 
 
 Voyage, " is a Portuguese settlement, situated in an 
 island at the entrance of the river of Canton. It was 
 formerly very rich and populous, and capable of defend- 
 ing itself against the power of the adjacent Chinese gov- 
 ernors ; but at present it is much fallen from its ancient 
 splendor ; for, though it is inhabited by Portuguese, and 
 hath 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 when- 
 ever 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 situation of Macao is very pleasant, and the gen- 
 tlemen belonging to the European nations trading at 
 Canton are well accommodated there. As soon as their 
 ships leave Canton, and the factors have settled their ac- 
 counts with the Chinese, they return to Macao, where 
 they must reside till the ships of the next season arrive. 
 The Dutch, Danes, and English had gone to Canton a 
 few days before our arrival. 
 
 From Macao we proceeded towards Canton, and on 
 the morning of the 28th, on opening the shipping at 
 Whampoa,* we saluted them with thirteen guns, which 
 were returned by the vessels of each nation. At eight 
 o'clock we came to anchor, and again complimented 
 the shipping with thirteen guns. 
 
 Previously to our coming to anchor, the French ships 
 sent two boats, with anchors and cables, under an officer, 
 who assisted us in getting into a good berth, and staid 
 on board till we were moored. The Danish sent an of- 
 
 * Fourteen miles below Canton.
 
 164 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 ficer, to compliment ; the Dutch a boat to assist ; and the 
 English an officer " to welcome your flag to this part of 
 the world." 
 
 In the afternoon, the captain, Mr. Randall, and I, with 
 Mr. Green, returned the several visits in the following 
 order : to the two French ships, a British, a Danish, 
 a Dutch, a Danish, three British ; all of which, except- 
 ing two of the last, saluted us, on taking leave, the 
 French commodore with seven, and the others with 
 nine guns, our ship returning each time an equal num- 
 ber. Those that did not fire were two country ships 
 from Bengal, the guns of one being dismounted ; those 
 of the other were loaded, but, it being sunset before our 
 visit was finished, it was contrary to custom to fire. The 
 officers of both made suitable apologies, and gave us 
 three cheers on leaving their ships, which we returned. 
 
 The behaviour of the gentlemen on board the respect- 
 ive ships was perfectly polite and agreeable. On board 
 the English it was impossible to avoid speaking of the 
 late war. They allowed it to have been a great mistake 
 on the part of their nation, were happy it was over, 
 glad to see us in this part of the world, hoped all 
 prejudices would be laid aside, and added, that, let 
 England and America be united, they might bid defiance 
 to all the world. None of the captains were on board ; 
 the Dutch and Danisli were at their banksalls, the 
 French had gone to meet M. d'Ordelin, and the Eng- 
 lish were at Canton.* 
 
 * I cannot close my journal of our voyage to China, without express- 
 ing the great obligations we are under to M. d'Ordelin for the polite- 
 ness and attention shown us by himself and his officers, and for his con- 
 stant advice and assistance, since we met in the Straits of Sunda. On 
 the 4th instant, after having cleared the Caspar passage, he wrote us a 
 letter, whereof the following is a copy :
 
 RESIDENCE AT CANTON. 165 
 
 The other two French ships that left Europe in com- 
 pany with the Triton being arrived, and the supercargoes 
 provided with a factory, M. Trolliez gave Mr. Randall 
 
 " J'ai 1'honneur de souhaiter le bon soir a Monsieur Green, et de le 
 remercier de nous avoir constamment manifesto* le bon fond dans ce pas- 
 sage de Gaspar. Nous 1'avons passe bien promptement et heureuse- 
 ment. Nous n'avons pas pu reconnaitre toutes les iles qui bordent 
 Tile de Sel dans 1'est. Nous trouvons une grande faute dans la posi- 
 tion de 1'ile Gaspar, et la pointe de 1'est de Banca, que les cartes pla- 
 cent E. et O. Enfin nous en voila dehors, et bien convaincus que sans 
 1'etourderie de notre second pilote, qui sondait hier matin, nous aurions 
 passe des hier sans la moindre inquietude. 
 
 " Comme des cartes marquent un bane de roche droit au nord, qua- 
 tre lieues de 1'ile Gaspar, nous n'appareillerons que de jour, je dis 
 a six heures, pour le pouvoir voir, en cas qu'il ne fut pas bien place. 
 Apre"s, nous fairons valoir la route a N. N. 0. jusqu'a la ligne, et peut- 
 etre aux deux banes nommes Doggers. Apre"s, le N. O. N. et N. 0. 
 suivant la sonde, pour ne pas manquer Pile de Pulo Timon. Les cou- 
 rans qui sortent des detroits de Malacca, et autres voisins, portent ordi- 
 nairement au N. E. 
 
 " Nous aurons, au reste, le plaisir de nous parler, et ce qui en 
 sera toujours un pour moi, ce sera de vous pouvoir assurer et prouver 
 que je suis, avec un veritable attachement, 
 " Monsieur, 
 
 " Votre trs-humble serviteur, 
 
 " D'ORDELIN. 
 
 " Bien des amities a tous vos messieurs. Notre canot est alle voir 
 s'il y a de 1'eau sur 1'ile de Gaspar, et s'il est facile de la faire." 
 
 On the arrival of the Triton at Whampoa, the 29th, we visited M. 
 d'Ordelin, and Captain Green delivered him a letter of thanks which I 
 had written in his name, whereof the following is a copy : 
 
 " MONSIEUR D'ORDELIN, 
 
 " Dans le moment que nous y sommes heureusement arrives, c'est 
 pour moi un devoir, autant que c'est un plaisir le plus sincere, de 
 vous temoigner ma reconnaissance pour 1'interet que vous avez pris 
 dans toutes les choses qui m'interessent, et de vous en faire mes remer- 
 cimens. L'assistance que vous m'avez donnee, dans ce premier voy-
 
 166 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 and me an invitation to stay with them till our own do- 
 mestic arrangements should be completed. We accord- 
 ingly went to Canton, the 30th of August, with M. 
 Trolliez, and other French gentlemen, and remained 
 with them till the 6th of September, when, our factory 
 being ready, we took possession of it, after thanking him 
 and his friends, Messrs. Rose and Timothee, for the at- 
 tention they had shown us. They assured us that they 
 were very happy in forming an acquaintance with us, 
 and would consider themselves much obliged for any op- 
 portunities we should afford them of being useful to us. 
 M. Desmoulins, to whom we had a letter from Mr. Mal- 
 let, of Philadelphia, was very friendly to us on all occa- 
 sions, and assisted us particularly in procuring a factory 
 and getting ourselves settled. 
 
 On the day of our arrival, we were visited by. the 
 principal Chinese merchants, and by the chiefs and gen- 
 tlemen of the Danish and Dutch factories ; the next day, 
 by several English gentlemen ; and the morning follow- 
 ing, by the chief (Mr. Pigou) and six gentlemen of the 
 
 age qui a e"te entrepris par les enfans de 1'Amerique, et la politesse 
 avec laquelle vous et vos messieurs ont demontre leur amitie et bonne 
 volonte envers moi et aux miens, ne seront jamais effacees. C'est un 
 bonheur pour nous que, dans une traversed aussi longue qu'a etc la 
 notre, nous ayons rencontre" les amis de notre pays ; et que dans une 
 region aussi eloigne'e, les premiers et les seuls bienfaits que nous ayons 
 re^us ont e"te accorded par ceux dont la nation a ete le soutien et 1'ami 
 magnanime de la notre. Que cette alliance entre les deux nations, si 
 bien commencee, et cimentee par plusieurs bons offices de la part de 
 la votre, soit perpetuelle, et que vous et tous vos messieurs soient tou- 
 jours bien heureux, c'est ce qui est sinc^rement souhaite* par, 
 " Mon cher monsieur, 
 " Votre tres-oblige 
 
 et tres-obeissant serviteur, 
 
 "J. GREEN."
 
 COMPLIMENTARY VISITS. 167 
 
 English factory. They apologized for deferring their visit 
 till then, on account of their house having been enter- 
 tained the day before by one of the Chinese merchants, 
 at his residence, on the opposite side of the river. 
 
 We returned these visits in the order they had been 
 made, and received invitations from the chiefs of the 
 several factories, who, each in rotation, gave us a na- 
 tional dinner and supper, and desired we would call up- 
 on them in future without ceremony. On leaving the 
 English factory, Mr. Pigou, after thanking us for our 
 company, expressed himself nearly in these terms : 
 " This, gentlemen, has been a day of ceremony. We 
 shall be glad, if you will call upon us often, in a social 
 way, and if we can be of any service to you, it will 
 afford us a real pleasure." Mr. Roebuck, the second in 
 the factory, would not part with us so soon ; but, though 
 past eleven, insisted we should adjourn to his room, 
 where, with several gentlemen of the factory and officers 
 of their ships, we passed a couple of hours very agreeably. 
 
 After being settled in our factory, we occasionally 
 returned the national dinner and supper to the Euro- 
 peans, respectively, beginning with the French. To the 
 Swedes and Imperialists, who arrived after us at Canton, 
 and showed us the same civilities as the others had 
 done, we made the like return. 
 
 In a country where the jealousy of the government 
 confines all intercourse between its subjects and the for- 
 eigners who visit it to very narrow limits, in the sub- 
 urbs of a single city, the opportunities of gaining infor- 
 mation respecting its constitution, or the manners and 
 customs generally >f its inhabitants, can neither be fre- 
 quent nor extensive. Therefore, the few observations to 
 be made at Canton cannot furnish us with sufficient data
 
 168 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 from which to form an accurate judgment upon either 
 of these points. The accounts given in the writings of 
 the missionaries are enveloped in much mystery, and, in 
 many instances, border not a little upon the marvellous. 
 All we know with certainty respecting the empire of 
 China is, that it has long existed a striking evidence of 
 the wisdom of its government, and still continues the 
 admiration of the world. 
 
 The following remarks relate only to the manner in 
 which the commerce of the European nations and Amer- 
 icans with this singular people is conducted, and contain 
 a few scattering particulars, which somewhat less than a 
 four months' residence enabled the writer of them to 
 collect. 
 
 To begin with commerce, which here appears to be . 
 as little embarrassed, and is, perhaps, as simple, as any in 
 the known world. The Danes, Imperialists, Swedes, 
 English, and Dutch, have regular establishments, and 
 trade by companies. The French have no company. 
 Last year, their king made an expedition on his own 
 account, and this year he lent his ships to the mer- 
 chants. The Spanish trade by private supercargoes 
 from South America, by the way of Manila. They 
 had last year four ships, but have none this. The Portu- 
 guese, although they are in possession of Macao, do not, 
 in the manner of other nations, keep a public establish- 
 ment for this trade, but carry it on by agents sent from 
 Europe, who also return in the ships. As the business 
 is, by particular indulgence, transacted at Macao, a con- 
 siderable saving thence accrues on the duties which 
 other nations are obliged to pay. 
 
 The English ships bring out from Europe lead and 
 large quantities of cloth ; which latter the company are
 
 COMMERCE WITH CHINA. 169 
 
 obliged by their charter to export annually to China, for 
 the encouragement of their home woollen manufacture. 
 Some of their ships go first to the peninsula of India, 
 part of their cargoes consisting of supplies for the com- 
 pany's establishments, and such other commodities as 
 will answer the markets in that quarter. After having 
 disposed of these, they take on board cotton, with which, 
 their lead, and cloth, they proceed to China. The Eng- 
 lish derive considerable advantages from the permission 
 granted to private ships, owned by their subjects in In- 
 dia, to trade with China. These vessels, besides the cot- 
 ton, sandal-wood, putchock-root, ebony, opium, shark- 
 fins, and birdsnests they bring from the coast, carry on 
 a smuggling trade with the Dutch settlements in and 
 about Malacca, and with the natives, whom they supply 
 with opium, clothing, fire-arms, &c., in return for which 
 they receive pepper, block-tin, and spices. The proceeds 
 of these, with the silver and other articles they bring 
 from India, are, to the amount of about one third, carried 
 back in such merchandise as will suit the India markets ; 
 and the remainder, either in cash or transfers from the 
 Chinese merchants, is paid into the company's treasury, 
 for which they receive bills on the company in England, 
 at the exchange of five shillings and sixpence sterling 
 the dollar, payable three hundred and sixty-five days 
 after sight. This fund has for a number of years ren- 
 dered it unnecessary for the company to export from 
 Europe any specie for carrying on their commerce with 
 the Chinese. 
 
 The Dutch, by their resources from their settlements 
 on Java, Sumatra, Malacca, and other possessions in In- 
 dia, are enabled to manage their trade with China under 
 equal, if not superior, advantages to any other people. 
 22
 
 170 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 The other companies depend principally upon their 
 lead and silver brought from Europe ; though sometimes 
 the English captains from the coasts of India furnish 
 them with the latter, in return for which they take bills. 
 This exchange is forbidden by the English company, 
 and any person detected in it forfeits his privilege, and 
 may be sent prisoner to England. However, this pen- 
 alty, as it is seldom if ever inflicted, is but little regard- 
 ed. British subjects in India, who wish to remit their 
 property to Europe, will find means of doing it through 
 other channels than that of the company's treasury. 
 They get a penny, and sometimes twopence, more on a 
 dollar, and bills at a shorter sight. Besides, the credit of 
 the English company is not now so good with their sub- 
 jects in India as formerly. One of their captains in- 
 formed me that his orders were, to offer his money first 
 to the Swedes, afterwards to the Danes and the Dutch, 
 and last to the English. 
 
 The French had formerly a company here, but, its 
 affairs going behindhand, it was dissolved. Last year, as 
 has been observed, the king sent four ships to Canton on 
 his own account, and this year he has lent three ships of 
 the line to a company of merchants, whose stock was 
 divided into shares, and a certain number sold to such 
 individuals as chose to become adventurers. The cap- 
 ital is six millions of livres, whereof about one half is 
 in specie ; the expense of the expedition, a quantity of 
 woollen cloths, looking-glasses, coral, and other merchan- 
 dise, employing the remainder. A consul of France, part 
 of the former establishment, is still retained. He has a 
 house and table found him by the king, with a salary of 
 six thousand livres per annum. Should any disputes 
 arise among the subjects of France, his decision, in a
 
 COMMERCE WITH CHINA. 171 
 
 court of chancery, where he presides, is final, unless an 
 appeal be made to the king and council. 
 
 The commerce of the Imperialists is drawing to a 
 close. The German dominions are not well situated for 
 prosecuting it. The company are very much in debt. 
 They have no ships this year, nor will they, it is thought, 
 have any the next. Their chief (Mr. Reid, a Scotch 
 gentleman) informed me that he expected to receive or- 
 ders to settle his accounts with the Chinese, and return 
 to Europe. 
 
 The establishments of the Swedes and Danes are prin- 
 cipally supported by the smuggling trade they carry on 
 in the Channel and upon the coasts of Britain. Would 
 the British parliament repeal the acts laying a duty on 
 teas, the prosecution of this commerce would probably 
 not be an object for either of those powers, and the trade 
 with China would be conducted by the nations who are 
 the greatest consumers of its produce. This is the idea \l 
 of all the Europeans at Canton. Mr. Pigou told me that 
 the annual consumption of teas in Great Britain and 
 its dependencies amounted to fourteen million pounds' 
 weight, while the company's sales did not exceed six. 
 " Would our legislature," said he, " but commute the 
 duty on teas for some other tax, there would be no in- 
 ducement to smuggling ; nor would the Swedes, Danes, 
 and French find their account in this commerce. It 
 would then naturally fall into the hands of the consum- 
 ers, who are the Dutch, yourselves, and us. We could 
 employ twenty ships, and the trade still be sufficient for 
 us all." 
 
 Besides the Europeans, the Armenians and Moors 
 drive a considerable trade with China, in pearls, precious 
 stones, and other merchandise, which they freight, in
 
 172 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 Portuguese and English bottoms, from the Red Sea, the 
 Persian Gulf, and the peninsula of India. 
 
 Such are the outlines of the commerce carried on by 
 the Europeans with China. The national establish- 
 ments are on a liberal footing. The supercargoes are 
 provided with elegant factories, and every accommoda- 
 tion they can wish. All expenses are paid, and a com- 
 mission allowed them for transacting the business, which 
 is divided among them according to seniority. In the 
 English factory, a young gentleman, whose father, per- 
 haps, or other near relation, is one of the company, 
 comes out at fourteen or fifteen years of age, as a writer, 
 with all expenses paid and one hundred pounds sterling 
 per annum. At the expiration of five years he com- 
 mences supercargo, when his salary ceases, and he is in- 
 cluded for part of the commission. The amount of this 
 will depend on the number of ships. The present 
 chief has been in the factory fourteen years, and his 
 commission this year is reckoned at upwards of seven 
 thousand pounds sterling. That of the second, as Mr. 
 Roebuck himself informed me, is something more than 
 four thousand, and the others receive in proportion. No 
 person is allowed to hold the office of chief more than 
 three years. 
 
 The English captains in the company's service, and 
 all the officers, are allowed the privilege of private trade ; 
 on which account, as soon as their ships are moored at 
 Whampoa, the captains take each his own factory at 
 Canton. Their adventures consist chiefly of clockwork 
 of all kinds, of which the Chinese are extremely fond, 
 cutlery, glass, furs, dollars, and some ginseng, besides 
 articles from the coast of India. The captain's privilege 
 in the ship is about sixty tons measurement. This he
 
 COMMERCE WITH CHINA. 173 
 
 commonly fills up with fine teas, cassia, Nankin cloths, 
 porcelain, &c., a considerable part of which, on his en- 
 tering the English Channel, is disposed of to smugglers, 
 between whom and the custom-house officers there is al- 
 ways a clear understanding. The ships are built and 
 equipped by private merchants, who charter them to the 
 company at a certain tonnage. They are generally from 
 six to eight hundred tons, and no ship, in common cases, 
 is suffered to perform more than four voyages. A captain 
 must have great interest to get one of these ships, or pay 
 from five to seven thousand pounds for the command. 
 In this case, he may sell again, and, if he should die dur- 
 ing the voyage, the privilege is filled up for the benefit 
 of his heirs or assigns. The latter part of this arrange- 
 ment, extends to the subordinate officers. The country 
 captains also take factories at Canton, and for privilege 
 make the best bargain they can with their employers. 
 
 Other nations, instead of privilege of private trade to 
 their officers, allow gratuity money, to each according to 
 his rank. And as the ships are the property of the com- 
 pany, every captain has an apartment in the factory, and 
 a place at the table, where there is also a plate and ac- 
 commodation for any other officer who may come to 
 Canton. 
 
 No Europeans are suffered to remain at Canton 
 throughout the year. After their ships are gone, and 
 they have settled their accounts with the Chinese, they 
 repair to Macao, where each nation has its separate es- 
 tablishment. There they continue till the arrival of 
 their ships the next season, when they return to Canton. 
 
 As soon as a ship, whether public or private, arrives at 
 Whampoa, a fiador, or surety, must be engaged, before 
 she can discharge any part of her cargo. This person is
 
 174 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 one of the principal merchants, and generally the one 
 with whom the business is transacted, though this cir- 
 cumstance does not prevent dealing with others. He is 
 answerable to the custom-house for payment of the empe- 
 ror's customs of entrance, which, on an average, amount 
 to somewhat more than four thousand dollars a ship. 
 Besides this tax, there are duties on every article, wheth- 
 er of import or export, imported specie excepted ; but 
 with these there is no trouble, it being understood in 
 all bargains with the Chinese, whether buying or sell- 
 ing, that they pay them. 
 
 The trade on the part of the Chinese is conducted by 
 a set of merchants who style themselves the co-hoang, 
 a word expressing our idea of a trading company. This 
 co-hoang consists of ten or twelve merchants, who have 
 the exclusive privilege of the European and country 
 trade, for which they pay a considerable sum to govern- 
 ment ; and no other dealers, if we except the petty shop- 
 keepers, who are also licensed by government, can be 
 concerned in it but by their permission. The co-hoang 
 assemble as often as is necessary, communicate the infor- 
 mation each has obtained respecting the commodities at 
 market, agree on the prices at which they will purchase, 
 and fix those of their own goods in return. When it 
 happens that a ship has but a small cargo, an individual 
 of the co-hoang is unwilling to be its fiador, as perhaps 
 his profits will not pay the duties. In this case, a fia- 
 dor is nominated in the co-hoang, and the vessel's busi- 
 ness done on their joint account. There is generally no 
 material variation from the prices fixed by the co-hoang. 
 
 Each ship and factory must also have a comprador ; 
 this is a person who furnishes provisions and other neces- 
 saries, for which he contracts at certain prices. There is
 
 PORT REGULATIONS. 175 
 
 much imposition in these articles, and if the ship is 
 small, the comprador, besides being paid for all supplies, 
 will have a douceur of a hundred or a hundred and fifty 
 taels.* This must be submitted to, as the government 
 derives a stated revenue from every ship, of whatever 
 size, wliich the comprador has permission to supply. 
 
 All company ships, on coming to Whampoa, have 
 each a banksall on shore, for the reception of their wa- 
 ter-casks, spars, sails, and all the lumber of the ship, and 
 containing, besides, apartments for the sick. The 
 French have theirs, separate from the other Europeans, 
 on an island, thence called French island ; the others 
 are on the opposite side, and confined to the ground 
 they occupy, for the remainder being rice-fields, and 
 constantly watered, renders it impossible to go beyond 
 the limits of the banksall ; whereas French island is a 
 delightful situation, and the resort of the gentlemen 
 generally, of all nations, who go on and off at pleasure. 
 Except those of the French and Americans, no common 
 sailors are allowed to go there. For the exclusive priv- 
 ilege of this island, every French ship adds one hundred 
 taels extra to the hoppo's^ present. The banksalls are 
 large buildings, framed with bamboo reeds, and covered 
 with mats and straw. They are erected by the Chinese, 
 
 * The Chinese arithmetic is altogether decimal. 
 In money : 10 cashes = 1 candareen ; 
 10 cand. = 1 maz ; 
 10 mazes = 1 tael. 
 
 An old Mexican dollar is taken at its weight, 7 maz. 2 cand. New 
 dollars add two to every hundred in all contracts, and pass at 7 m. 2 c. 
 
 Weights. 1 catty = 21 J oz. > . 
 
 ^, ., > Avoirdupois. 
 100 catties, or a picul,= 133J Ibs., ) 
 
 Measures. 10 punts, or 1 covid, = 14g inches, 
 f Chief officer of the customs.
 
 176 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 who pull them down immediately on their being left, 
 in order that they may have the advantage of setting up 
 new ones. The price of a banksall is about two hun- 
 dred dollars. As our ship was small, the French gen- 
 tlemen advised us not to have a banksall, and offered us 
 as much room in theirs as we should want. The Chi- 
 nese mandarins,* of whom there are four on the island, 
 before they would permit us quietly to send any thing 
 ashore, demanded a douceur to the amount of the price 
 of a banksall, alleging that it was the same thing to 
 them, whether we had one of our own, or made use of 
 another. After altercating with them for several days, 
 till our ship's provisions were stopped, I found it neces- 
 sary to compromise for thirty dollars a month. 
 
 Besides a fiador and comprador, each ship must also 
 have a linguist, at an expense of about a hundred and 
 twenty taels. This person is absolutely necessary, as he is 
 employed in transacting all business with the custom- 
 house, which is in the city, where no stranger can be 
 admitted, provides sampans f for unloading and load- 
 ing, and is always at call. 
 
 When the hoppo goes to measure the shipping at 
 Whampoa, which he does as often as there are three or 
 four that have not been visited, he is attended by the 
 co-hoang. On these occasions, the captains produce their 
 clock-work and other curiosities, of which the hoppo 
 lays by such as he likes, and the fiador for the ship is 
 obliged to send them to him. Some time after, the hop- 
 po demands the price, for he will not receive them 
 as a present. The merchant, who understands matters 
 
 * A name common to officers of every rank, whether civil or military, 
 f- Boats.
 
 PORT REGULATIONS. 177 
 
 perfectly, tells him about one twentieth part, or less, of 
 their value, and takes the money. On our ship being 
 measured, the hoppo inquired if we had any sing-songs, 
 the name they give to this sort of articles, and, 
 on being answered in the negative, seemed rather dis- 
 pleased. However, when we told him that we were 
 from a new country, for the first time, and did not know 
 that it was customary to bring such things, he appeared 
 satisfied, but did not forget to enjoin it upon us to bring 
 some when we should come again.* 
 
 As soon as the ship is measured, the fiador takes out a 
 permit for unloading, and the linguist provides two sam- 
 pans to receive the goods, which are hoisted out of the 
 ships in , presence of two mandarins, who live in their 
 sampan alongside. When the goods arrive at Canton, 
 one of the principal mandarins, with his assistants, at- 
 tends to weigh, measure, and take account of every 
 thing, after which liberty is granted to sell. Such arti- 
 cles as the fiador or the co-hoang do not want may be 
 disposed of to any other person, from whom the linguist 
 receives the duty, and settles with the fiador. When 
 the return cargo is to be sent on board, the mandarins 
 attend, as before, and each package must have the sell- 
 er's chop-\ upon it, in order that the linguist may know 
 
 * Extract from the ship's log-book, Thursday, 14th September : 
 
 " At 10, A. M., came on board the grand mandarin, with his attend- 
 ants, and the principal merchants of Canton, to measure the ship. Sa- 
 luted them with nine guns. At 11, they left the ship, in order to visit 
 and measure the other ships, after which we saluted them with nine 
 guns, as did the other ships. 
 
 " P. M. The grand mandarin sent on board, as a present to the 
 ship, two bulls, eight bags of flour, and seven jars of country wine." 
 
 f Chop is a word of most extensive use. Here it means mark. 
 Sometimes it is taken for the duty itself, to pay the chop ; at other 
 23
 
 178 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 where to apply for the duty ; otherwise, the purchaser 
 is himself obliged to pay it. No fees are paid to these 
 officers, either by the buyer or seller, their salaries being 
 fixed by the emperor. The expense of unloading is paid 
 by the Europeans, and the Chinese deliver the return 
 cargo alongside the ship, free of all duties and charges 
 whatever. All merchandise must be unloaded and load- 
 ed by Chinese sampans. 
 
 In the customs of Canton, as of other parts of the 
 world, instances of knavery sometimes occur. The du- 
 ty on silks may be compromised with the mandarin, 
 who will accept a present of about half the amount of 
 the duty for letting them go free. In these cases, the 
 ship's boat, carrying the flag of its nation, attends at the 
 time appointed, and takes in the goods, for which the 
 mandarin's chop is produced, and the boat passes with- 
 out further examination. All boats are searched, on 
 coming to or going from Canton, and must have a chop ; 
 besides which, they must, unless carrying the national 
 flag, stop and be searched at three different chop-houses 
 on the river. 
 
 The factories at Canton, occupying less than a quarter 
 of a mile in front, are situated on the bank of the river. 
 The quay is enclosed by a rail-fence, which has stairs 
 and a gate opening from the water to each factory, 
 where all merchandise is received and sent away. The 
 limits of the Europeans are extremely confined ; there 
 being, besides the quay, only a few streets in the sub- 
 urbs, occupied by the trading people, which they are al- 
 lowed to frequent. Europeans, after a dozen years' resi- 
 
 times it signifies a permit ; and chop-chop ! in speaking to any one, 
 means make haste !
 
 SOCIAL INTERCOURSE. 179 
 
 dence, have not seen more than what the first month 
 presented to view. They are sometimes invited to dine 
 with the Chinese merchants, who have houses and gar- 
 dens on the opposite side of the river ; but even then no 
 new information is obtained. Every thing of a domestic 
 concern is strictly concealed, and, though their wives, 
 mistresses, and daughters are commonly there, none of 
 them are ever visible. We dined with four of the co- 
 hoang, at separate times, two of whom entertained the 
 French gentlemen and us at their country-houses. On 
 these occasions, the guests generally contribute largely 
 to the bill of fare. Both at Chowqua's and Pankekoa's, 
 the French supplied the table furniture, wine, and a 
 large portion of the victuals. The gardens belonging to 
 Chowqua are extensive ; much art and labor are used to 
 give them a rural appearance, and in some instances na- 
 ture is not badly imitated. Forests, artificial rocks, 
 mountains, and cascades, are judiciously executed, and 
 have a pleasing effect in diversifying the scene. The 
 Chinese, however, discover a vitiated taste in their fond- 
 ness for water. Every garden must have abundance of 
 this element, and where it does not flow naturally, large, 
 stagnant ponds, in the middle of which are summer- 
 houses, supply the deficiency. Chowqua says that his 
 house and gardens cost him upwards of one hundred 
 thousand taels. 
 
 The Europeans at Canton do not associate together so 
 freely as might be expected, the gentlemen of the re- 
 spective factories keeping much by themselves, and, ex- 
 cepting in a few instances, observing a very ceremonious 
 and reserved behaviour. At the Danish factory, there is, 
 every Sunday evening, a concert of instrumental music, 
 by gentlemen of the several nations, which every body
 
 180 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 who pleases may attend. This is the only occasion 
 when there appears to be any thing like a general inter- 
 course. On the whole, the situation of the Europeans 
 is not enviable ; and, considering the length of time they 
 reside in this country, the restrictions to which they 
 must submit, the great distance they are at from their 
 connections, the want of society, and of almost every 
 amusement, it must be allowed that they dearly earn 
 their money. 
 
 When any European dies at Canton, the chief of the 
 nation to which he belonged sends and acquaints the dif- 
 ferent factories with the event. The flags are dropped, 
 and remain at half-mast till the corpse is sent off to 
 Whampoa, when they are hoisted up ; the friends of 
 the deceased, in the meanwhile, receiving visits of con- 
 dolence from the other Europeans. The ships observe 
 the same ceremony, and when the corpse appears in 
 sight, the commodore of the nation to which it belongs 
 begins to fire minute-guns, which are repeated by the 
 other, ships in port, and continued till the corpse is inter- 
 red, on French island, when the flags are again hoisted as 
 usual. Next day, the chief, with one or two gentlemen 
 of his nation, returns the visits of the other Europeans, 
 and thanks them for their attention on the occasion. 
 
 About ten days previous to our leaving Canton, Mr. 
 Randall and I visited the respective chiefs (a ceremony 
 not to be omitted), thanked them for their civilities, and 
 informed them of our intended departure. Invitations 
 from every nation followed, and we were obliged to re- 
 ceive from each another public dinner and supper, the 
 consul of France insisting also upon paying us this honor 
 in his separate right. The attention paid us at all times 
 by the Europeans, both in a national and personal re-
 
 FRIENDLY ATTENTIONS. 181 
 
 spect, has been highly flattering. From the French it 
 was peculiarly friendly. They aided us in mooring our 
 ship, insisted on our making ourselves at home in their 
 factory, and accommodated us with part of their bank- 
 sail, for the use of which they would not suffer us to 
 make them any remuneration. " If," said they, " we 
 have in any instance been serviceable to you, we are 
 happy, and we desire nothing more than further op- 
 portunities to convince you of our affection." 
 
 The Swedes, the Danes, the Dutch, and the Imperial- 
 ists paid us every proper attention ; nor were the Eng- 
 lish behindhand with them. Besides the gentlemen of 
 the factory, many of their captains visited us, gave invi- 
 tations, and accepted ours in return. During this inter- 
 course, it was not difficult to discover their jealousy of 
 the French ; nor could they conceal their dislike of the 
 good understanding we kept up with them, which would 
 sometimes appear, in spite of their breeding. One even- 
 ing, in particular, at the English factory, after the com- 
 pany had risen from table, the chief asked us if we 
 could not take a sociable bottle together. This was a 
 proposition to which we were not disposed to object, as 
 he had always been particularly civil to us. In the 
 course of our tete-a-tete, after professing much regard for 
 us, and hoping that our nation and theirs would ever 
 maintain a friendly correspondence, he observed, that 
 there had been a small mistake in the mode of our re- 
 ception, with respect to which he wished to set us right. 
 " As soon as it was known," said he, " that your ship 
 was arrived, we determined to, show you every national 
 attention ; and when, in company with the French 
 gentlemen, you returned our visit, it was our intention 
 that you should dine with us the next day, and the
 
 25 for Europe. 
 
 182 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 French the day after. We were, therefore, not a little 
 disappointed at your coming together, and you may re- 
 member we then told you there had been a mistake on 
 your part, for which we were exceedingly sorry ; for, 
 trust me, gentlemen," added he, with a smile, " that we 
 would not designedly have put you in such company." 
 
 Exclusive of the country ships returning to India, 
 there sailed last year from Canton and Macao forty-five 
 ships for Europe, sixteen of which were English. The 
 present season the numbers were as follows (Dec. 27) : 
 English, 9,* French, 4,f Dutch, 5, 
 
 Danish, 3, Portuguese, 4, 
 American, . . . . . 1 for America. 
 
 English country ships, "8, | 
 Danish snow, 1, 
 
 In all, 35 
 
 * Sulivan, . . Captain Williams. 
 
 Calcutta, . . . " Thompson. 
 
 Hawke, . . " Rivington. 
 
 Ponsborne, . . " Hemmet. 
 
 Middlesex, . . " Rogers. 
 
 Contractor, . . " Mclntosh. 
 
 Foulis, ... " Blatchford. 
 
 Latham, . . . " Robertson. 
 
 Nassau, . . " Gore. 
 
 f Triton, Captain, M. D'Ordelin, 64 "1 
 Provence, " M. Mancel, 64 > armed en flute. 
 Sagittaire, " M. Morin, 50 j 
 
 Pondicherry, " M. Beaulieu, chartered at the Isle of France. 
 J Biram Gore, . . Captain Maughan. 
 
 Bellona, . . " Jas. Richardson. 
 
 Pallas, . ^ " O'Donnell. 
 
 General Elliot, . " McClew. 
 
 Le Neckar, . . " Woolmore. 
 
 Triumph, . . " Wm. Richardson. 
 
 Lady Hughes, . . " Williams. 
 
 Nonsuch, . . " Stevenson.
 
 OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. 183 
 
 The Swedes lost their passage ; and the Imperialists 
 and Spaniards, as has been remarked, had no ships here. 
 
 Ours being the first American ship that had ever vis- 
 ited China, it was some time before the Chinese could 
 fully comprehend the distinction between Englishmen 
 and us. They styled us the New People, and when, by 
 the map, we conveyed to them an idea of the extent of 
 our country, with its present and increasing population, 
 they were not a little pleased at the prospect of so consid- 
 erable a market for the productions of their own empire. 
 
 The knavery of the Chinese, particularly those of the 
 trading class, has become proverbial. There is, however, 
 no general rule without exceptions ; and though it is al- 
 lowed that the small dealers, almost universally, are 
 rogues, and require to be narrowly watched, it must at 
 the same time be admitted that the merchants of the co- 
 hoang are as respectable a set of men as are commonly 
 found in other parts of the world. It was with them, 
 principally, that we transacted our business. They are 
 intelligent, exact accountants, punctual to their engage- 
 ments, and, though not the worse for being well looked 
 after, value themselves much upon maintaining a fair 
 character. The concurrent testimony of all the Euro- 
 peans justifies this remark. 
 
 Notwithstanding the encomiums which are generally 
 bestowed on the excellence of the Chinese government, 
 it may, perhaps, be questioned, whether there is a more 
 oppressive one to be found in any civilized nation upon 
 earth. All offices in the provinces are bestowed upon 
 such as can make most interest for them with the great 
 mandarins at court, in consequence of which the subject 
 undergoes every species of oppression. He is squeezed 
 by the petty mandarins, these, again, by the higher,
 
 184 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 they, in their turn, by their superiors, the governors 
 and viceroys, and these last are sometimes, themselves, 
 under pretence of maladministration, stripped of every 
 thing by the emperor, and doomed to end their days in 
 banishment in Siberia. Two instances, which came to 
 my knowledge, may serve to convey some idea of the 
 despotic nature of the government. 
 
 A few years since, Shykinkoa, one of the most re- 
 spectable merchants of the co-hoang, having failed in 
 an engagement to send some teas to the English ships, 
 assigned as a reason for it, that he had been disap- 
 pointed of seeing the hoppo, who, he said, was drunk 
 when he called at his house to take out the chop. 
 Shortly after, another of the co-hoang coming to the 
 English factory, the chief casually mentioned the disap- 
 pointment, and the reason given for it by Shykinkoa. 
 This man, who was Shykinkoa's enemy, reported the 
 matter to the hoppo, and Shykinkoa was forced to make 
 his peace by a present of thirty thousand taels ! This 
 account I had from Mr. Pigou. Such has been Shykin- 
 koa's dread of all hoppos, ever since, that he never dares 
 make application to them personally, and submits to the 
 payment of an annual sum for an exemption from at- 
 tending the hoppo with the other merchants, when he 
 measures the shipping. 
 
 The other instance is that of our comprador. Every 
 Chinese, excepting the co-hoang and persons in office, is 
 obliged to have a chop for visiting the factories, which is 
 renewed every month, and for which servants, and even 
 coolies,* hired at three dollars a month, must pay half 
 a dollar. Our comprador was met one day by the sec- 
 
 * Porters.
 
 OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. 185 
 
 ond officer of the customs, who demanded to see his 
 chop. He had left it at home, and, on being questioned, 
 answered that he was such a man's purser ; well know- 
 ing, that, should he own himself a comprador, the officer 
 would extort money from him. Unluckily, one of the 
 merchant's people, known to the officer, was passing at 
 the instant. The poor comprador was detected, and im- 
 mediately sent to prison in the city, where he remained 
 a week, with a board, like the yoke of a pillory, fastened 
 about his neck. He offered a thousand dollars for his 
 release, which the officer refused ; and there is no know- 
 ing what would have been the price of his liberty, had 
 not accident procured it by other means. 
 
 The Europeans, as has been noticed, are exceedingly 
 straitened in their limits, and the Chinese let slip no op- 
 portunities of laying new impositions. The mandarins 
 on the quay are very vigilant, and every servant in the 
 factories is a spy. A house had been lately set up on 
 that part of the quay where the strangers commonly 
 walk, and was intended for the residence of another 
 mandarin, who would be an additional spy. This, with 
 several other matters considered grievances, induced 
 the Europeans to join in an application to the hop- 
 po, the next time he visited the shipping. A deputa- 
 tion from every nation, in which I was desired to repre- 
 sent ours, met the hoppo, on board an English ship, 
 and he promised redress. The house was shortly after 
 pulled down, the comprador, whose case was particularly 
 mentioned, released, and most of the causes of complaint 
 removed. Though applications have been repeatedly 
 made, this was the only instance in which the Euro- 
 peans ever acted in concert. The comprador went 
 
 round to all the gentlemen, and thanked them for their 
 21
 
 186 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 good offices in his favor ; but, though the hoppo prom- 
 ised he should be released without expense, the poor fel- 
 low found it necessary to make a present to the officer 
 who had confined him. 
 
 In this place it may not be improper to take notice of 
 an event that gave rise to the Canton war, which threat- 
 ened to be productive of very serious consequences. 
 
 On Saturday, the 27th of November, about ten o'clock 
 in the forenoon, a general alarm was spread among the 
 foreigners at Canton, in consequence of the Chinese 
 having seized on the person of Mr. Smith, supercargo 
 of the British country ship called the Lady Hughes. 
 Three days before, the captain and some gentlemen who 
 had dined with him on board were saluted by the ship, 
 on taking leave ; in doing which, unfortunately, one of 
 the Chinese in the mandarin's sampan alongside was 
 killed, and two others were wounded. By the Chinese 
 law, blood must answer for blood, and there have been 
 instances where the execution of this law has been en- 
 forced. About four years since, a Frenchman and a Por- 
 tuguese, both belonging to the same ship, had a scuffle, 
 in which the latter was killed ; whereupon the Chinese 
 demanded that the former should be given up. On be- 
 ing told that what the man had done was agreeable to 
 the law of self-defence, they replied that they understood 
 the matter very well, but that they must examine him 
 before their tribunal, it being indispensable that they 
 should take cognizance of such cases, and that after ex- 
 amination he should be restored unhurt. The poor fel- 
 low, upon these assurances, was delivered to the Chi- 
 nese, who the next morning brought him to the water- 
 side, in the neighbourhood of the factories, and there 
 strangled him.
 
 THE CANTON WAR. 187 
 
 The recollection of this affair was fresh in the mind 
 of every one, and the English chief on this occasion re- 
 fused to comply with the demand of the Chinese ; not 
 only as it was an accident, and the gunner innocent, but 
 as he had no authority over country ships, they not be- 
 ing under the jurisdiction of the company's servants in 
 China. After two days spent in debating the affair, the 
 Chinese merchants and mandarins told Mr. Pigou that 
 they were satisfied, and that, as the gunner had abscond- 
 ed, there would be no further trouble about it. Every 
 one thought the matter finished, till experience once 
 more convinced them that there is no trusting the Chi- 
 nese. Pankekoa, the head of the co-hoang, sent for Mr. 
 Smith, as it were on business, to come to his house, 
 where he was immediately seized by a guard and con- 
 veyed into the city. As soon as this transaction was 
 known, all business was stopped, the Chinese mer- 
 chants retired within the city, and the Europeans as- 
 sembled in order to consult as to the measures to be 
 taken. It was judged expedient that a boat should be 
 ordered from every ship, with an armed force, for the 
 protection of the persons and property of the respective 
 nations, until the matter should be settled. In the mean 
 time, the compradors, Chinese servants, and others, left 
 the factories, and several of the emperor's ships of war 
 were drawn up opposite, in a hostile manner. About 
 seven in the evening, the boats arrived, one of them hav- 
 ing been fired upon by the Chinese, for passing their fort 
 after sunset, by which a man was wounded. On the ar- 
 rival of the boats, the sailors were kept within the facto- 
 ries, and their arms taken in charge by their officers, 
 while the Europeans unanimously agreed to make it a 
 common cause, and as such to support it. On the com-
 
 188 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 mencement of this business, application was made to the 
 Americans, and our boat accordingly attended. A let- 
 ter was sent into the city, explaining the circumstances 
 of the affair, declaring Mr. Smith's innocence, and the 
 impossibility of giving up the gunner. Guards were 
 placed for the preservation of good order, and the night 
 passed quietly. 
 
 The next morning our compradors returned and sup- 
 plied the factories as usual. A man was taken up the 
 preceding night, detected in ordering all the Chinese to 
 leave the factories. On examination, he proved to be a 
 petty officer of the police, and had a chop, which he 
 was directed to deliver to the English chief, and which, 
 being translated, was to this effect : " That the Fuen, 
 exercising the functions of viceroy in the province of 
 Canton, had given orders for the seizure of Mr. Smith, 
 but that he should be released on the gunner being 
 given up, that he was much displeased at the meas- 
 ure of the armed boats, that the Europeans should 
 consider well what they were about, and that he had 
 ordered the whole force of the province to be in read- 
 iness, to reduce them to submission in case of resistance, 
 as he was determined to prevent the laws of the empire 
 from, being infringed." 
 
 About two o'clock, M. Vieillard, the French consul, 
 came and informed me that he had, with M. Galbert, 
 the king's interpreter, been with a mandarin at the pa- 
 goda,* who informed him that chops would be grant- 
 ed to such of the strangers as would apply for them, the 
 English excepted, to send back their boats whenever 
 they pleased ; and that, as the Danes, French, and Dutch 
 
 * Temple, or place of public worship.
 
 THE CANTON WAR. 189 
 
 were determined not to make war for the English, he 
 advised me to apply for one and send away our boat 
 immediately. After thanking him for his advice, I an- 
 swered, that I considered the rights of humanity deeply 
 interested in the present business, to support which I 
 had, at the request of the English chief, ordered the 
 American boat to Canton ; that when the English 
 chief assured me that the purposes for which she had 
 been required were answered, I would send her back, 
 and riot till then. 
 
 Towards evening, two mandarins, attended by lin- 
 guists, came out and requested that a representative from 
 each nation, the English excepted, should meet the 
 Fuen, who was then in his tribunal ready to receive us. 
 After communicating with the English gentlemen, it 
 was agreed that we should represent to the Fuen, that 
 the seizing of Mr. Smith was considered, not as a matter 
 affecting the English only, but as nearly concerning ev- 
 ery foreign trader in Canton, whose property or person 
 could now no longer be considered secure. On coming 
 before the Fuen, who held his tribunal at a pagoda in a 
 part of the suburbs not frequented by the Europeans, we 
 were received by a mandarin of war, who led us through 
 two ranks of soldiers armed with long scymitars, and, 
 presenting himself on his knee, announced us. The 
 Fuen said that he regarded it as a mark of our good dis- 
 position that we came to him, and that we need be un- 
 der no apprehension for Mr. Smith, who should not re- 
 ceive any injury, but be restored on the gunner being 
 given up. On being told that the gunner had absconded, 
 he answered, "No matter, he must be produced" ; and 
 when M. Galbert attempted to explain the cause of the 
 boats being ordered, and to vindicate the English, he
 
 190 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 commanded him to be silent, and declared that it was 
 only in consideration of the other nations that the Eng- 
 lish were not on this occasion a lost people. After offer- 
 ing us tea, which we declined, the Fuen presented each 
 gentleman with two pieces of silk, in token of amity, 
 and then dismissed us. 
 
 During the transactions thus far, I am sorry to observe 
 that there had been no regular plan adopted by the dif- 
 ferent nations, and scarcely any consistency in their 
 measures. It is true, there had been several councils, 
 where the gentlemen said they considered it a common 
 cause, but no minutes were taken of their proceedings, 
 and their zeal seemed to be not a little abated. The 
 Chinese were aware, that, if they could separate the oth- 
 er nations from the English, there would soon be an end 
 of the affair ; and it was doubtless with this view that 
 the offers had been made to M. Yieillard, and an attend- 
 ance on the Fuen demanded. In the meeting at the 
 English house, previous to the last step, it was under 
 this conviction that I ventured to propose that minutes 
 should then be taken, and every gentleman asked, in be- 
 half of his nation, whether it was to be considered a 
 common cause, and how far they would unite for its 
 support*. No person opposed the proposition, nothing 
 was determined, and we went to the Fuen. 
 
 Matters remained quiet all the next day, though the 
 ships of war, in number upwards of forty, lay opposite 
 the factories. Indeed, these ships were not very formid- 
 able, their force consisting of two long iron pieces, carry- 
 ing about a four-ounce ball, and fixed with a swivel on 
 a four-legged stool, while their soldiers were armed 
 with swords, bows and arrows, and match-lock muskets, 
 fixed with a triangle. From all I could observe of this
 
 THE CANTON WAR. 191 
 
 naval parade of the Chinese, I am certain that three Eu- 
 ropean long-boats, properly equipped, might have forced 
 their way through them, had they been five times as nu- 
 merous. 
 
 In the course of the day, two boats from the French, 
 one from the Danes, and another from the Dutch, went 
 down the river, under protection of a Chinese, standing in 
 the bow and holding up a small red flag. Besides these, 
 one from the English was sent down in the same man- 
 ner, with a letter from Mr. Smith, demanding the gun- 
 ner. The mandarin of war, who presented us to the Fu- 
 en, brought out two pieces of silk for each of the gentle- 
 men who attended and were not introduced, as the Fuen 
 would suffer only six to be admitted then, but desired 
 that all who had attended would receive those presents. 
 
 On the 30th, in the morning, Messrs. Browne, Lane, 
 Lance, and Fitzhugh called to inform me of a report 
 having been spread that they had sent a boat to Wham- 
 poa without consulting the other nations, in consequence 
 of which they were come, as a committee from the Eng- 
 lish, to explain that and every other transaction which 
 had taken place. A letter from Mr. Smith had been 
 sent, by order of the mandarins, to Captain Williams, 
 demanding the gunner ; but the linguist intruste'd with 
 it was so much frightened at the sight of the ships with 
 their guns out of their ports, that he returned without 
 delivering it. On this being known, the Chinese gave a 
 chop for an English boat to carry the linguist with a let- 
 ter, and Captain Mclntosh was sent as security for his 
 safe reception and return. They added, that, as the gun- 
 ner was not to be found, Captain Mclntosh would neces- 
 sarily return without him, that the gentlemen would 
 then be again assembled, and desired to make a joint
 
 192 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 representation to the Fuen for leave to send their boats 
 and people to Whampoa, and to have the trade restored. 
 
 Mr. Lance called again, at noon, to acquaint me that 
 he had, on the part of the English, met a mandarin at 
 the pagoda, who informed him that they did not now 
 take so much amiss the boats having come up, as that 
 matter had since been explained, and that they waited 
 the return of Captain Mclntosh, who they expected 
 would bring the gunner. Mr. Lance then proposed that 
 leave should be given for their boats to go to Whampoa, 
 in search of the man ; and if he could not be found, or, 
 being found, if Captain Williams would not deliver him 
 up, the company could not help it, but must submit to 
 such conditions as the Chinese should impose. The 
 mandarin could not of himself grant this permission, 
 but promised an answer in the afternoon. 
 
 Five boats from the English set out for Whampoa, 
 about three o'clock, under protection of a Chinese flag, 
 and at sunset Captain Mclntosh returned, bringing with 
 him the gunner, who was carried to the factory, and in a 
 few minutes after to the pagoda, where he was delivered 
 to the Chinese, a representation from each nation, the 
 English included, attending. The mandarins assured 
 us that Mr. Smith should be restored this evening, and 
 that the gunner should be kept in custody until the em- 
 peror's pleasure should be known, and that, the affair 
 being now terminated, the restrictions on the trade were 
 removed. 
 
 In the evening, the linguist informed me that our chop 
 for shipping off had not been issued, on account of the 
 hoppo taking us for English, whose chops would not be 
 issued till the next day. On inquiry, I found that Pan- 
 kekoa had caused our vessel to be registered in the hoppo's
 
 AMERICANS MISTAKEN FOR ENGLISH. 193 
 
 books as an English country ship; immediately upon 
 which, Mr. Randall and I drew up a memorial to the 
 consul of France, who promised that it should be present- 
 ed the next day, and that he would acquaint us in writ- 
 ing with the answer which should be given.* 
 
 * MEMORIAL TO THE FRENCH CONSUL. 
 " To M. VIEILLARD, Consul for his Most Christian Majesty, and the 
 
 affairs of the French, at Canton, in China. 
 " SIR, 
 
 " The undersigned, supercargoes for the American commerce in Chi- 
 na, beg leave to acquaint you that they have undoubted reason to be- 
 lieve, that, through the misrepresentations of Pankekoa, they have been 
 reported to the hoppo as being Englishmen, and the ship in which they 
 arrived at this place as an English country ship, and consequently that 
 they should be considered subjects of Great Britain. 
 
 " To take off from this misrepresentation, and to announce to the 
 Chinese that we are the subjects of a free, independent, and sovereign 
 power, is the reason of our present application. And we request, in 
 the name of the United States of America, the allies and good friends 
 of his Most Christian Majesty, that you will cause to be made known to 
 the Chinese, by means of M. Galbert, the king's interpreter, that we 
 are AMERICANS, a free, independent, and sovereign nation, not connected 
 with Great Britain, nor owing allegiance to her, or any other power 
 on earth, but to the authority of the United States alone ; and that we 
 pray the Chinese to consider us in that view, and grant our passports 
 accordingly. 
 
 " Done at Canton, in China, this 30th of November, 1784. 
 
 " S. SHAW, 
 THO. RANDALL." 
 
 ANSWER. 
 
 " A MESSIEURS SHAW et RANDALL, Supercargues du vaisseau des Etats- 
 
 Unis de 1'Amerique. 
 
 " Les representations contenues dans votre memoire en date du trente 
 Novembre, 1784, etant, Messieurs, de toute justice et equite, j'ai donne 
 ordre a M. Galbert premier interprete du roi en langue Chinoise de 1'etre 
 aux votres, et de representer au gouvernement que c'est par erreur que le 
 nomme Pankekoa fiador de votre vaisseau 1'a fait inscrire sur les regitres 
 25
 
 194 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 The first of December, peace and commerce being re- 
 stored, the English chief came and thanked us for the 
 assistance we had given them, as did also Mr. Smith, 
 who was released the evening before. 
 
 At noon, the gentlemen of every nation were called to 
 attend the hoppo, at the hall of the co-hoang, when, af- 
 ter expressing his satisfaction at the restoration of peace 
 and commerce, he cautioned us to preserve the strictest 
 discipline among our sailors. On being told that troubles 
 often arose between the Chinese and Europeans, owing 
 to the misrepresentations of the merchants, he promised 
 that in future a mandarin should attend once a month 
 at the pagoda, to hear from the Europeans themselves, 
 through their own interpreters, such matters as they had 
 to offer, in order that any grievance of which they 
 should have reason to complain might be redressed. 
 
 On this occasion I desired the consul of France to an- 
 nounce me as an American, which he accordingly did, 
 by M. Galbert, the king's interpreter, and clearly pointed 
 out the distinction between us and Englishmen. The 
 hoppo answered, that the matter had been last night ex- 
 plained to him by Shykinkoa, that he perfectly under- 
 
 du hopou corame vaisseau Anglais de cote, que vous etes Americain, 
 que votre nation est reconnue comme nation independante, souveraine et 
 aussi etrange're a la Grande-Bretagne que la nation Frangaise, ou tout 
 autre commercjante a la Chine. J'aurai soin, Messieurs, lors de 1'arri- 
 vee de vos vaisseaux de les avertir de cet incident, et de leur fournir les 
 moyens de se mettre a 1'abri des inconveniens qu'une non distinction 
 entre la nation Americaine et la nation Anglaise peut occasioner dans ce 
 pays, oil le defaut de connaissances geographiques et une separation en- 
 tiere des autres nations du globe occasionera toujours la meme erreur, 
 toutes les fois qu'une nation nouvelle entreprendra de former des liaisons 
 de commerce avec les Chinois. 
 
 " Donne a Canton, en notre hotel, le premier Decembre, 1784. 
 
 " VIEILLARD."
 
 RELIGION IN CHINA. 195 
 
 stood who we were, and that the chop for sending back 
 our boat and two sampans with merchandise had that 
 day been granted to Americans. The reason of our hav- 
 ing been reported as a country ship belonging to the 
 English was, that the fiador, Pankekoa, knew, that, had 
 he told who we really were, he would have been obliged 
 to accompany the information with a present. The same 
 deception was successfully practised with respect to the 
 Imperialists, and the second year they were considered 
 as an old nation. 
 
 Our boat, with the armed men, returned the same 
 evening to Whampoa, under the American flag, as usual, 
 and two sampans with merchandise were sent to the ship. 
 
 Thus ended a very troublesome affair, which com- 
 menced in confusion, was carried on without order, and 
 terminated disgracefully. Had that spirit of union among 
 the Europeans taken place which the rights of humanity 
 demanded, and could private interest have been for a 
 moment sacrificed to the general good, the conclusion of 
 the matter must have been honorable, and probably some 
 additional privileges would have been obtained. But as 
 it did terminate, we can only apply to it the observation 
 of the Chinese themselves, "Truly, all Fanquois* 
 have much lose his face in this business." 
 
 Enough of the Chinese government. With respect to 
 their religion, suffice it to say, that the most seemingly 
 extravagant accounts of their idolatry and superstition 
 which we meet with may be safely credited. No people 
 are more the sport of religious contingencies, or put 
 greater faith in lucky days. In passing the Joss-houses,! 
 
 * A contemptuous term, applied by them indiscriminately to Euro- 
 peans. 
 
 f Joss is the name of their idol.
 
 196 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 I have often stopped to see them pay their devotions. 
 There is an image of a fat, laughing old man, sitting in 
 a chair at the upper end of the room, before whom is 
 erected a small altar, whereon tapers and sandal-wood 
 are constantly kept burning. As soon as a worshipper 
 enters, he prostrates himself before the idol, and knocks 
 his head three times upon the ground. This done, he 
 takes two pieces of wood that fit together in the form of 
 a kidney, again kneels, knocks his head, holds them to 
 Joss, and, after bowing three times for his blessing, 
 throws them up ; if they fall with both flat or both 
 round sides up, it is good luck ; but if one of each, it is 
 unfortunate. He renews his chin-chin* to Joss, and 
 tries again. I have seen this repeated six or eight times, 
 till it succeeds. He then prostrates himself again, 
 knocks his head as before, and takes a small earthen ves- 
 sel, wherein are many pieces of reed with characters 
 marked on them ; these he shakes together, and, after 
 holding the vessel to Joss and bowing three times, draws 
 out one of the sticks. If it be an unlucky one, he tries 
 again ; and when he is satisfied, he lights his taper and 
 fixes it before Joss, then sets fire to a piece of paper 
 washed with tin, presents it on the altar, bows three 
 times, and retires. The same ceremonies are observed 
 by the female worshippers, none of whom but the lower 
 sort are allowed to frequent public places. Besides these 
 Joss-houses, which are always open and much frequent- 
 ed, there are large pagodas or temples, where are a num- 
 ber of bonzes, or priests, who perform daily worship. 
 In these temples are various idols, in the form of men 
 and women, but many times larger than life, and of 
 
 * Worship.
 
 RELIGION IN CHINA. 197 
 
 most terrific appearance. There is one of a woman, 
 with many pairs of extended arms, which is intended as 
 a symbol of Divine Goodness, that embraces all. In ad- 
 dition to these public places of worship, every house and 
 sampan has its domestic deity, before whom a piece of 
 sandal-wood is kept burning, which serves at the same 
 time to perfume Joss and to light the worshipper's pipe, 
 who morning and evening pays his devotions with the 
 paper and candle. 
 
 The Chinese observe no Sabbath, but work every day 
 in the week. They make feasts and perform certain cer- 
 emonies on full moons and other occurrences, particular- 
 ly the winter solstice. Their new year commences with 
 the new moon that falls nearest to the time when the 
 sun is in the fifteenth degree of Aquarius, and is a very 
 important period, not only on account of the universal 
 festivity, that lasts four or five days, during which no 
 business is transacted, but as it is the day previous to 
 which all payments must be completed. During the in- 
 terval between the solstice and the new year, the creditor 
 becomes very importunate, and if he is not satisfied, he, 
 on the last night of the old year, repairs to the debtor's 
 house, takes his seat, and observes the most profound si- 
 lence. As soon as midnight is past, he rises, congrat- 
 ulates the debtor on the new year, and retires. The 
 debtor has then lost his face, and no person will after- 
 wards trust him. 
 
 The great concern of a rich Chinese is to procure a 
 pleasant spot for a tomb, for which, provided it be to his 
 mind, he thinks no price too great. It must be airy, 
 shaded by trees, watered by a running stream, and sit- 
 uated on an eminence commanding an extensive land 
 and water prospect. So great is their attention to these
 
 198 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 circumstances, that a Chinese, on meeting with any 
 extraordinary misfortune, is sometimes led to suppose 
 that it is because his father's bones do not rest com- 
 fortably. In this case, a new situation is taken and 
 consecrated by the priests, and a tomb prepared, wherein 
 the relics of his father, removed from their former abode, 
 are deposited with much ceremony and expense. 
 
 Polygamy is allowed among the Chinese, and a man is 
 pleased with his favorite wife and with his Maker in 
 proportion to the number of sons she bears him ; no ac- 
 count is made of daughters. Syngchong, the principal 
 porcelain merchant at Canton, told me one day, with 
 much satisfaction, that his wife had brought him a third 
 son, and added, with an air expressive of gratitude, 
 that Joss was very good to him. " Joss loves me," con- 
 tinued he, " because I make him much chin-chin." 
 
 There are many painters in Canton, but I was in- 
 formed that not one of them possesses a genius for de- 
 sign. I wished to have something emblematic of the 
 institution of the order of the Cincinnati executed upon 
 a set of porcelain. My idea was to have the American 
 Cincinnatus, under the conduct of Minerva, regarding 
 Fame, who, having received from them the emblems of 
 the order, was proclaiming it to the world. For this 
 purpose I procured two separate engravings of the god- 
 desses, an elegant figure of a military man,* and fur- 
 nished the painter with a copy of the emblems, which I 
 had in my possession. He was allowed to be the most 
 eminent of his profession, but, after repeated trials, was 
 unable to combine the figures with the least propriety ; 
 though there was not one of them which singly he could 
 
 * The Count d'Estaing, at the taking of Grenada.
 
 THE CHINESE TRADERS. 199 
 
 not copy with the greatest exactness. I could therefore 
 have my wishes gratified only in part. The best of his 
 essays I preserved, as a specimen of Chinese excellence 
 in design, and it is difficult to regard it without smiling. 
 It is a general remark, that the Chinese, though they can 
 imitate most of the fine arts, do not possess any large 
 portion of original genius. 
 
 The Chinese traders are in their manners open and 
 free. They have great command of their own temper, 
 and watch narrowly that of others. I had sufficient in- 
 formation on this head, and was always upon my guard ; 
 though a person's patience is often put to severe trial, es- 
 pecially by the smaller traders. They will not scruple 
 to offer one third of what is demanded for merchandise, 
 and, though told that nothing will be abated, they will 
 repeat the same offer every day for a week together. 
 One of them offered me for an article less than one half 
 the price at which I valued it, and would come day after 
 day and make the same offer. I treated him politely 
 every time, and adhered to my first demand, with which 
 he finally complied. After the bargain was settled, 
 " You are not Englishman ? " said he. " No." " But 
 you speak English word, and when you first come, I 
 no can tell difference ; but now I understand very well. 
 When I speak Englishman his price, he say, ' So much, 
 take it, let alone.' I tell him, 'No, my friend, I 
 give you so much.' He look at me, ' Go to hell, you 
 damned rascal ; what ! you come here, set a price my 
 goods ? ' Truly, Massa Typan,* I see very well you no 
 hap f Englishman. All China-man very much love your 
 country." Thus far, it may be supposed, the fellow's 
 
 * Supercargo. f Have.
 
 200 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 remarks pleased me. Justice obliges me to add his con- 
 clusion : " All men come first time China very good 
 gentlemen, all same you. I think two three time more 
 you come Canton, you make all same Englishman too." 
 
 Mr. Randall and I having settled all our affairs, and 
 the ship being ready to sail, we, on the 26th day of De- 
 cember, made our visits of leave to the chiefs and gen- 
 tlemen of the respective nations, again thanked them for 
 their attentions, and received their good wishes for our 
 prosperity. The next day I went on board, and the day 
 after the ship came to sail, on her return to America. 
 
 It having been understood, at the time Mr. Randall 
 engaged to go the voyage with me, that, if any opportu- 
 nity offered to his advantage when in China, he should 
 not be obliged to return in the ship, but might remain in 
 China, or go where he judged it most conducive to his 
 interest, he accordingly availed himself of an opportu- 
 nity which seemed to promise something advantageous 
 to him, and did not return in the ship. In consequence 
 of this permission, the owners had the benefit of his ser- 
 vices, without adding any thing to the allowance they 
 first offered to me, besides the advantage of a double se- 
 curity for their property ; as their instructions to me 
 were, in case of my death, directed to and binding on 
 him. 
 
 On the 28th of December, 1784, we came to sail at 
 
 7 _ 
 
 Whampoa, and in passing the shipping, at four o'clock, 
 P. M., saluted them with nine guns, which were re- 
 turned by the respective commodores. On the 30th, 
 while passing Second Bar, I went on board the Tri- 
 ton and took leave of M. d'Ordelin and his officers, 
 whose politeness and attention to us on all occasions 
 merited our sincerest acknowledgments. On the 31st, 
 at sunset, being clear of Macao, the pilot left us.
 
 DEPARTURE FROM CANTON. 201 
 
 The Dutch ship General de Klerk having sailed a 
 day before us from Second Bar, and it having been 
 agreed, before we left Canton, that we would keep com- 
 pany through the Chinese seas, we spoke the next day, 
 and proceeded together towards North island, where we 
 anchored at noon on Wednesday, the 19th of Janua- 
 ry, in fourteen fathoms, the island bearing from our ship 
 N. by E. | E. two miles, and the Watering Place, on 
 Sumatra, S. W. the same distance. Here we found at 
 anchor one Dutch, two English, and two Portuguese 
 ships, bound for Europe. The English ships, the Pons- 
 borne and Hawke, sailed from Second Bar three days 
 after us, and, going through the Gaspar passage, arrived 
 at North island one day before us. Our keeping com- 
 pany with Captain Banks was with the view of availing 
 ourselves of his experience, as we did not go through 
 the Straits of Banca on our way to Canton. All the 
 time we were with him we were constantly obliged to 
 shorten sail, and it was no small mortification to us, on 
 arriving at the island, to find that he was equally a 
 stranger in those seas with ourselves, it being his first 
 voyage to China ; nor did it console us for the loss of 
 an anchor, in weighing from Pulo Timon on the llth 
 of January, on which occasion he lost one too. 
 
 On coming to anchor, the captain, Mr. Swift, and I, 
 went on board the General de Klerk, and dined with 
 Commodore Banks and Mr. Benthem, one of the Dutch 
 supercargoes from Canton. It is the custom of the 
 Dutch residents to send annually a supercargo to Hol- 
 land, to report to the directors the state of their affairs, 
 and to bring back their orders. The Swedes and Danes 
 send out supercargoes, who assist their residents at Can- 
 ton and return with the ships. 
 26
 
 202 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 After dinner, Captain Banks and Mr. Benthem went 
 with us on board the other Dutch ship. She was called 
 the Hoorn, commanded by Captain Terence, and bound 
 from Batavia to Holland. The captain had his wife on 
 board, whom he married at Batavia. Her dress was sin- 
 gular, and differed from any thing I had before seen. It 
 was composed of a long, loose, calico gown, which cov- 
 ered her neck and reached to the floor, the sleeves 
 wide down to the wrist, where they buttoned close up- 
 on the hand. Under this garment was another of calico, 
 which served as a petticoat and bodice. These articles, 
 I believe, composed the whole of her dress, except a pair 
 of slippers, her feet being without stockings. Her 
 hair, without any ornament, was put up behind with a 
 comb. After drinking a glass of wine, and engaging the 
 captain and his lady to dine with us the next day, he 
 accompanied us ashore on the island of Sumatra, where 
 we found a convenient place for wooding and watering. 
 Again going aboard the General de Klerk, we found 
 Captain Rivington, of the English ship Hawke, who 
 passed the evening with us, and at ten o'clock we re- 
 turned to our ship. 
 
 The next day, Captain Banks, Mr. Benthem, and an- 
 other gentleman from their ship, Captain Terence, his 
 lady, and their doctor, together with Senhores Jorge and 
 Soarez, supercargoes of the Portuguese, dined on board. 
 The lady was dressed as yesterday, except in finer cal- 
 ico, and with the addition of stockings and shoes. She 
 appeared to be upwards of thirty, easy in her manners, 
 sociable, and expressed much satisfaction at her enter- 
 tainment, especially as it was on board the first Ameri- 
 can ship that had visited these seas. 
 
 After dinner, several gentlemen from the Portuguese
 
 PORTUGUESE PAINTER. 203 
 
 ships visited us, among whom was one returning as a 
 prisoner to Lisbon. Being by profession a painter, he 
 had, in company with a clergyman, gone to China, with 
 the view of spending his days at Peking. On his arri- 
 val at Canton, the idea of bidding adieu for ever to his 
 country and friends operated so powerfully on his mind, 
 that he refused to go any farther. This determination 
 embarrassed the mandarins at Canton, who, in their de- 
 spatches to the' court of Peking, had mentioned both 
 him and the clergyman. On being told that he must as- 
 sign a reason for his refusal, he said, that, since his de- 
 parture from Europe, his father had died, and that he 
 had received letters from his mother, conjuring him to 
 return and take care of her and the children. The man- 
 darins said it was a good reason, but, as it would not be 
 judged sufficient by the court, they would in their next 
 despatch say he was sick, and afterwards report him dead, 
 which would settle the matter. The clergyman, digni- 
 fied with the rank of bishop in China, set out for Peking, 
 where he must end his days, without a hope of ever see- 
 ing those friends and that country of which he had taken 
 a final leave, while the painter, though a prisoner, in 
 my opinion more happy, was returning to both. 
 
 Senhor Jorge informed us that the ship on board 
 which he was passenger was built forty-eight years ago, 
 in Brazil, and that it was upwards of two years since 
 she had used either of her pumps. On the passage from 
 Europe, they tried them, but could get no water ; and 
 he observed that he had no doubt she would be a safe 
 ship forty-eight years longer. 
 
 Having finished wooding and watering, we left North 
 island on the 22d, and the next day anchored at Kroka- 
 toa, where we remained two days. At both of these
 
 204 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 places the Malays supply ships with fruit, yams, poultry, 
 turtle, and sometimes with buffaloes. Leaving Krokatoa, 
 and clearing the Straits of Sunda, we, on the 26th, at 
 noon, had Java Head bearing east ten leagues distant. 
 
 From Java Head we proceeded towards the Cape of 
 Good Hope. On the 4th of March, at nine, A. M., we 
 made the land, bearing N. by E. eleven or twelve 
 leagues. At eleven, had no ground, with one hundred 
 and thirty fathoms of line. At noon, by observation, in 
 34 35' south latitude, and, by my reckoning, in 25 44' 
 east longitude from London. Thence, keeping the coast 
 aboard a considerable part of the time, we doubled the 
 cape, and anchored in Table Bay on the 9th, at five, P. 
 M., having saluted the Dutch commodore with seven 
 guns, for which he returned a like number. We found 
 there several ships, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, French, 
 and American. On our coming to anchor, a gentle- 
 man from the shore came on board, who, after inquiring 
 whence we came and where bound, the number and con- 
 dition of our crew, which he took down in writing, gave 
 the captain the rules of the port, and took leave. The 
 captain of the Swedish ship (Peter Aferdson) visited us, 
 and we sent our boat on board the American ship, which 
 returned, bringing Captain Ingersoll and Doctor Leavitt, 
 who were on shore when we cast anchor. The ship 
 was called the Grand Turk, from Salem, owned by E. 
 H. Derby, Esq., of that place. These gentlemen passed 
 the evening with us ; and the next morning Captain 
 Green, the doctor, and I, went ashore, and took lodgings 
 at the same house with them. There we remained till 
 Sunday evening, when, having taken in water and pro- 
 cured the necessary refreshments, we went on board, and 
 the next day (14th) at three, P. M., we came to sail.
 
 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 205 
 
 " The Cape of Good Hope," says the writer of An- 
 son's Voyage, " is situated in a temperate climate, where 
 the excesses of heat and cold are rarely known ; and the 
 Dutch inhabitants, who are numerous, and who here re- 
 tain their native industry, have stocked it with prodi- 
 gious plenty of all sorts of fruits and provisions ; most 
 of which, either from the equality of the seasons or the 
 peculiarity of the soil, are more delicious in their kind 
 than can be met with elsewhere ; so that by these, and 
 by the excellent water which abounds there, this settle- 
 ment is the best provided of any in the known world for 
 the refreshment of seamen after long voyages." 
 
 There is no doubt but that the foregoing description 
 is very just, though, from what we observed, there must 
 have been great improvements since that period. The 
 town is laid out in squares, with wide and commodious 
 streets. Besides two churches (Lutheran and Calvin- 
 ist), a state-house, library, hospitals, and other public 
 buildings, there may be about eight hundred dwelling- 
 houses, many of which are elegant, besides gentlemen's 
 seats and gardens towards the country. The Dutch 
 East India Company are proprietors of the soil, and let it 
 out to the settlers, whom they are obliged to supply with 
 every necessary of life, at moderate prices ; for which 
 purpose they have public magazines, and no commerce is 
 carried on but by their permission. The governor, fis- 
 cal, and other officers, are under their orders. The com- 
 pany's garden is extensive, open at all times, and on 
 Sundays is the resort of persons of every condition. 
 There are to be seen several sorts of wild animals, par- 
 ticularly a hedgehog, a wild boar, baboons, antelopes, 
 goats, rabbits, &c ; also, ostriches, hawks, eagles, pea- 
 cocks, owls, and other birds. The collection does not
 
 206 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 consist of so great a variety as formerly, there being at 
 present no lions, leopards, zebras, or the like, though the 
 skins of such beasts are to be purchased in plenty at any 
 of the tanners' shops. 
 
 The inhabitants, most of whom are in the company's 
 service, add considerably to their income by subsisting 
 the Europeans, and supplying such ships as touch there 
 for refreshments, on then: way to India. The bay is pro- 
 tected by lines and forts, to which great additions have 
 been made since Governor Johnstone's visit, during the 
 war, to Saldanha bay, where he took five sail of their 
 Indiamen. The garrison is amply furnished with ord- 
 nance and every military apparatus, and consists of about 
 a thousand Dutch, and as many Swiss troops, hired by 
 the republic. These make a good appearance, and with 
 the inhabitants, who are all enrolled as militia, would, in 
 case of an invasion, form a very respectable force. They 
 are subject to the governor, as commander-in-chief, who 
 is himself a colonel in the Dutch service On going 
 ashore, Captain Green and I made him a visit of cere- 
 mony. He spoke French and English, appeared to be 
 well informed, as well respecting America as Europe, 
 and politely proffered us his assistance in any matters 
 where we might find occasion for it. 
 
 Perhaps at no place in the world do ships more easily 
 obtain fresh water. There is a large wooden pier, 
 where the boats come and take in that valuable element, 
 which is conveyed through pipes from the town, and by 
 means of hose into the casks, without removing them 
 from the boats. Ships may be watered either by their 
 own boats, or by boats hired of the company, which are 
 always in readiness. 
 
 Back of the town is the Table mountain, and other
 
 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 207 
 
 high grounds. From Table mountain is an extensive 
 view of the neighbouring country, bays, and inlets. To 
 gratify our curiosity, Doctor Leavitt, Mr. Green, and I, 
 the day after our arrival, ascended this mountain. When 
 we set out it was perfectly clear, in a short time it 
 was clouded over, and again clear. After three hours 
 and a half of hard travelling we gained its summit, 
 when, to our great mortification, we were entirely dis- 
 appointed of our object. The top of the mountain re- 
 mained enveloped in clouds, the fog thickened, it be- 
 gan to rain, and we returned through a continual shower. 
 Just after setting out upon this jaunt, an invitation came 
 for Captain Green and me to dine with the governor. 
 The captain went, but my excursion to the mountain 
 deprived me of that pleasure. 
 
 The ladies at the Cape are fond of dress, well-bred, 
 conversable, and not uninteresting. The residence of 
 the military among them, particularly the French and 
 Swiss, has not a little conduced to this disposition, and 
 has rendered the French language very familiar to most 
 of them. At a ball given a few days before our arrival, 
 by the governor, in honor of the Prince of Orange's 
 birthday, there were present upwards of eighty ladies, 
 quite in the European style. The gentlemen do not ap- 
 pear to equal advantage ; and it is a general remark 
 among the Europeans there, that few of the natives 
 ever turn out good for much. To what this may be 
 owing, or how far the observation is just, it is difficult 
 to determine ; but it seems to be corroborated by an au- 
 thor of no small reputation, who has critically examined 
 human nature. In the Sketches of the History of Man, 
 he says : " Instances are without number of men de- 
 generating in a climate to which they are not fitted by
 
 208 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 nature ; and I know not of a single instance where, in 
 such a climate, people have retained their original vigor. 
 Several European colonies have subsisted in the torrid 
 zone of America more than two centuries ; and yet even 
 that length of time has not familiarized them to the cli- 
 mate : they cannot bear heat, like the original inhabit- 
 ants, nor like negroes transplanted from a country equal- 
 ly hot ; they are far from equalling, in vigor of mind or 
 body, the nations from which they sprung. The Span- 
 ish inhabitants of Carthagena, in South America, lose 
 their vigor and color in a few months. Their motions 
 are languid ; and their words are pronounced in a low 
 voice, and with long and frequent intervals. The off- 
 spring of Europeans born in Batavia soon degenerate. 
 Scarce one of them has talents sufficient to bear a part 
 in the administration. There is not an office of trust 
 but must be filled with native Europeans. Some Por- 
 tuguese, who have been for ages settled on the seacoast 
 of Congo, retain scarce the appearance of men." 
 
 The fertility of the country about the Cape, and the 
 provision made by the Dutch for supplying the inhabit- 
 ants with every foreign commodity, render the settle- 
 ment very independent of the rest of the world. Cap- 
 tain Ingersoll's object was to sell rum, cheese, salt pro- 
 visions, chocolate, loaf-sugar, butter, &c., the proceeds of 
 which in money, with a quantity of ginseng, and some 
 cash brought with him, he intended to invest in Bohea 
 tea. But as the ships bound to Europe are not allowed 
 to break bulk by the way, he was disappointed in his 
 expectation of purchasing that article, and sold his gin- 
 seng for two thirds of a Spanish dollar a pound, which 
 is twenty per cent, better than the silver money of the 
 Cape. He intended remaining a short time to purchase
 
 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 209 
 
 fine teas, in the private trade allowed the officers on 
 board India ships, and then sail to the coast of Guinea, 
 to dispose of his rum, &c., for ivory and gold dust ; 
 thence, without taking a single slave, proceed to the 
 West Indies and purchase sugar and cotton, with which 
 he should return to Salem. Notwithstanding the disap- 
 pointment in the principal object of the voyage, and the 
 consequent determination to go to the coast of Guinea, 
 his resolution not to endeavour to retrieve it by purchas- 
 ing slaves did the captain great honor, and reflected 
 equal credit upon his owner, who, he assured me, would 
 rather sink the whole capital employed, than, directly or 
 indirectly, be concerned in so infamous a traffic. 
 
 Besides the American vessel, there were eighteen oth- 
 ers in the bay, under French, Danish, and Dutch col- 
 ors ; the latter from Batavia, waiting for their China ships 
 to sail in company with them to Europe ; the others 
 from the coast of India. The day before we left the 
 Cape, a sloop of war arrived from England, in eleven 
 weeks, bound to Madras. 
 
 How precarious is all earthly happiness ! and how 
 liable are we to be disappointed, even in our fondest 
 and most virtuous expectations ! The American papers 
 brought by Captain Ingersoll announced to me the death 
 of the best of fathers, and destroyed the pleasing hope I 
 had entertained of meeting that dear relation, and cheer- 
 ing his declining age with the society of a beloved son. 
 
 Leaving the Cape of Good Hope, on the 14th of 
 March, we proceeded towards America, without any ex- 
 traordinary occurrence, excepting the death of our car- 
 penter, John Morgan,* whose body was committed to the 
 
 * This was the only person that died during the voyage. 
 27
 
 210 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 deep at noon, the 15th of April, in latitude 5 2' north, 
 and 27 23' west longitude from London, till the 25th 
 of April, at daybreak, when we unexpectedly saw the 
 land, being the island of St. Bartholomew, in the West 
 Indies. At ten, the same day, we spoke the brig Rebec- 
 ca, John Carson, from Baltimore, bound to St. Eustatia. 
 At noon, made the island of St. Martin, S. W. \ W. dis- 
 tant six leagues. This island lies in 18 5' north lat- 
 itude, and 62 30' west longitude from London. Our 
 observation that day was 18 8' north latitude, and my 
 reckoning 52 49' west longitude, which will account 
 for the expression " unexpectedly," on making the land, 
 especially as it was equally unexpected to every body on 
 board. The captain, the day before only, having asked 
 me my longitude, expressed surprise at my being so far 
 to the westward, as my reckoning was ahead of every 
 other in the ship, and jocosely accounted for it by my 
 hurry to get home. We were at a loss how to account 
 for the difference, especially as we were all equally in a 
 " hurry to get home," and had accordingly made our al- 
 lowances westerly. A discovery, on the 27th, helped to 
 solve the difficulty ; our glass, which should run fourteen 
 seconds, was found to be only twelve and a half, and the 
 twenty-eight but little more than twenty-five. A new 
 glass was adjusted to fourteen seconds, and the knot of 
 our logline to forty-five feet. Taking a fresh departure 
 from St. Martin's, we shaped our course for New York, 
 and on the 10th of May, at six, P. M., saw the Never- 
 sink. During that night we stood off and on, and at 
 nine the next morning got a pilot on board, who at noon 
 brought us to anchor in the East river at New York, 
 when we saluted the city with thirteen guns, and fin- 
 ished our voyage.
 
 LOG FROM NEW YORK TO CANTON. 211 
 
 Number of Miles sailed during the Voyage, by the Log. 
 
 From Sandy Hook 
 24th Feb., 1784, 
 
 ' 
 
 From St. Jago, 
 
 27th March, 
 
 
 103 
 
 122 
 
 226 
 
 217 
 
 84 
 
 120 
 
 199 
 
 91 
 
 168 
 
 96 
 
 109 
 
 157 
 
 112 
 
 70 
 
 95 
 
 185 
 
 63 
 
 97 
 
 64 
 
 54 
 
 137 
 
 69 
 
 93 
 
 49 
 
 109 
 
 193 
 
 70 
 
 42 
 
 109 
 
 117 
 
 206 
 
 51 
 
 161 
 
 119 
 
 123 
 
 211 
 
 28 
 
 195 
 
 67 
 
 98 
 
 229 
 
 31 
 
 94 
 
 112 
 
 95 
 
 217 
 
 49 
 
 148 
 
 202 
 
 91 
 
 1710 
 
 839 
 
 1259 
 
 1177 
 
 962 
 
 197 
 
 67 
 
 177 
 
 189 
 
 79 
 
 200 
 
 40 
 
 159 
 
 163 
 
 43 
 
 206 
 
 97 
 
 86 
 
 182 
 
 35 
 
 207 
 
 82 
 
 125 
 
 172 
 
 55 
 
 171 
 
 98 
 
 92 
 
 136 
 
 37 
 
 156 
 
 117 
 
 82 
 
 126 
 
 25 
 
 56 
 
 145 
 
 83 
 
 118 
 
 66 
 
 30 
 
 151 
 
 94 
 
 180 
 
 44 
 
 30 
 
 142 
 
 132 
 
 148 
 
 81 
 
 58 
 
 149 
 
 124 
 
 120 
 
 70 
 
 1311 
 
 1088 
 
 1154 
 
 1534 
 
 86 
 
 140 
 
 148 
 
 102 
 
 103 
 
 70 
 
 93 
 
 137 
 
 186 
 
 98 
 
 691 
 
 137 
 
 118 
 
 
 10K 
 
 
 -LO I 
 
 83 
 
 J. AW 
 
 139 
 
 91 
 
 \-fr*J 
 
 132 
 
 1653 
 
 91 
 
 137 
 
 170 
 
 138 
 
 3811 
 
 96 
 
 152 
 
 67 
 
 103 
 
 3840 
 
 124 
 
 100 
 
 114 
 
 50 
 
 3175 
 
 44 
 
 63 
 
 128 
 
 87 
 
 
 808 
 
 99 
 
 J-/w(_J 
 
 196 
 
 O I 
 
 141 
 
 12479 
 
 
 155 
 
 198 
 
 123 
 
 to Java 
 Head, 
 
 
 1248 
 
 1427 
 
 1100 
 
 17th July. 
 
 3829 
 
 3175 
 
 3840 
 
 3811 
 
 
 to the island of St 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jago, 22d March. 
 
 
 

 
 212 
 
 FIRST VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 In sailing through the Chinese seas, the log was not 
 regularly thrown ; we must therefore take the distance 
 by estimation. 
 
 Java Head, according to Moore, in lat. 6 45' S. 
 Canton, 23 7 N. 
 
 Difference, 29 52' 
 
 of latitude, 1792 miles, which, on a N. N. E. 
 course, will give 1940 miles from Java Head 
 to Canton, or Whampoa, 28th of August. 
 
 3829 
 
 12479 
 
 1940 
 
 18248
 
 LOG FROM CANTON TO NEW YORK. 213 
 
 From Whampoa, 28th Dec., 1784, to 26th Jan., 1785, 1940 miles. 
 From Java Head, 26th Jan., 
 
 30 
 
 147 
 
 123 
 
 62 
 
 142 
 
 
 93 
 
 151 
 
 85 
 
 100 
 
 80 
 
 
 106 
 
 185 
 
 82 
 
 80 
 
 42 
 
 
 117 
 
 187 
 
 117 
 
 80 
 
 30 
 
 
 44 
 
 188 
 
 173 
 
 121 
 
 
 
 
 33 
 
 173 
 
 143 
 
 141 
 
 294 
 
 
 151 
 
 132 
 
 106 
 
 154 
 
 960 
 
 
 166 
 
 120 
 
 180 
 
 107 
 
 1316 
 
 
 180 
 
 86 
 
 164 
 
 42 
 
 1480 
 
 
 163 
 
 111 
 
 143 
 
 73 
 
 1083 
 
 
 1083 
 
 1480 
 
 1316 
 
 960 
 
 Good Hope, 10th 
 March, 5133 
 
 From the Cape of Good Hope, 15th March, 
 
 106 
 
 76 
 
 72 
 
 128 
 
 179 
 
 
 189 
 
 159 
 
 41 
 
 156 
 
 158 
 
 
 177 
 
 164 
 
 38 
 
 177 
 
 
 
 
 154 
 
 181 
 
 30 
 
 165 
 
 337 
 
 
 148 
 
 163 
 
 23 
 
 167 
 
 1629 
 
 
 162 
 
 167 
 
 56 
 
 162 
 
 549 
 
 
 149 
 
 154 
 
 71 
 
 176 
 
 1403 
 
 
 167 
 
 116 
 
 64 
 
 170 
 
 1511 
 
 
 166 
 
 115 
 
 64 
 
 166 
 
 
 
 
 93 
 
 108 
 
 90 
 
 162 
 
 and of St. Mar- 
 tin, 25th April, 
 
 5429 
 
 1511 
 
 1403 
 
 549 
 
 1629 
 
 
 
 From the island of St. Martin, 26th April, 
 
 
 
 156 
 
 64 
 
 
 
 
 
 169 
 
 118 
 
 
 
 
 
 157 
 
 60 
 
 
 
 
 
 128 
 
 66 
 
 
 
 
 
 119 
 
 37 
 
 
 
 
 
 146 
 
 50 
 
 
 
 
 
 Q8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J7O 
 
 80 
 
 395 
 
 
 
 
 
 169 
 
 1313 
 
 
 
 
 
 91 
 
 
 to New York, Hth May, 
 
 1708 
 
 
 
 
 1313 
 
 
 
 14210
 
 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON.
 
 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 As ours was the first vessel from America that had 
 ever visited China, I addressed a letter, on the 19th of 
 May,* to the Secretary for the Department of Foreign 
 Affairs, in which the material occurrences of the expe- 
 dition were mentioned, namely, our meeting with 
 the French in the Straits of Sunda, our reception at 
 China, and the manner in which the Chinese and the 
 European nations who have establishments at Canton 
 behaved towards us. This letter was laid before Con- 
 gress, and that honorable body was pleased to direct the 
 Secretary to inform me, " That Congress feel a pe- 
 culiar satisfaction in the successful issue of this first ef- 
 fort of the citizens of America to establish a direct trade 
 with China, which does so much honor to its undertak- 
 ers and conductors." 
 
 The concern which fitted out our ship having been 
 dissolved, and my friend Mr. Parker become bankrupt, 
 and gone to Europe, I had to settle the accounts of the 
 voyage with Gouverneur Morris and Thomas Fitzsim- 
 mons, Esquires, the former as attorney of Robert Mor- 
 ris, Esq., who owned one half, and the latter, as assignee 
 
 * See Appendix, A. 
 28
 
 218 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 of the effects of Daniel Parker & Co., representing the 
 other. As much time would have elapsed before all the 
 cargo could have been sold, an estimate was made by 
 these gentlemen of its probable proceeds, to which I 
 agreed, and by the settlement so made, there was a clear 
 7<37 profit of thirty thousand seven hundred and twenty-sev^_ 
 en dollars, being upwards of twenty-five per cent, on 
 one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, the capital 
 employed. 
 
 Situated as I found myself on my return, by the death 
 of my father and of my eldest brother, I relinquished 
 the idea of pursuing the China business, and accepted 
 the appointment of first secretary in the war-office of 
 the United States, under the patronage of my friend 
 General Knox, who was head of the department, an 
 office the duties of which would allow me sufficient 
 time to attend to my private concerns and the settlement 
 of my father's estate. In the mean while, Mr. Randall 
 arrived from China, in the ship Pallas, commanded by 
 John O'Donnell, Esq., with teas, taken at a credit on our 
 joint account, to the amount of fifty thousand dollars, 
 first cost. In this speculation we interested Robert Mor- 
 ris, Esq., one half, in order that we might not be 
 obliged to force a sale of the teas at a disadvantage ; in 
 consequence of which, he engaged to make the remit- 
 tances to Europe, agreeably to the tenor of the bonds we 
 had entered into at Canton. Shortly after, we sold him 
 the other half, when the holders of the bonds gave Mr. 
 Randall and me an acquittance, and accepted Mr. Morris 
 in our stead. 
 
 Mr. Morris, having determined to send the ship a sec- 
 ond time to China, offered to be concerned with Mr. 
 Randall and me again, upon a more extensive plan,
 
 ALARM OF FIRE. 219 
 
 which would have involved our staying at Canton sev- 
 eral years ; but, as he was pleased to think the terms we 
 required were too high, the matter dropped, and another 
 gentleman was employed, merely for the voyage. 
 
 Towards the close of November, proposals were made 
 to me by Isaac Sears, Esq., and other gentlemen in New 
 York, to take a concern with them in a voyage to Can- 
 ton, and, with Mr. Sears, superintend the business. To 
 these proposals I agreed, on condition that my friend 
 Randall should be admitted, and the business at Canton 
 transacted by us jointly, or, in case of a difference of 
 opinion, by a majority. A good ship, called the Hope, 
 was accordingly provided, nearly of the dimensions of 
 the Empress of China, and the command given to Cap- 
 tain James Magee. Immediately on engaging in this 
 business, I resigned my appointment in the war-office, 
 and was shortly after honored by Congress with their 
 commission of Consul at Canton, when Mr. Randall also 
 received that of Vice-consul. A suitable cargo having 
 been provided, we sailed from New York on the 4th of 
 February, 1786, bound to Batavia and Canton. 
 
 Having taken our departure from Sandy Hook, we 
 proceeded towards the Cape de Yerde islands, without 
 any remarkable occurrence, till about the last of the 
 month, when, while at dinner, we were alarmed by the 
 cry of Fire ! and in a few minutes saw the main topmast 
 all in a blaze. The ship was immediately brought to, 
 and, notwithstanding every endeavour to extinguish the 
 fire, it raged with such violence as obliged us to cut 
 away the topmast, and thereby relieve ourselves from 
 much anxiety, as the wind was exceedingly fresh, and 
 consequently the ship in not a little danger. This fire 
 was probably occasioned by the friction of the runner
 
 220 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 of the main topsail tie, and it is remarkable that the top- 
 mast, in falling, stove in, with its burning end, the arm- 
 chest upon deck, in which were some horns filled with 
 powder, and thence, without doing further injury, re- 
 bounded overboard. 
 
 However much we were alarmed on this occasion, 
 we had not less reason to be so a few days after, when 
 we discovered a sail coming towards us. On approach- 
 ing each other, we were suspicious of her being an Al- 
 gerine, and accordingly showed English colors. But 
 this civility on our part did not answer the desired pur- 
 pose, for no sooner had she gained our wake than she 
 put about and stood after us with all sail. This was the 
 4th of March, about seven in the morning, and it was 
 an uncomfortable reflection, that our mainmast had, 
 two days before, been so much sprung in a gale of wind, 
 as to render carrying sail upon it exceedingly hazard- 
 ous. But it was no time to hesitate, the main tack 
 was got on board, and in the course of three or four 
 hours we had the satisfaction to find that we outsailed 
 her. The next morning, she was not in sight. In the 
 mean time every exertion was made to fish the mast, 
 which was scarcely secured, at sunset, when the same 
 sail hove in sight, but, night coming on, we saw no 
 more of her. Our observation at noon of the first day 
 was 21 52' noilk latitude, and the reckoning between 
 
 22 and^JPwest "longitude from London. On the 7th 
 
 of Jplrcn, we saw the island of St. Anthony (one of 
 the Cape de Verde group), from which having taken a 
 fresh departure, we proceeded to the southward. On the 
 17th of April, we were again alarmed by another visiter 
 of the same class as the former. " At three, P. M.," 
 says our log, " saw a sail bearing S. by E. standing to
 
 BATAVJA. 221 
 
 the northward. At four, she came under our lee, hove 
 about, and gave us chase, being a polacre-rigged snow, 
 which we take to be a cruiser from her manoBuvring. 
 At six, the snow bearing W. two leagues distant." At 
 six o'clock next morning, no sail in sight from the mast- 
 head. Our observation at noon of the 17th was 29 48' 
 south latitude, reckonings on board between 15 and 16 
 west from London. 
 
 On the 4th of July, we anchored in the road of Ba- 
 tavia, having lost our ship's steward, Mr. John Hoogs, 
 who died a few days before we made the land. Mr. 
 Shaw and Mr. Randall went ashore the same evening, 
 and the next morning the captain and Mr. Sears. Hav- 
 ing transacted our business at Batavia, we left it for Can- 
 ton on the 23d of the same month, Mr. Sears and the 
 captain being confined to their beds with a fever, which 
 had attacked them two days before. 
 
 The city of Batavia, on the island of Java, is large, 
 the streets wide, intersecting each other at right angles, 
 and the houses built of brick and very commodious*. 
 The country-seats in its environs are far superior in point 
 of elegance to any thing of the kind I have ever seen. 
 The police is excellent, and, in short, I think the whole 
 city in appearance exceeds any description of it which I 
 have met with, and is a striking example of the wealth 
 and energy of the Dutch nation. It is true, this capital 
 of their settlements in India has cost the lives of at least 
 a million of the innocent natives, whom we ought to 
 suppose equally dear to the Supreme Father of all. 
 
 " Quid non mortalia pectora cogis, 
 Auri sacra fames ? " 
 
 Among many good institutions, there is one in partic- 
 ular which does honor to humanity. This is the estab-
 
 222 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 lishment of the orphan colleges. I had the pleasure of 
 viewing their procession, when the heads of the colleges 
 attended the governor and council, to take the annual 
 oath of fidelity. The pupils are the orphan children 
 of the several nations residing here ; and it was a most 
 interesting sight to behold Dutch, Malay, Chinese, Moor, 
 Armenian, and Jew, dressed on this occasion in black 
 silk cloaks, and uniformly promoting this most excellent 
 institution. The college for the rich orphans manage 
 their estates and superintend their education, in the same 
 manner as do guardians in other countries. For this ex- 
 pense each estate is taxed at a certain rate, the overplus 
 of which goes towards supporting the college for poor 
 orphans, who are also properly taken care of, and the 
 fund is completed by voluntary contributions. 
 
 On our arrival at Batavia, we visited the governor- 
 general, who gave us permission to trade, and, previously 
 to our departure, entertained us at supper. During our 
 stay, we were at one of their monthly concerts, which 
 was performed while the gentlemen and ladies amused 
 themselves at cards. The dress of the ladies is rather 
 singular, though well adapted to the climate in which 
 they live. It consists of a long chintz petticoat, a close 
 vest, instead of stays or bodice, and a long gown, which 
 last is generally of the finest muslin, and does not en- 
 tirely conceal the neck and bosom that it covers. Its 
 long sleeves are loose till they reach the elbow, whence 
 they button along the arm to the wrist, with eight or ten 
 buttons each, which among the richer sort are generally 
 diamonds. In the arrangement of their hair, they are 
 inexpressibly neat ; without cushion, gauze, lace, or any 
 other superstructure, it is put up with a few diamond 
 pins, in such a manner as to give a lively idea of that
 
 B ATA VI A. 223 
 
 simplex munditiis which of old was so pleasing to the 
 elegant Horace. There is an article of their manners 
 not less peculiar than this of their dress. Whether in 
 private or in public, the ladies sit next to their hus- 
 bands, and, on rising from table, each makes a courtesy 
 to her good man, and gives him a kiss. During the 
 evening, and after supper, while part of the ladies 
 danced, the others amused themselves with chewing 
 betel and areca. This is said to be very wholesome in 
 hot countries, and a great preservative to the teeth and 
 gums. It is kept in gold boxes, and a little female slave 
 attends with a gilt, and sometimes a silver, jar, into 
 which the lady spits as occasion requires. It were to 
 be wished that the use of this article could be confined 
 to the toilet, for, notwithstanding its salutary effects, it 
 is certain that the finest mouth, when imbued with its 
 juice, loses that charm which would otherwise render 
 it irresistible. I have seen some of these betel equi- 
 pages which must have cost at least a thousand dollars. 
 A gentleman having, in sport, overset one of these boxes, 
 I assisted the lady in collecting its scattered contents, for 
 which she did me the honor to present me with a quid. 
 The lady with whom I danced was of middle age, and 
 not uninteresting ; but as she could speak neither Eng- 
 lish nor French, and I neither Dutch nor Malay, we 
 could converse only in dumb show. 
 
 Batavia, being the great emporium of the Dutch in 
 India, is a regularly fortified place, and its establish- 
 ments, civil and military, are very extensive. By the 
 latter, the citizens are not only free from all appre- 
 hensions on account of the natives, but consider them- 
 selves perfectly secure against any European force which 
 could be brought to operate against them. The inhabit-
 
 224 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 ants are Dutch from Europe, Dutch and Portuguese Cre- 
 oles, Armenians, Jews, Moors, Malays, and Chinese, of 
 which last it is thought there are not less than one hun- 
 dred thousand. The city is reckoned unhealthy, from 
 its situation on a flat ground, and the canals which pass 
 through every part of it, many of which are left without 
 water several hours in the day. Notwithstanding the 
 insalubrity of the city, the interior situations on the 
 island are said to be as healthy as any in India, and it is 
 at these retirements that the more wealthy part of the 
 inhabitants pass a large portion of their time. 
 
 One of the most charming country-seats perhaps in 
 the world belongs to Mr. Smith, first member of the 
 council. It is called Simplicitas, and is at the distance 
 of fifteen English miles from Batavia. His son-in-law, 
 Mr. Reynst, gave Mr. Randall and me, with three cap- 
 tains of English country ships, an invitation to pass a 
 day there. A number of his acquaintance accompanied 
 us with him. On alighting from our carriages at the 
 house, we were saluted with twelve small brass field- 
 pieces, and on entering found a most elegant breakfast 
 awaiting us. In the yard before us was a -vast variety 
 of poultry, peacocks, crown-birds, beautiful pheasants, 
 and other birds peculiar to India ; while, on our right 
 hand, in a spacious park, were upwards of two hundred 
 deer, bounding and running in every direction. Our at- 
 tention to this beautiful object was called off only to be- 
 hold another of a different kind. This was a vast col- 
 umn of large fat cattle, the front of which came within 
 full view of the place where we were sitting, and then 
 filed off to the left, the whole passing in review, to the 
 number of between twelve and thirteen hundred head. 
 After these two capital objects, it can add but little to
 
 BATAVIA. 225 
 
 the idea of the owner's wealth to mention the horses, 
 goats, pigs, and other animals, which were in abundance. 
 If we were pleased with our prospect while at breakfast, 
 we were not less so afterwards, in walking into the gar- 
 den, which began upon the level, and was continued in a 
 number of terraces, cut into the declivity of the hill, till 
 it terminated at the bottom in a beautiful river, which 
 ran through a lawn as extensive as the eye could take 
 in. Besides this garden, where appeared, in their differ- 
 ent stages, fruits, flowers, and vegetables in profusion, 
 there were large fields of pepper, rice, and coffee. In 
 the house was a library, a billiard-table, a harpsichord, 
 and several other musical instruments. Our dinner was 
 equal to the expectation which every thing we had seen 
 induced us to form ; and the first toast, after the cloth 
 was removed, being our welcome to Simplicitas, was ac- 
 companied by a discharge of three field-pieces. We 
 begged permission to give the second, which was pros- 
 perity to its hospitable owner, and had the same accom- 
 paniment. After such a variety of entertainment, we 
 left this enchanting place, about six in the evening, un- 
 der another discharge from the twelve field-pieces, and 
 on our return to Batavia stopped at Mr. Hemmy's, one 
 of our party, with whom and his lady we passed the 
 remainder of the evening and supped ; whence we re- 
 turned to the hotel at eleven o'clock. 
 
 During our stay at Batavia, we were also entertained 
 by Mr. Bynon, Secretary to the Council of Justice, at 
 his country-seat, and by Mr. Skelliberg, in town. Un- 
 fortunately, the Shabandar, Mr. Le Cle, who is remark- 
 able for his attention to strangers, was so much out of 
 health as not to be able to show us any civilities of this 
 kind ; an incident which, as it regarded us, he repeat- 
 edly regretted in the most obliging terms.
 
 226 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 All foreigners coming to Batavia are obliged to live at 
 the hotel, which is large, elegant, and commodious, and 
 is a public establishment ; on which account, though a 
 gentleman should obtain permission, for the benefit of 
 his health, to reside in the environs of the city, he must 
 pay the daily sum of one rix dollar* to the hotel. 
 Coaches are kept by the master of the hotel, and ev- 
 ery two gentlemen are obliged to pay the hire of one, 
 whether they use it or not. This article is three rix 
 dollars a day, and is at call from six in the morning till 
 ten at night. The driver knows every house in the 
 city, and is only to be told where he is to go. Of 
 course, gentlemen seldom walk, and towards evening, 
 as well as early in the morning, if they please, they 
 ride through the environs, a circuit of about six miles. 
 At the hotel are kept two separate ordinaries, one for 
 strangers, and the other for gentlemen of their own na- 
 tion, particularly those of the military and marine. 
 There are also two billiard-tables, that there may be no 
 more interference than the parties mutually wish. In 
 short, every arrangement seems to have the convenience 
 of strangers for its object, and the society, especially of 
 the European Dutch, is very respectable. 
 
 Among the numerous buildings for the accommoda- 
 tion of its inhabitants, there is, just without the city, an 
 observatory, which was erected at the expense of a pri- 
 vate gentleman, on his own ground. It was, however, 
 much out of repair, and going fast to decay ; a circum- 
 stance I could not help regretting, when from its top, at 
 the going down of the sun, I beheld the sea and land 
 stretching as far as the eye could reach, and terminating 
 in the most beautiful horizon imaginable. 
 
 * Equal to three fourths of a Spanish dollar.
 
 DEATH OF MR. SEARS. 227 
 
 Leaving Batavia on the 23d of July, we proceeded 
 through the Gaspar passage, and anchored in the road of 
 Macao on the 10th of August, where taking a pilot, we 
 arrived at Whampoa on the 15th, and the same day Mr. 
 Randall and I repaired to Canton, Mr. Sears and the cap- 
 tain still remaining very sick. 
 
 After passing three days at Canton, and procuring a 
 factory, we returned to the ship, and consulted with Mr. 
 Sears on the necessary arrangements to be made respect- 
 ing our business. This done, we went back to Canton, 
 occasionally visiting and conferring with our sick friend. 
 In the mean time, both he and the captain were recov- 
 ering slowly, and at one period he had so far got the 
 better of his disorder as to visit Canton, and pass two 
 days with us at the factory, when, finding the air did 
 not agree with him, he returned on board ship. There, 
 at first, he continued to gain strength daily, but in a 
 short time after he relapsed, and, a flux setting in with 
 his fever, the disease baffled the efforts of medicine, and \ 
 carried him off, on the 28th of October, in the fifty-sev- 
 enth year of his age. His remains were interred the 
 next day on French island, with the usual solemnities ; 
 and previous to our ship leaving Whampoa, a tomb was 
 erected over them, and a suitable inscription placed upon 
 it. To give his character in a few words, he was an 
 honest man, an agreeable acquaintance, and a warm 
 friend. 
 
 After the detail, in my former journal, of such matters 
 as occur among the Chinese at Canton, there can be 
 nothing to remark, in a second voyage, respecting a peo- 
 ple whose manners and customs may be considered like 
 the laws of the ancient Medes and Persians, which al- 
 tered not. Consequently, any observations, on occasions
 
 34, which returned to Europe. 
 
 228 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 succeeding a first visit, must be mainly confined to the 
 foreign commerce. 
 
 In the year 1785 and the beginning of 1786, the ship- 
 ping at Canton was as follows : 
 
 English, 18 "i 
 
 Dutch, 4 
 
 French, 1 
 
 Spanish, 4 
 
 Danish, 3 
 
 Swedish, 4. 
 
 Also, * Portuguese, from Macao to Europe ; and 1 
 English American, under Imperial colors, that sailed for 
 Europe and America ; besides 10 English country ships, 
 that returned to the coast of India. 
 
 The present season, down to the 27th of January, 
 1787, there have been as follows : 
 
 English, 29 Dutch, 5l 
 
 French, 1 Spanish, 2 . ~ ^ 
 
 > 45, for Europe. 
 Danish, 2 Swedish, 1 f 
 
 Portuguese, from Macao, 5J 
 
 American, 5, namely, 
 
 Sloop Experiment, Dean, from New York, 
 
 Ship Canton, Truxton, " Philadelphia, 
 
 " Empress of China, Green, " New York, 
 " Hope, Magee, " " 
 
 " Grand Turk, West, " Salem, to the 
 
 Isle of France, thence to Canton. 
 
 English country ships, 23, from, and returning to, the 
 coast of India. 
 
 This is the greatest number that has ever been known 
 here in any single year, and its effects on the commerce 
 
 * A blank in the MS.
 
 EUROPEAN TRADE WITH CHINA. 229 
 
 are such as must naturally be expected. Excepting Bo- 
 hea, every kind of tea is at least twenty-five per cent, 
 higher than in the year 1784, and other exports are pro- 
 portionably dear. 
 
 The increase of the English shipping, not only in 
 number, but greatly in tonnage, is owing to the duty on 
 tea having been commuted by Parliament, and the de- 
 termination of the company to have a year's supply of 
 that article beforehand, in order to prevent the smug- 
 gling trade hitherto carried on with other nations. It 
 is generally thought that the commerce of the Danes, 
 Swedes, and French will be materially affected by this 
 regulation. This extraordinary demand for tea by the 
 English has obliged them to export from England large 
 quantities of bullion ; especially as their credit with 
 their subjects in India, and with the Chinese, has been 
 pushed as far as it would bear. Last year, their ships 
 depended greatly on the latter of these resources for their 
 homeward cargoes ; and the present season, no less than 
 seven hundred thousand pounds sterling, upwards of 
 three millions of dollars, have been received in specie by 
 their direct ships. 
 
 The English country ships sometimes make good 
 voyages to Batavia, carrying there muslins and all kinds 
 of cotton piece goods, a variety of silk manufactures, 
 and large quantities of saltpetre. In return, those that 
 come to Canton take pepper and block-tin, and others 
 carry sugar to the coast of Malabar, which affords a 
 handsome freight. 
 
 With respect to the French, that nation having no In- 
 dia company at the conclusion of the late war, several 
 essays have been made for conducting its trade with 
 China. Those of 1783 and 1784 have been already
 
 230 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 mentioned, and the last year they had only a single ship. 
 The result of these experiments very probably induced 
 the forming of a new company, and the present year 
 they employ eight ships, namely, six for India, and 
 two for China ; one of which last, having doubled the 
 Cape of Good Hope late in the season, has, it is thought, 
 gone to Pondicherry. Their China ships depend chiefly 
 for their return cargoes on the specie they bring from 
 Europe. Their India ships carry out stores and mer- 
 chandise to the isles of France and Bourbon, and to their 
 settlements on the coast and in Bengal. Their return 
 cargoes are pepper, coffee, drugs, saltpetre, and piece 
 goods, such as muslins, calicoes, chintzes, and the vari- 
 rious other manufactures, both of silk and cotton. The 
 French do not themselves entertain very high expec- 
 tations of their Asiatic commerce. Sensible people 
 among them readily grant that trade is not their forte, 
 and with respect to the present company they have not 
 hesitated to pronounce, " Qu'elle ne durera pas long- 
 temps." 
 
 The Spaniards, after conducting their trade in private 
 ships, have formed a company at Manila, whose fund is 
 said to be eight millions of dollars. Their two ships 
 here will return to Manila, where their cargoes will be 
 disposed of, part being retained for the market there, 
 part sent to their settlements in America, by the way 
 of Acapulco, and the residue to Europe, in other ships. 
 This nation must depend principally upon its silver. 
 
 The Portuguese retain scarcely the shadow of their 
 former consequence. A few ships, owned by individuals 
 at Macao and their remaining settlements in India, are 
 kept in the country trade, which is managed by them in 
 much the same manner as by the English. Their Euro-
 
 AMERICAN TRADE WITH CHINA. 231 
 
 pean trade, as has been observed, is also conducted by 
 private persons ; and so little do they now derive from 
 their possessions in India, that they are obliged in a 
 great measure to depend on a credit from the Chinese for 
 their homeward cargoes. Scarcely one of their ships 
 brings from Europe sufficient funds ; and were it not for 
 this credit, and the aid they receive from such Euro- 
 pean company-servants in India as are desirous of send- 
 ing home their property, not subject to the scrutiny of 
 their masters, the commerce of this nation with China 
 would undoubtedly fail. 
 
 Since the year 1783, some small vessels have been fit- 
 ted out by private persons in India and at Macao, for the 
 fur-trade with Kamtschatka and the northwest coast of 
 America. Their success has answered the expectation 
 of the adventurers, and not a little reduced the price of 
 furs brought here from Europe. 
 
 After this general sketch of the manner in which other 
 nations conduct their commerce with China, it may not 
 be improper to make a few observations on the nature of 
 our own. 
 
 The inhabitants of America must have tea, the con- 
 sumption of which will necessarily increase with the in- 
 creasing population of our country. While, therefore, 
 the nations of Europe are for the most part obliged to 
 purchase this commodity with ready money, it must be 
 pleasing to an American to know that his country can 
 have it upon easier terms ; and that the otherwise use- 
 less produce of her mountains and forests will in a con- 
 siderable degree supply her with this elegant luxury. 
 The advantages peculiar to America in this instance are 
 striking ; and the manner in which her commerce has 
 commenced, and is now going on, with this country, has
 
 232 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 not a little alarmed the Europeans. They have seen, 
 the first year, a single ship, not one fifth part of whose 
 funds consisted of ready money, procure a cargo of the 
 same articles, and on equally good terms, as those of 
 their own ships, purchased, as has been observed, 
 principally with specie. They have seen this ship 
 again here, on her second voyage, and four others in 
 addition. They see these ships depending, and that, 
 too, with sufficient reason, upon the productions of their 
 own country to supply them with the merchandise of 
 this ; and, though only a small proportion of their funds 
 consisted of specie, they see them all returning with full 
 and valuable cargoes. Such are the advantages which 
 America derives from her ginseng. 
 
 With respect to the demand in this country for the 
 ginseng of America, which might perhaps be rendered as 
 beneficial to her citizens as her mines of silver and gold 
 have been to the rest of mankind, the world has been 
 much mistaken. Until the American flag appeared in 
 this quarter, it had been generally supposed that forty or 
 fifty piculs were equal to the annual consumption. Ex- 
 perience has proved the contrary. Upwards of four hun- 
 dred and forty piculs were brought here by the first 
 American ship, in 1784, which did not equal the quanti- 
 ty brought from Europe the same season, the greater 
 part of which must have been previously sent there by 
 citizens of the United States. The present season more 
 than eighteen hundred piculs have been sold, one half 
 of which came in the American vessels. Notwithstand- 
 ing this increased quantity, since 1784, the sales have 
 not been materially affected by it ; and it is probable 
 there will always be a sufficient demand for the article 
 to make it equally valuable.
 
 AMERICAN TRADE WITH CHINA. 233 
 
 On a consideration of the subject of ginseng, the in- 
 quiry seems naturally to arise, Whether it cannot be ren- 
 'dered more beneficial to the country which produces it 
 than it is at present ? How far the culture of this com- 
 modity is practicable, in what manner it may best 
 be promoted, and whether it would be for the inter- 
 est of America to prevent the exportation of it, in any 
 but American bottoms, directly to this country, may be 
 questions not unworthy of national attention. 
 
 Besides the advantages which America may derive 
 from her ginseng, in the direct commerce with China, 
 others would also accrue from making the voyage cir- 
 cuitous, which could be performed without loss of time. 
 Our ship, as has been observed, stopped at Batavia, the 
 capital of the Dutch establishments in India, where we 
 were well received. Iron and naval stores, the produce 
 of our country, found a ready sale ; and besides these, 
 we disposed of articles which, though not immediately 
 productions of our own, had been received from other 
 countries in exchange for them. A profit may some- 
 'times be made on merchandise carried from Batavia to 
 Canton. No doubt, similar advantages would result to 
 the Americans in circuitous voyages to China, by the 
 coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, and through the 
 Straits of Malacca. 
 
 On the whole, it must be a most satisfactory considera- 
 tion to every American, that his country can carry on its 
 commerce with China under advantages, if not in many 
 respects superior, yet in all cases equal, to those pos- 
 sessed by any other people. 
 
 The reception we experienced on this second voyage, 
 both from the Chinese and the Europeans, if we except 
 the English, was exceedingly proper. The former were 
 no
 
 234 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 pleased at the increase of our trade, and the latter, with 
 whom Mr. Randall and I were on the footing of old ac- 
 quaintance, behaved to us in a polite and friendly man- 
 ner ; and the gentlemen of the other ships, I believe, 
 were equally pleased with their reception. To what it 
 could be owing, that the conduct of the English was 
 an exception to that of all the other nations, it is not 
 easy to determine. On their arrival at Canton from Ma- 
 cao, the usual visits were made to them by us, and by 
 them returned ; and while every other nation paid us the 
 customary civility of giving and receiving a dinner and 
 supper,* the English alone omitted that attention, not 
 only to us individually, but to the Americans generally. 
 This, however, did not prevent or interrupt that inter- 
 course which will ever exist among gentlemen, and 
 whenever we met at a third place neither party could 
 have occasion to complain. It is true, that the Court of 
 Directors, in their instructions to the supercargoes, the 
 present season, enjoined it upon them to use every en- 
 deavour to prevent the subjects of Great Britain from as- 
 sisting or encouraging in any shape the American com- 
 merce ; but if this prohibition was intended by the di- 
 rectors, or construed by their servants, to extend to the 
 civilities heretofore paid the Americans, it cannot be de- 
 nied that such conduct was extremely illiberal. 
 
 * A circumstance that occurred at the entertainment given us by the 
 Portuguese ought not to be omitted. The dessert, which was very ele- 
 gant, was prepared in a room adjoining that in which we dined, and the 
 tables were ornamented with representations, in paper painted and gilt, 
 of castles, pagodas, and other Chinese edifices, in each of which were 
 confined small birds. The first toast was Liberty ! and in an instant, 
 the doors of the paper prisons being set open, the little captives were 
 released, and, flying about us in every direction, seemed to enjoy the 
 blessing which had just been conferred upon them.
 
 DEPARTURE OF THE SHIP. 235 
 
 With respect to other matters, no incident since that 
 of the unfortunate gunner, in November, 1784,* has oc- 
 curred to interrupt the usual good understanding be- 
 tween the Chinese and the foreigners ; and that affair en- 
 tirely abolished the custom of the ships at Whampoa sa- 
 luting, on any occasion whatever. 
 
 The death of our friend Mr. Sears having deranged 
 our intended plan of business in this country, his son 
 goes home to America with Mr. Randall. The interval, 
 till Mr. Randall's return here, I shall employ in visiting 
 Bengal and the coast of Coromandel, the present year, 
 whence I shall come back towards the close of the sea- 
 son ; and the succeeding year, visit Bombay and the 
 Malabar coast. 
 
 The business of our ship being brought to a close the 
 25th of January, 1787, she came to sail from Whampoa 
 the 27th, and landed Mr. Randall and me at Macao on 
 the 1st of February. Mr. Randall returned on board the 
 same evening, and the next morning the pilot left the 
 ship on her way to America. 
 
 Conformably to the instructions delivered to me with 
 my commission as Consul, by the Secretary for the De- 
 partment of Foreign Affairs, I wrote a letter to him by 
 Mr. Randall, in which some of the most material circum- 
 stances relating to the commerce carried on with China 
 by foreigners, of all denominations, as mentioned in the 
 foregoing pages, were inserted; together with the con- 
 cluding remarks respecting that of our own country.f 
 
 * It must occasion pain to every humane mind to reflect that this 
 poor fellow was executed by the Chinese, on the 8th of January fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 f See Appendix, B.
 
 236 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 March 14th. There seems to have been a fatality at- 
 tending me with respect to my intended voyage to Ben- 
 gal. Time must determine whether the disappointment 
 is owing to my good or bad fortune. The only ship 
 at Canton bound for Bengal, at the close of the season, 
 could not accommodate me ; on which I made applica- 
 tion to Senhor Mattheus Johannes, an Armenian mer- 
 chant, and engaged a passage in his vessel, going from 
 Macao to Madras, whence it would be easy to pass to 
 Calcutta. On my arrival at Macao, the 1st of February, 
 I found the ship in readiness for sailing in four days ; 
 but on the second day, Captain Dufort having informed 
 me that there was a vessel, of which he was commander, 
 that would certainly sail by the 15th directly for Calcut- 
 ta, on board of which I could have a passage, I relin- 
 quished the idea of going via Madras, in Mattheus's ship, 
 which sailed on the 9th. In this interval, the Ganges ar- 
 rived on the 3d from Canton, having on board several 
 passengers taken since the time a passage was refused 
 me. The Europeans say it is an unheard-of thing to re- 
 fuse a gentleman a passage in a country ship, and per- 
 haps, had I been a European, there would not have been 
 an exception in my case. Mr. J. Mclntyre, the owner, 
 apologized by telling me that his sickness at the time of 
 my application was the cause of the refusal, for which 
 he declared himself exceedingly sorry. However, as he 
 did not offer, I would not again ask a passage, and the 
 ship sailed on the 7th. Appearances seemed to threaten 
 that Botelho's ship would not be ready at the time fixed ; 
 but patience was now my only remedy, and this virtue 
 has been not a little exercised. After repeated delays of 
 a week, a few days, and at last of only one day, it was 
 announced, on the 3d of the present month, that her
 
 RESIDENCE AT MACAO. 237 
 
 voyage was changed, and she was now destined for Ma- 
 nila, in pursuance of which, they the next day began 
 unloading the cargo she had taken on board for Bengal. 
 
 Mortifying as is this disappointment, I have no alter- 
 native. I must stay at Macao, under the uneasy reflec- 
 tion that I have lost the whole season. Without a sin- 
 gle object of business, with next to none of amuse- 
 ment, and incurring a greater expense than would 
 have attended my proposed visit to Bengal, I must en- 
 deavour patiently to wait here the course of events. 
 
 July. A residence of nearly six months at Macao has 
 afforded me opportunities of gaining more insight into 
 the affairs of the settlement than could otherwise have 
 been obtained. With respect to situation and govern- 
 ment, it does not differ essentially from the account giv- 
 en in the preceding pages,* taken from Anson's Voyage. 
 The administration is vested in a governor and senate, 
 independent of whom are a syndic, or civil judge, and 
 a vicar-general for ecclesiastical affairs, all of whom are 
 appointed at Goa. On the surrounding heights, and at 
 the extreme points on the shore, are forts and batteries, 
 which in any other hands might be useful. However, 
 there is no want of military parade, as the governor nev- 
 er takes the air without a small guard of sepoys, and the 
 same ceremony is observed by his lady. The establish- 
 ment consists of one hundred and fifty sepoys, regular 
 troops from Goa, and the inhabitants enrolled as militia, 
 part of whom are clothed like the sepoys, and assist in 
 the duties of the garrison. 
 
 Besides the inhabitants more immediately subject to 
 the Portuguese authority, the Chinese, who are perhaps 
 
 * Ante, pp. 162, 163.
 
 238 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 more numerous, keep up a separate, independent govern- 
 ment, by their mandarins, and a custom-house of their 
 own. 
 
 The salary of the governor is twelve hundred taels 
 per annum, an allowance which would be inadequate to 
 his support, were it not assisted by considerable advan- 
 tages he derives from commerce. Opium is with the 
 Chinese absolutely contraband, and cannot legally be 
 admitted into their ports, under any conditions what- 
 ever. This prohibition does not extend to Macao, as be- 
 longing to the Portuguese, and the governor takes care 
 to be interested in all that is brought there in Portu- 
 guese ships from Bengal, and, to a considerable extent, 
 in what the English vessels bring. It often happens 
 that these latter, on failing to obtain at Canton, where 
 it can always be smuggled with the utmost security, 
 the price they demand for their opium, make a deposit 
 of it in some Portuguese vessel at Macao, in order that 
 they may not lose a season by waiting for the market to 
 rise ; in which case, the governor is either concerned as 
 a partner in the business, or receives a handsome dou- 
 ceur. It is said that in the season of 1784 and 1785 his 
 emoluments from this article did not fall short of forty 
 thousand dollars, which is not to be wondered at, when 
 it is considered that upwards of two thousand chests, 
 valued on an average at three hundred and fifty dollars 
 each, are annually brought to China. Since that time, 
 however, the governor's perquisites on this article have 
 been much reduced, notwithstanding the importations 
 have increased. Instead of being concerned with him, 
 as before, the English speculators now keep a vessel 
 plying among the neighbouring islands, where are plen- 
 ty of safe harbours, which vessel serves as a depository
 
 PORTUGUESE TYRANNY. 239 
 
 for so much of the drug as remains on hand when the 
 time arrives for the return to Bengal of the ships that 
 brought it. The Chinese purchasers repair to this ves- 
 sel, and pay the money before receiving the opium, in 
 addition to which they pay twenty dollars for every 
 chest to the mandarins, who in their boats always keep 
 near enough to watch and receive the bribe. 
 
 The claim of the Portuguese to the Typa, to the ex- 
 clusion of the ships of all other nations, the Chinese 
 alone excepted, is not a little extraordinary. The Typa 
 is a safe harbour, formed by several islands, and leads in- 
 to that of Macao, but is not under command of either of 
 their forts, nor can they bring a single gun to bear upon 
 any part of it. Yet, notwithstanding this, and the great 
 hazard to which ships are sometimes exposed in the 
 open road, if it so happens, that, even in stress of 
 weather, a ship puts in there, the captain, on coming 
 ashore, is seized and confined, either in the common 
 prison, called the tronco, or in one of their forts. An 
 instance of this sort happened, during my stay there, to 
 the captain of an English country ship ; and it was not 
 without considerable concessions that he regained his 
 liberty, after a confinement of eight days. Extraordi- 
 nary as is this claim of the Portuguese, it seems much 
 more so that other Europeans in India should allow them 
 to exercise it, especially as it would be so easy to retal- 
 iate upon them in every port they frequent. 
 
 Another instance of the injustice of the Portuguese 
 on the one part, and the submission of the Europeans on 
 the other, is in relation to houses. These are generally 
 in a wretched condition when let to the Europeans. As 
 soon as a house is put in good repair, which is done at 
 the expense of the tenant, the proprietor, although the
 
 240 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 lease may have been given for a number of years, de- 
 mands his house again, or else an addition to the rent. 
 Unless one of these conditions is complied with, the 
 owner takes possession the moment the tenant leaves it 
 to go to Canton, and the latter is then obliged to look 
 out for another house. The Swedes' house was the 
 best in Macao, and for repairs and improvements had cost 
 their company upwards of eight thousand dollars. The 
 governor, or rather his lady, took a fancy to it, and the 
 Swedes were under the necessity of consenting to an ex- 
 change, which was in every respect unfavorable to them, 
 for the governor's house is not worth half the money 
 which the mere improvements on the other have cost. 
 In matters where an individual European is concerned, 
 they do not use even the ceremony of asking consent. 
 Either his house is taken possession of in his absence, 
 as was that of Mr. Hall, the last season ; or he receives 
 an order to quit it, as was the case, but a few weeks ago, 
 with Mr. Peach.* It was necessary to provide a house 
 for the syndic, who was expected from Goa, and Mr. 
 Peach was ordered to quit his. This order he refused 
 to comply with, especially as the rent for the current 
 year had been paid ; and accordingly he shut his doors, 
 determining to keep possession. This availed him noth- 
 ing, for the succeeding morning his doors were broken 
 open, and himself seized in his bed and committed to a 
 dungeon in the tronco. From this imprisonment it was 
 five days before he was released, and in the mean time 
 his house was made ready for the syndic, who shortly 
 after arrived and took possession. In the interval be- 
 tween the taking of Mr. Peach's house and the arrival 
 
 * Messrs. Peach and Hall are supercargoes in the English factory.
 
 CHURCHES AND CONVENTS. 241 
 
 of the syndic, a letter was received from the latter, who 
 had formerly been at Macao, desiring that a house in 
 which he had then lived might be taken for him. This 
 house being occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Dozy, all the 
 grace they could obtain was that they might remain in it 
 till the Dutch went to Canton, when they could remove 
 to the company's house. The syndic expressed his dis- 
 approbation of the violence that had been used towards 
 Mr. Peach, and declared that he would not remain in 
 his house longer than till one could be taken of the Por- 
 tuguese, nor would he go into that of Madame Dozy, as 
 it was his intention that no European should be put to 
 inconvenience on his account. I made my visit of 
 ceremony to this magistrate, who arrived only two days 
 before I left Macao. He is a European Portuguese, ap- 
 pears to be about fifty years of age, speaks the French 
 language perfectly, and is polite and intelligent. 
 
 The disputes between the Portuguese and foreigners 
 at Macao, respecting houses, are occasioned by the latter 
 not being suffered to hold any real estate there ; other- 
 wise, instead of hiring houses, they would purchase 
 grounds and build for themselves. Nor are these dis- 
 putes confined to houses occupied by the living only. 
 If a heretic happens to die, he cannot obtain burial in 
 the Catholic city ; and a bargain must be made with the 
 Chinese, who own all without the walls, before he can 
 be conveyed to his long home. 
 
 Were a person to judge of the piety of the Christian 
 inhabitants of Macao from the number of churches, he 
 would undoubtedly estimate it as of the highest order. 
 Besides thirteen of these, there is a convent of Domin- 
 ican and Franciscan friars, and another of nuns, neither 
 of which, however, has many occupants. These, as well 
 81
 
 242 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 as the other public edifices, such as the senate-house, 
 the court-house, the prison, and the hospitals, are in a 
 handsome style, and built of stone or brick. The pri- 
 vate houses are generally large and commodious, and are 
 either painted white or washed with lime. 
 
 The Europeans, as has been observed, who have es- 
 tablishments at Canton, pass the intervals between the 
 seasons for trade at Macao, where each nation has a good 
 house, hired of the Portuguese, in which they are well 
 accommodated. There is a tolerable market for fish, 
 poultry, and pork ; besides abundance of vegetables raised 
 by the Chinese. When the gentlemen of the several 
 nations are all there, the state of society is not bad. 
 Each house has a billiard-table, many individuals keep 
 pleasure-boats, and there is a public concert twice a 
 week. Besides these diversions, there was a faro-bank 
 held every Saturday evening, generally at the house of 
 the Danish chief, Mr. Vogelsang, though occasionally, 
 and sometimes on other evenings, at the apartments of 
 the Dutch chief. It often happens, that, for want of 
 room in what are called the company's houses, some 
 gentlemen among the English and Dutch hire houses on 
 their own account, towards the rent of which they are 
 allowed a stipulated sum by the company. This gives 
 rise to a number of social parties, and tends to promote 
 a harmony and good-fellowship, which would not sub- 
 sist uninterrupted, were they obliged to live always to- 
 gether. 
 
 During my residence here, every attention has been 
 paid me that I could wish. From the chief, Mr. Hem- 
 mingson, and other gentlemen of the Dutch house, it 
 was of such a nature that I went to their table when- 
 ever I pleased and without ceremony. To that of the
 
 VISITORS. LA PEROUSE. 243 
 
 Swedes I always waited for a particular invitation. 
 With the Danes generally, and with their chief, Mr. 
 Vogelsang, particularly, who kept a separate house and 
 had his lady with him, I was ever at home. With the 
 French supercargo, M. Desmoulins, and the other gen- 
 tlemen of that nation, I was upon a friendly footing, par- 
 ticularly with M. Bourgogne, second of the late Imperial 
 factory, who showed me much friendship. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Dozy, of the Dutch house, who lived separate from the 
 company, as did Messrs. Benthem and Boers of the same 
 nation, were also particularly attentive to me, and I re- 
 ceived their respective civilities without reserve. 
 
 Our society found a very pleasing addition in the 
 company of Mrs. Hepworth, and her sister, Miss Mc- 
 Q,uin, the husband of the former lady, who is a cap- 
 tain of one of the English company's ships, having left 
 them here till his return from Canton. They remained 
 until the latter part of March. During their stay, the 
 entertainments given them at different houses always 
 comprehended a ball in the evening, on which occasions 
 never more than six ladies, including Madame la Gov- 
 ernante* and Madame de Souza, could be mustered. 
 
 We were likewise honored by a visit from the Count 
 de la Perouse, who, with two ships of his Most Christian 
 Majesty, had stopped here in the prosecution of his voy- 
 age round the world. Besides these, a few days after 
 the Count's departure, two other French men-of-war ar- 
 rived, about the middle of February, and passed the 
 
 * The governor's lady so styled, and sometimes " Her Excellency," 
 as being notoriously the head of the family and of the government. 
 The other lady was of French extraction, from the Isle of France, and 
 wife to a European Portuguese.
 
 244 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 Boca Tigris before it was discovered by the Chinese 
 that they were not merchantmen, they having report- 
 ed themselves at Macao as such, and kept most of their 
 men and guns out of sight until their pilots for Canton 
 were on board. What was the object of these vessels, 
 in going above the Boca Tigris, contrary to custom for 
 ships of war, did not transpire. On their return, one of 
 them, commanded by the Viscount de Castries, stopped 
 ten days in the roads, during which time he and his offi- 
 cers were occasionally on shore. 
 
 On the arrival of the English gentlemen, the begin- 
 ning of April, I made them the customary visit of cere- 
 mony, which was returned by them in due order. The 
 chief, Mr. Browne, gave me an invitation to their table, 
 which I declined by begging he would excuse me. A 
 few days afterwards, at the Dutch house, he gave me 
 another, and, putting his hand on my shoulder, in a fa- 
 miliar manner, added, " And not only to-morrow, but 
 every Sunday during the season, as we have fixed upon 
 that day to entertain our friends." My reply on this oc- 
 casion was similar to the former. After this I received 
 no further invitation, as he undoubtedly saw that it was 
 my intention not to accept any from him ; and though 
 we met as often as two or three times a week at other 
 places, and always upon good terms, yet, as he never 
 asked, so I never assigned, any reason for my refusal. 
 This, however, did not prevent him from visiting me 
 twice afterwards, during a slight indisposition that con- 
 fined me three weeks, or hinder me from returning his 
 visits. As Mr. Browne is preeminent among the Eng- 
 lish, in point of understanding, I regretted this awkward- 
 ness between us ; especially when 1 found that his inat- 
 tention to the Americans at Canton, the last season, was
 
 SOCIETY AT MACAO. 245 
 
 not the result of design, but had proceeded altogether 
 from absence of mind, for which he is remarkable to a 
 proverb. However, I had taken my resolution, and I 
 mean steadily to adhere to it, never to dine at the Eng- 
 lish table during his chieftaincy, unless he should offer 
 some apology for past inattention. This determination 
 has not hindered me from accepting invitations from my 
 neighbour, Mr. Cumings (second of this nation), or pre- 
 vented him from receiving mine, which, as he lives in a 
 separate house, have been mutually repeated. Mr. Free- 
 man, also, though living in the national house, frequent- 
 ly favored me with his company at my supper-parties, of 
 which I gave one to each family, in acknowledgment of 
 the many civilities for which I was indebted to them. 
 
 Besides company servants, private traders sometimes 
 reside at Macao for the season. Of this class is Mr. Cox, 
 an English gentleman (whose father established the cele- 
 brated museum), who deals largely in all sorts of clock- 
 work and jewelry, and is the consignee of most of these 
 articles brought to Canton. He is also concerned in two 
 country ships in the Bengal trade. Another is Signor 
 Pavolini, an Italian, dealing largely in coral, pearl, and 
 other valuable commodities of this sort. 
 
 Excepting with the governor's family, and those of 
 Senhor Mattheus Johannes, and Senhora de Souza, there 
 is no intercourse between the Europeans residing at Ma- 
 cao and its Portuguese inhabitants. However, the mil- 
 itary and a few of the principal citizens sometimes at- 
 tend the concert. It is customary in the course of the 
 season for the different nations to make one or more din- 
 ners for their Excellencies, which, by the way, they 
 never return. Her Excellency, Dona Maria, is a Euro- 
 pean Portuguese, sensible, artful, and, when she pleases,
 
 246 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 very agreeable. His Excellency appears to be under 
 forty years of age, is a native of Goa, and in point of 
 knowledge vastly her inferior. To persons not acquaint- 
 ed with the Indian-Portuguese, so called, what I am go- 
 ing to relate of this governor may appear an illiberal sar- 
 casm rather than the simple truth. But it is a fact, that 
 he did ask an English gentleman, who sat between him 
 and me at the Swedish table, whether the war between 
 England and America was yet at an end ! And it was 
 not long after, when news arrived of the troubles in Hol- 
 land, that his Excellency, on being told some of the par- 
 ticulars, in which the words the states and the prince re- 
 peatedly occurred, very gravely desired to know what 
 part the king took in the business ! One of the prin- 
 cipal senators, on another occasion, betrayed an equal 
 want of knowledge, when, the American Revolution be- 
 ing the topic, it was observed that the English had lost 
 a great deal in losing America. " Ah," replied our pol- 
 itician, " that may be ; but they have taken Pulo Pi- 
 nang ! " When such are the rulers, what must the bulk 
 of the people be ? The united voice of the European 
 residents proclaims them idle to a proverb, consequently 
 poor, and superstitious in the extreme. 
 
 That this character should apply to the population of 
 Macao generally, or to parts of it with but few excep- 
 tions, is not very remarkable, when we consider, that, so 
 far from being Portuguese, as they are improperly called, 
 they are a mixture of that people, not only with the Chi- 
 nese, but with almost every nation in India, and that 
 not three in a hundred of them have ever been westward 
 of the Cape of Good Hope. The members of the ad- 
 ministration are almost universally born in India, and, 
 from appearances, a person may be induced to suppose
 
 CASA DA HORTA. 247 
 
 that not all even of this class are wholly free from mix- 
 ture. The language generally spoken, though called 
 Portuguese, is such a medley of this with the Malay and 
 Chinese, as to be unintelligible to a gentleman from Lis- 
 bon, on his first arrival, his mother tongue affording 
 him but very little advantage. 
 
 There are many very beautiful situations at Macao, 
 one of which is too remarkable to be passed over in si- 
 lence. It is a rising ground on the western shore of the 
 peninsula, and commands a view of the city, the har- 
 bour, the roads, and the neighbouring islands. There is 
 an elegant house belonging to it, and the gardens, which 
 are very extensive and judiciously laid out, render it a 
 terrestrial paradise. This place has generally been oc- 
 cupied by Europeans, and at present is the residence of 
 Messrs. Lance and Fitzhugh, of the English house, who 
 have expended considerable sums upon it, in a manner 
 which does honor to their taste. It is so eminently de- 
 lightful, that it has obtained the name of Casa da horta, 
 or Garden-House. The cost of keeping it in order is 
 the reason why none of the grandees of Macao choose 
 to possess it. A circumstance that adds to the celebrity 
 of this garden is that, in a natural arch, formed by two 
 rocks, with a third of enormous size on the top, the cele- 
 brated Camoens wrote his poem of the Lusiad, by which 
 he has immortalized himself and his adventurous coun- 
 trymen, who, first doubling the Cape of Good Hope, dis- 
 covered that route to India. 
 
 On the 28th of July arrived from New York the brig- 
 antine Columbia, one hundred and forty tons burden, 
 Solomon Bunker master. The supercargo, Mr. Hayden, 
 and his friend Mr. Gorton, being desirous of going im- 
 mediately to Canton, we agreed to take up our quarters
 
 248 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 together ; on which I left Macao the next evening, in 
 their vessel, and on the 31st arrived at Canton, having 
 previously engaged from Mr. Lane apartments in the 
 late Imperial factory. 
 
 December 20th. The scarcity of rice, the bread of 
 the Chinese, was so great in the year 1786 as to cause 
 a general alarm throughout the province of Canton, and 
 an uncommon drought, the past season, having cut 
 short both crops, has terribly augmented the calamity. 
 This article, which has been hitherto sold at three dol- 
 lars a picul, now costs eight, and the distress occasioned 
 by the high price extends not only throughout this, but 
 to the neighbouring provinces. The magistracy, in the 
 beginning of the season, endeavoured to alleviate the 
 sufferings of the poor, by distributing rice to them daily. 
 On one of these occasions, the 30th of July, the press 
 was so great, that, on opening the doors of the store- 
 house, two-and-twenty poor women were trodden to 
 death ; and the same day, as a number of these unhappy 
 people were returning to their habitations, on the oppo- 
 site side of the river, a squall overset the boat and 
 drowned seventeen of them. At all times, even in the 
 most plentiful seasons, the humanity of a foreigner is 
 constantly shocked by the number of beggars, men, 
 women, and children, that frequent the quay in front 
 of the factories, some of whom have the most loath- 
 some appearance imaginable. The Chinese magistrates 
 are certainly culpable in suffering such things ; and 
 even in the present distressing season, a small exertion 
 on their part would prevent the scenes of horror which 
 daily present themselves. It is not that rice is not to 
 be had, but only that it is dear ; on which account, the 
 provision made for the unhappy sufferers was soon dis-
 
 SHIPPING AND GINSENG. 249 
 
 continued ; and during the last six weeks, since the cold 
 nights have set in, it has been no uncommon thing in 
 the morning to find one or more persons dead on the 
 quay. Whatever may be the general administration of 
 affairs in China, certainly the police of Canton, as it re- 
 gards, or rather as it does not regard, the poor,- is ex- 
 tremely defective ; nor is this the only instance that con- 
 tradicts the prevailing idea of the excellence of the Chi- 
 nese government. At present there are great disturban- 
 ces in many parts of the empire, and the insurrections in 
 the island of Formosa and the adjacent country threaten 
 consequences of a serious nature. The war in that quar- 
 ter has raged upwards of a twelvemonth, and its issue is 
 yet doubtful. The oppressions exercised by government 
 have reduced the inhabitants of those parts to a state of 
 desperation, which has had the most pernicious effects 
 on the agriculture and commerce, not only of that, but 
 of the neighbouring provinces. 
 
 List of Ships, and Ginseng brought in them. 
 
 . 500 IS"' 
 
 . 25 5 
 
 . 19 51 
 
 . 9 48 
 
 . 115 99 
 
 . 3 69 
 
 . - 
 
 . . 52 18 
 
 - Pic. 726, 28 cat. 
 
 English, 
 
 28 
 
 Dutch, 
 
 5 
 
 Swedish, 
 
 2 
 
 Danish, 
 
 2 
 
 French, 
 
 3 
 
 Prussian, 
 
 1 
 
 Tuscan, 
 
 1 
 
 American, 
 
 1 
 
 43, to pass the Cape of Good Hope. 
 Country ships, 31, bound back to India. 
 Portuguese, 4, at Macao, bound to Lisbon. 
 
 From England one ship more is expected, and another 
 
 32
 
 250 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 from Bombay. The Prussian and Tuscan are private 
 vessels. 
 
 Though the number of the English ships does not ex- 
 ceed that of the last year, yet, from their superior size, 
 the quantity of tonnage is greatly increased. It is the 
 custom of this nation to hire their shipping by the ton, 
 though the vessels generally carry more than what they 
 are taken up for, the excess being called surplus ton- 
 nage, and reckoned at half price. Thus, the Notting- 
 ham, taken up for eleven hundred and six tons, received 
 seventeen hundred and sixty of merchandise. This was 
 far beyond the usual proportion, which is estimated from 
 twenty to twenty-five per cent. Should any damage, 
 however, happen to merchandise so taken on board, the 
 owners of the vessel must make it good. 
 
 In the list of English ships are included two that are 
 less than the common size, which came from the north- 
 west coast of America, where they had been for furs. 
 To encourage this trade, the company agreed to pay the 
 expense of their measurement at Canton (as they do in 
 the case of the other ships), and freight them back to 
 England, at the rate of surplus tonnage. Four others 
 were expected from Botany Bay, on the southeast coast 
 of New Holland, where they had carried out convicts, of 
 both sexes, from Great Britain, to form a new settlement ; 
 but, by a subsequent order of the ministry, it was deter- 
 mined that they should remain there one year, in order 
 to protect and assist in establishing the colony. There is 
 reason to expect that in time this may become an impor- 
 tant settlement, especially when it is remembered that 
 mighty Rome had a similar origin. 
 
 In the opinion of judicious observers, the English 
 seem not only to be aiming at the monopoly of the tea-
 
 AMBITIOUS VIEWS OF THE ENGLISH. 251 
 
 trade for Europe, but to have in view the exclusive com- 
 merce of this division of the globe. The new plan of 
 government for Bengal and its dependencies, their 
 late establishments, both to the eastward and westward, 
 the prohibition to their subjects in India against sell- 
 ing their ships to foreigners, and, in short, their 
 whole conduct, strongly favor the suspicion. This ob- 
 ject, and to be sure it is no trifling one, is now con- 
 sidered as the great idol of the English nation ; and in 
 consequence of it, the current of popular opinion carries 
 rapidly along every measure which the company think 
 fit to adopt. How far the Dutch, whom it most nearly 
 concerns, will suffer attempts of this kind, a few years 
 must determine. The settlement of the English at Pulo 
 Pinang, which enables them to command the whole of 
 the navigation from the peninsula of India, that of Ma- 
 laya, and the island of Sumatra, has not a little alarmed 
 them ; and the settlement at Botany Bay, on the south- 
 east coast of New Holland, has increased their apprehen- 
 sions. It is not improbable that there may be an op- 
 position also from the Swedes and Danes, who certainly 
 find their advantage in this commerce, and from the 
 French, invariably their enemies. Perhaps a commer- 
 cial confederation of these nations for their mutual ben- 
 efit, not unlike the armed neutrality during the late war, 
 may be adopted, as the best means of checking and de- 
 feating such exorbitant pretensions. 
 
 Since the year 1784, the trade here has been con- 
 stantly tending to the disadvantage of the Europeans. 
 The imports, collectively taken, hardly defray the first 
 cost, and the exports have increased in a ratio beyond all 
 possible conjecture. On an average, at the most mod-
 
 252 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 erate computation, the price of every sort of tea, Bohea 
 alone excepted, has advanced more than forty per cent., 
 nor is it yet at the highest point. Such is the de- 
 mand for this article, that the Chinese hardly know how 
 much to ask for it ; and, should the rage for purchasing 
 continue only another year, it is not improbable that its 
 price may be doubled. 
 
 Concerning our commerce in this quarter, which is yet 
 in its infancy, inconsiderable as it has hitherto been, 
 and is this year especially, it continues to be viewed 
 with no small degree of jealousy. Respecting the article 
 of ginseng, the sales of it this season confirm me in the 
 opinion of the great advantages America may derive from 
 it. The price has been from one hundred and thirty to 
 two hundred dollars a picul, at which rate the best now 
 stands ; though it will probably rise twenty or thirty 
 dollars before the departure of the last ships. 
 
 December 31st. Thus has passed away the year 
 1787. My disappointment in not going to Bengal has 
 been already noticed, and eventually it may be consid- 
 ered as fortunate. Had I gone at that late period, the 
 only ship in which I could have taken passage back 
 again was the Ganges, and she was lost in coming out 
 of the river from Calcutta, when upwards of sixty per- 
 sons perished. 
 
 The small vessel from America, though not advanta- 
 geous in other respects, afforded me an opportunity of 
 sending home a small property, taken up on credit from 
 the Chinese, as part of the funds for building a large 
 ship, in or near Boston, in which I purpose to return 
 here in 1790, it being my intention to embark for Amer- 
 ica at the close of the next season. By this opportunity,
 
 A SPECULATION FRUSTRATED. 253 
 
 I wrote my official letter to the Secretary for the De- 
 partment of Foreign Affairs.* 
 
 There being only this vessel here from America, it 
 seemed a good opportunity for a speculation, and an 
 occasion offered which promised to afford the means of 
 engaging in one agreeably to my wishes. A gentleman 
 had a ship of between five and six hundred tons to dis- 
 pose of, and the terms were not unreasonable, especially 
 as he wanted the American vessel in part pay, the super- 
 cargo of which had consented to let me have her and 
 freight his goods home in the ship to be purchased. Ev- 
 ery thing was going on well, and I had made conditional 
 engagements for her cargo, when, after nine days' nego- 
 tiation, the proposed sale was found to be impracticable. 
 The ship was registered at Bengal, and no method could 
 be fallen upon to avoid the penalty, should she be sold 
 to a foreigner. The regulation prohibiting such sales 
 was made last year, in consequence of Mr. Randall and 
 myself, in the year 1784, sending to America a ship be- 
 longing to British subjects in India, who are not allowed 
 to navigate westward of the Cape of Good Hope. All 
 owners of ships, therefore, are now obliged to have them 
 registered, and to give bond, in a sum double the value 
 of ship and cargo, that they shall not be sold to foreign- 
 ers of any denomination, but by permission of govern- 
 ment, or even to British subjects, except under the like 
 conditions. Some circumstances, however, induced the 
 owner of this ship to think he could -elude these re- 
 strictions, but the result of his endeavours proved the 
 contrary. 
 
 The failure of this scheme induced me to pursue my 
 
 * See Appendix, C.
 
 254 SECOND VOYAGE TO CANTON. 
 
 original one for Bengal, and I had scarcely done regret- 
 ting the disappointment, when an occurrence took place 
 which perfectly reconciled me to it. A ship of a thou- 
 sand tons, from Philadelphia, the late Alliance frigate, ar- 
 rived at Macao on the 23d, and moored at Whampoa on 
 the 29th, having left the Capes of Delaware on- the 20th 
 of June, and come by the eastward, round New Holland 
 and New Guinea, without ever anchoring till she arrived 
 in Macao roads. She is owned solely by Robert Mor- 
 ris, Esq., is commanded by Captain Thomas Reid, and 
 has brought a supercargo, Mr. George Harrison, with let- 
 ters for Mr. Chalmers, second in the Swedish factory, 
 and of course will have no occasion for any concern 
 with me.* Had my speculation gone on, the arrival of 
 this ship would have proved a sad contre-temps, as it 
 was adopted altogether upon the presumption that there 
 would be no competition. 
 
 As Pope says, "Whatever is,. is right." I must en- 
 deavour to be of his opinion. I have therefore taken 
 my passage for Bengal in Messrs. Mclntyre's ship, and I 
 hope it will be a safe one ; for, as they were part own- 
 ers of the one before mentioned as having been lost in 
 the river of Calcutta, it can hardly come to their turn 
 the ensuing season to lose another. 
 
 January 16th, 1788. Having made my visits of leave, 
 I shall to-morrow morning embark for Calcutta, pre- 
 viously to which it may not be improper for me to re- 
 mark, that, though no national attentions on the part of 
 the English have been shown to the Americans, yet the 
 usual ceremony of visiting has been mutually observed 
 between them and me. We have, as before, met fre- 
 
 * She has brought upwards of two hundred and fifty piculs of ginseng.
 
 ATTENTIONS FROM THE EUROPEANS. 255 
 
 quently at other tables, and at the Danish concert. 
 They have also a public concert this year, at their own 
 house, every Wednesday evening ; but, for the reasons 
 already mentioned, I have declined going to it. This oc- 
 casions no misunderstanding between us, nor have I any 
 cause of complaint on my individual account. There 
 are many respectable characters among them, some of 
 whom I have the pleasure to reckon among my friends. 
 After saying thus much concerning the English, I should 
 be guilty of the highest ingratitude, were I to omit ex- 
 pressing my entire satisfaction with the reception and 
 treatment I have experienced from the chiefs and gentle- 
 men of the other nations. Their behaviour towards me 
 has been, and continues to be, in all respects proper, and 
 in many instances really friendly.
 
 VISIT TO BENGAL 
 
 33
 
 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 HAVING made my arrangements for visiting Bengal, in 
 the interval between the trade of 1787 and 1788, I left 
 Canton on Thursday morning, the 17th of January, and 
 proceeded as far as Whampoa, on my way to the ship 
 Argyle, Captain Robert Martin Fowle, at Second Bar ; 
 but evening coming on, Mr. Horsley, an English gentle- 
 man and fellow-passenger, thought it advisable to pass 
 the night on board the Hawke, commanded by his friend 
 Captain Pennell. Here we were politely entertained by 
 the second mate, Mr. Ellis, and the doctor ; the captain 
 and first mate being at Canton. After breakfast, on the 
 18th, we proceeded to Second Bar, and arrived on board 
 at noon, where we found, as passengers, Mr. Demetrius, a 
 Greek merchant, Mr. Gregory, an Armenian, and Mr. 
 Jones, late a midshipman of the Belvidere. On the 20th, 
 in the forenoon, I went ashore at Macao. After my visit 
 of ceremony to the governor and lady, I called on Sen- 
 hor Mattheus Johannes, and on Mr. Vogelsang. Mrs. 
 Dozy had, a few days before, embarked for Holland. 
 Having dined with Messrs. Sebire and 'Dufort, I returned 
 on board in the evening, with two additional gentlemen, 
 Mr. Bean and Mr. Wheatley, late midshipmen in the Bel-
 
 260 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 videre ; * the former goes as third mate, and the latter 
 as passenger. The first mate is Mr. Hobbs, and the 
 second Mr. Kier. On the 23d, we sailed from English 
 Cove, among the islands in the neighbourhood of Ma- 
 cao, where, since the 21st, the captain had been deliv- 
 ering opium on board Captain Gilfilling's snow. 
 
 Tuesday, February 5th, we arrived at Malacca, where 
 we found a Dutch ship of war, with two frigates ; their 
 flags at half-mast for the commodore, who died yester- 
 day. The captain, Mr. Horsley, and I, went on shore at 
 five o'clock, and took lodgings at the tavern, kept by Mr. 
 Lefevre. The commodore was buried the same evening. 
 The next day I visited the Shabandar, but, on account 
 of indisposition and the heat of the weather, I was 
 obliged to decline his offer of presenting me to the gov- 
 ernor, and in the evening we returned on board. 
 
 Tuesday, the 12th, we arrived at Pulo Pinang. The 
 next morning I went on shore, and visited the governor, 
 Francis Light, Esq., also, the commander of the com- 
 pany's ship Intrepid, Captain Pickett, of the Bombay 
 marine, whose invitation to stay at his house, with his 
 friend Mr. Horsley, I readily accepted. We dined with 
 the governor that day, and again on the 16th, when he 
 presented Mr. Horsley and me each with a dragon's- 
 blood cane. The day before, Mr. Gray, a lieutenant in 
 the navy, but acting as a lieutenant of artillery, arrived 
 with his lady, passengers in the ship Enterprise, Captain 
 Elmore, from Calcutta. We dined in company with 
 them, the governor, and other gentlemen, at Captain 
 
 * As no person is allowed to go out in a company's ship and remain 
 in India without leave of the directors, adventurers who find it difficult 
 to obtain permission enter on board as midshipmen, and, on the ship's 
 arrival, leave her, and are put down in the log-book, " run."
 
 PULO PINANG. 261 
 
 Glass's, who is also a lieutenant of artillery, and com- 
 mandant of the troops. On Sunday morning, the 17th, 
 we went on board, and the ship came to sail. 
 
 Pulo Pinang, or, as it is now called by the English, 
 Prince of Wales Island, was taken possession of by 
 them early in 1786. It is between twelve and thirteen 
 miles long, its medium breadth about five, and has a 
 very good and safe harbour. It was given by the king 
 of Q,ueda to Mr. Light, who, as captain of a country 
 ship, had for a number of years been in the Malay trade, 
 and was well known to his Majesty ; for the Malay prin- 
 ces are the chief merchants in their own dominions. Its 
 situation, near the west entrance of the Straits of Malac- 
 ca, is so advantageous, in trading with the Malays for 
 tin, pepper, canes, rattans, &c., that it has become an ob- 
 ject of attention to the Bengal government. They have 
 appointed Mr. Light superintendent, and sent a detach- 
 ment of a hundred sepoys, under Captain Glass and 
 Lieutenant Raburn, together with the Intrepid, from 
 Bombay, for its protection. The settlement is in a most 
 thriving condition, there being, exclusive of the garrison, 
 nearly two thousand Chinese established here, besides 
 some Malays, all of whom have comfortable habitations, 
 regularly disposed in streets intersecting at right angles. 
 The governor and his assistants reside in the fort, which 
 is a square redoubt, fortified with bastions, and the troops 
 are lodged in huts at a convenient distance on the plain. 
 The encouragement given to the Malays to bring their 
 merchandise to this place, where they obtain the highest 
 prices, and have the certainty of receiving either dollars, 
 opium, or such commodities as they have occasion for, 
 and without incurring any risk, has already much affect- 
 ed the Dutch at Malacca in their commerce with these
 
 262 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 people, and it is not improbable will in a short time de- 
 prive them of it entirely. There is the appearance of 
 great harmony in the little society at this settlement, 
 and the addition of the lady of Lieutenant Gray will no 
 doubt conduce to render it more agreeable. Besides the 
 gentlemen before mentioned, there is Mr. Pigou, assist- 
 ant to the governor, Doctor Hutton, Mr. Deniston, and 
 Mr. Farquhar, Doctor James, of the ship, and Mr. Drum- 
 mond, first lieutenant ; also Mr. Scott, a private trader, 
 late captain of a country ship, and commonly called Ma- 
 lay Scott. This gentleman is said to be a partner of 
 the governor^ and carries on the principal portion of the 
 trade ; not but that it is free to every one, however. 
 The tin, pepper, and other merchandise collected here, 
 are sold to the European or country ships bound to Can- 
 ton, unless the owners prefer exporting on their own ac- 
 count. 
 
 Nothing remarkable happening on our passage to Ben- 
 gal, we were met in the river, on the 14th of March, at 
 noon, by Adam Turnbull, Esq., one of the owners of the 
 ship, with whom the captain and I went ashore the same 
 evening, to his house, about seven miles from Calcutta, 
 and the next morning he proceeded with us in the ship 
 to town. 
 
 Having been furnished by Mr. Freeman with letters 
 of introduction to his friend Mr. Conyers, and to his 
 agent, Mr. Colvin, I waited on the former gentleman the 
 same evening, whose invitation to make his house my 
 home, as I had expected it, I accepted, and went there on 
 the 17th. Mr. Parkin also gave me letters to his friends 
 Anthony Lambert, Esq., and Thomas Myers, Esq., the 
 former of whom made me the offer of his house, and 
 pressed me much to accept it, urging that it must be in-
 
 CALCUTTA. 263 
 
 convenient to me to reside with Mr. Conyers, whose 
 house was three miles out of town. I was under the 
 necessity of declining his offer for that time, but agreed 
 to accept it on my return from the foreign settlements 
 up the river, which I intended visiting as soon as I 
 could with convenience. Of this arrangement Mr. Con- 
 yers was so obliging as to admit the propriety. 
 
 The establishments formed by the English East India 
 Company, particularly that at Calcutta, the capital, are 
 so generally known, that a detailed account of them, by a 
 person merely on a short visit here, could not be deemed 
 very interesting. With respect to Bengal and its depend- 
 encies, the government, it is allowed, is well adminis- 
 tered, the riches and resources of the country are 
 great, commerce is in a flourishing condition, and 
 the natives are easy and apparently happy. The com- 
 pany's servants, and other Europeans permitted to reside 
 in Calcutta as free merchants, live in a style superior, 
 perhaps, to that of any other trading people in the world. 
 The buildings, as well private as public, together with 
 the country-seats in the environs, and even the monu- 
 ments of the dead, display marks of opulence and mag- 
 nificence of which a person who has not seen them, but 
 who considers what the settlement must have been thir- 
 ty years ago, can form no adequate idea. Fort William 
 alone, a regular fortification, requiring a garrison of ten 
 thousand men, with its cannon and stores, has cost the 
 company upwards of three millions sterling. It contains 
 a superb arsenal, a laboratory for the preparation of every 
 kind of stores, with a foundry for brass cannon and mor- 
 tars, on the most extensive scale. It is not probable that 
 the strength of this fort will ever be tried, as the navi- 
 gation of the Ganges is so intricate and dangerous that
 
 264 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 no operations against it by a marine can promise suc- 
 cess ; and the country powers are so entirely subdued, 
 that there is no probability of its ever being attacked by 
 land. This work was planned and undertaken while the 
 recollection of the horrid catastrophe in the Black Hole 
 was strong in every one's mind. But so rapid has been 
 the increase of wealth, and consequently of power, to the 
 company, that the present inhabitants seem to be amazed 
 that the fears of their predecessors should have induced 
 them to suppose a work so extensive, and attended with 
 such an enormous expense, could ever be essential to 
 their protection and security. It is, notwithstanding, 
 continued in excellent repair, and serves to keep alive in 
 the minds of the natives a dread of the immense power 
 of their masters. The several alterations of late years in 
 the administration for India, and the appointment of a 
 military crown-officer to be governor-general of Bengal, 
 together with similar appointments in the other presiden- 
 cies, tend very much to the introduction of an entire 
 change of the system. It is generally thought, that, 
 on the expiration of the company's present charter, the 
 government will be vested in the crown, so far as re- 
 spects the jurisdiction, the military, and the finances ; 
 and that the company will receive the surplus of the rev- 
 enues towards furnishing their homeward investments, 
 as heretofore. The gross revenue of Bengal, Bahar, and 
 Orissa, to the company, is estimated at four crores of ru- 
 pees ; a crore being ten millions, and a rupee equal to 
 two shillings sterling; which makes the whole amount 
 to four millions of pounds. A regal government, it is 
 supposed, will not on the whole be disagreeable to a 
 majority of the European inhabitants ; and it is gen- 
 erally allowed that it will be highly grateful to the na-
 
 SOCIETY IN CALCUTTA. 265 
 
 live princes, who certainly will prefer being tributary to 
 a powerful nation, with a king at its head, rather than 
 to delegated authority from a trading company. 
 
 The free merchants derive no small advantage from 
 the company's annual remittance to China, towards pur- 
 chasing the teas for Europe. The company's opium is 
 disposed of at public sale, and the merchant who buys 
 it, upon giving security to pay the amount, at the cur- 
 rent exchange, into their treasury at Canton, has the 
 benefit of a credit. Silver can sometimes be obtained 
 on similar terms. This, together with a part of the 
 opium, is applied to the purchase of tin and pepper from 
 the Malays and at Batavia, on which a handsome profit 
 is made at Canton, as well as on the remainder of the 
 opium, for which they there find a good market. 
 
 With respect to the society at Calcutta, the line of dis- 
 tinction seems to be rather too strongly marked. The 
 company's servants and the principal merchants form the 
 first class ; and though in the second there may be, and 
 frequently are, persons of respectable character, under 
 the denomination of European shopkeepers, with a stock 
 in trade of from two to five lacks* of rupees, yet these 
 are not considered fit company for the former, nor are 
 they admitted either to the assemblies or the concerts. 
 Besides these amusements, there is a theatre, to which 
 tickets of admission are sold, as in other places. The 
 performers are mostly gentlemen of the settlement, who 
 also act the female parts ; and the surplus money, after 
 defraying the expenses of the house, is applied to char- 
 itable purposes. There are also occasional exhibitions 
 of fireworks, executed with taste and grandeur. The 
 
 A lack is a hundred thousand. 
 34
 
 266 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 hour of dinner is three o'clock, and, after rising from ta- 
 ble, the amusement is generally a ride round the course, 
 in carriages, being a circuit of five or six miles. Here, 
 at stated times, the races are held, and at a distance, in 
 the dry season, the place is distinguishable only by an 
 immense cloud of dust ; it not being possible to perceive 
 a single object, till a person gets fairly involved in the 
 thickest of it. After returning from the course, the gen- 
 tlemen and ladies dress for the evening, at which time 
 only, between eight and half past nine, the latter receive 
 visits ; the hour of supper being ten o'clock. This is a 
 politic regulation, as the ladies in India soon lose that 
 bloom and freshness peculiar to European complexions. 
 However, this loss is compensated by a certain softness 
 and delicacy of feature, which seems to render them 
 more feminine, and of course more interesting. Their 
 appearance is not a little improved by the light of the 
 candles, and by the extreme neatness, and, if I may be 
 allowed the expression, the purity of their dress, which 
 consists usually of the finest muslin. Indeed, in one 
 respect, the ladies in Calcutta should be considered a 
 pattern for the sex. In the care of their persons they 
 cannot be exceeded, and perhaps are scarcely equalled, 
 by any in the world ; few of them bathe less than twice, 
 and some, in the warmest season, as often as three times, 
 during the twenty-four hours. Nor are the gentlemen 
 deficient in this point ; for, their under-clothes being cot- 
 ton, it is not an uncommon thing among them to change 
 their apparel three times a day. 
 
 I cannot, in this account of the society at Calcutta, 
 omit observing, that, in general, this city can be outdone 
 by few places in hospitality and attention to strangers ; 
 and, where a gentleman is furnished with letters of in-
 
 SOCIETY IN CALCUTTA. 267 
 
 troduction, nothing can be more cordial than the recep- 
 tion he meets. From the first moment of my acquaint- 
 ance with Mr. Lambert, as well before as after I went 
 to live with him, his attention to me was urn-emitted. 
 He took every opportunity of introducing me to the best 
 company, and making the circle as extensive as possible. 
 To Lady Chambers, and to her husband, Sir Robert, 
 who is the chief-justice, we made our first visit ; and 
 it is with pleasure I recollect the easy politeness with 
 which I was received at that time, and afterwards at 
 their table, by her Ladyship and the knight. She is a 
 charming woman, may be about three or four-and-thirty, 
 and, though she has been fourteen years in the country, 
 and is mother of eight children, has yet the remains of 
 considerable personal beauty. At her Ladyship's table I 
 was made acquainted with her cousin, Mr. Wilton, a gen- 
 tleman of elegant manners, from whom I received repeat- 
 ed marks of attention and civility. From Mr. Addison 
 and his lady I met with a pleasing reception. This gen- 
 tleman is son of Captain Addison, of the fifty-second reg- 
 iment, who fell at Bunker's Hill ; and in some subse- 
 quent engagement in America he had a brother mor- 
 tally wounded. There being an intimate friendship 
 between Mr. Lambert, and this family, we frequently 
 visited them, and never failed to find a sociable party. 
 By Mr. Johnson I was twice entertained at Raspugly, 
 his country-seat, six miles from town. Few persons are 
 admitted to be better informed generally ; and as the re- 
 sult of having been much employed at the courts of the 
 native princes, he possesses a thorough knowledge of In- 
 dian politics and intrigue. He himself lives somewhat 
 in the style of a native prince, particularly with respect 
 to his women, for whom he has a regular set of apart-
 
 268 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 ments and a separate garden. They live after the man- 
 ner of the inmates of the zenana, or seraglio, and have 
 never been seen, even by their keeper's most intimate 
 acquaintance ; I do not use the term friends, because 
 it is a trait in this gentleman's character, that he regards 
 friendship but as a name. There are many persons for 
 whom he professes an esteem, and he himself is the 
 object of general esteem ; but at a time of life appar- 
 ently under the age of forty, he knows mankind either 
 too well or too ill. 
 
 Besides my letters to Mr. Lambert and Mr. Myers, 
 I had been favored with one from Mr. Peach to his 
 brother, by whom and Mrs. Peach, after they came to 
 live in town, as also by Mr. Keighly, and his wife, a sis- 
 ter of Mr. Peach, I was politely received, and dined with 
 them a few days before leaving the place. A letter from 
 Mr. Cox to Captain Robinson, military commissary-gen- 
 eral, procured me from him the usual attention. From 
 Mr. Turnbull, a free merchant, and principal owner of 
 the Argyle, I received not only civilities, but also offers 
 of service, in the most friendly manner. This gentle- 
 man, in the early part of his life, resided in New Jersey, 
 where he studied law two or three years, and has a 
 brother on Long Island, whom I knew as a lieutenant 
 in the Pennsylvania artillery. There is always a party 
 at his house on Sundays, when his acquaintance are 
 sure to find him at home, and are treated by him and 
 his wife with a hospitality that convinces them they are 
 welcome. Few men in the settlement are more be- 
 loved than Mr. Turnbull ; and when he makes an of- 
 fer of his services and friendship, it is easy to see that 
 it is not a matter of profession only. With Mr. Con- 
 yers, during my residence at his house, and his neigh-
 
 EARL CORNWALLIS. 269 
 
 hours Williams and Jones, and Mr. Mclntosh, I passed 
 the time very agreeably. These, though worthy peo- 
 ple, are not, however, in the first class ; notwithstand- 
 ing which, they are visited by many of the military, 
 and by some of the company's civil servants ; Mr. 
 Jones having resigned a lieutenancy of artillery, in 
 order to push his fortune in trade. Instances of this 
 kind are not unfrequent. The letter from Mr. Freeman 
 to Mr. Colvin (of the firm of Bane and Colvin, free mer- 
 chants) procured me the usual attentions, besides the 
 offer of money and the credit of the house, as far as I 
 might have occasion for either. 
 
 In addition to the gentlemen before mentioned, I 
 found at Calcutta an old Boston acquaintance, my friend 
 Benjamin Joy, who came here from England on private 
 speculation. We were frequently together, and the rec- 
 ollection of former scenes contributed not a little to the 
 pleasure of our meeting. With him resided Mr. George 
 Scott, a young gentleman also from Boston, who left 
 New York with Mr. Randall and me, in 1786, with a 
 view of getting employment in India. At Batavia we 
 thought it advisable he should accept the offers made 
 him by a Captain Fowler, and he accordingly went as 
 his purser to Calcutta ; but the owner of the ship becom- 
 ing bankrupt, she was sold, and Mr. Scott left without 
 any provision. Under these circumstances, he found a 
 friend in Mr. Cotton, a passenger in the ship, and by his 
 recommendation obtained a clerkship in the accountant- 
 general's office, which affords him a genteel subsistence. 
 
 After being thus particular in mentioning the acquaint- 
 ances made at Calcutta, I must not omit the reception I 
 met from Earl Cornwallis, the governor-general. This 
 nobleman, though sent out on the ungrateful business of
 
 270 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 making reformations, correcting abuses, and curtailing 
 the expenses of former establishments, is, notwithstandr 
 ing a faithful execution of the orders of his employers, 
 the favorite not only of the inhabitants at large, but 
 also of the company's servants, civil and military. His 
 conduct has been so unexceptionable, and, as Shakspeare 
 observes respecting Duncan, he "hath been so clear in 
 his great office," that, after the instances of rapacity and 
 peculation of which former governors have been guilty, 
 his Lordship is justly the object of universal esteem. 
 His levee is held every Tuesday morning, from nine to 
 eleven o'clock, for the Europeans and strangers, and on 
 Friday for the natives. Mr. Lambert attended me there, 
 the second Tuesday after my arrival, and introduced 
 me to Colonel Cockerell, the quartermaster-general, by 
 whom I was presented to the governor. His Lordship re- 
 ceived me in that easy manner which characterizes the 
 courtier and the gentleman, and, after a few remarks 
 common on such occasions, proceeded in his routine 
 with the rest of the company. His public dinner is on 
 Tuesday, and on the 8th of April I had the honor of 
 dining with him. The same attention and politeness 
 as at the levee marked his Lordship's conduct towards 
 me, both before dinner and at table ; which was not 
 only agreeable to me, but gave much satisfaction to Mr. 
 Lambert and his partner, Mr. Ross, who were also in- 
 vited. A former card, for the preceding Tuesday, had 
 been sent to me the day I set out to visit the foreign set- 
 tlements. On these occasions his Lordship usually ap- 
 pears in his uniform, as a general officer, and with the 
 insignia of his order, the star and garter. 
 
 On Monday afternoon, March 31st, Mr. Conyers and 
 I set out for the Dutch settlement of Chinsura, about
 
 CHINSURA. 271 
 
 thirty miles up the river, in a commodious twelve-oared 
 budgero, and arrived there at two o'clock the next 
 morning, Mr. Conyers's servant, with his buggy, a 
 one-horse chaise, being directed to follow by land. Af- 
 ter breakfasting at the tavern, we waited on Carl Blume, 
 Esq., to whom I had a letter of introduction from Mr. 
 Lambert, and were by him presented to the governor, 
 Mr. Titsingh, with whom we dined, passed the evening, 
 and supped. After the cloth was removed, at supper, an 
 express arrived for the governor, with the information 
 that the late disputes in Holland had been amicably ad- 
 justed. The circumstance of the accommodation having 
 been so favorable to the Prince of Orange is exceedingly 
 displeasing to the gentlemen of this settlement, all of 
 whom, excepting Mr. Titsingh, are violent republicans. 
 At dinner, Mr. Van Hogendorp, whom, with his lady, I 
 had seen at Batavia in 1786, also Mr. Crapp, whom I 
 had seen in 1784 at Canton, renewed their acquaintance 
 with me, and in the afternoon accompanied Mr. Conyers 
 and me to pay our compliments to Madame, with whom 
 we had the pleasure of taking tea. The next morning 
 Mr. Conyers and I walked to Hoogly and Bandel, and 
 returned to dinner at Mr. Van Hogendorp's. His lady 
 plays exquisitely on the piano-forte, and had the good- 
 ness to entertain us half an hour before dinner with her 
 performance. We passed the evening and supped with 
 the Baron Van Haugwitz and his lady, Mr. and Mrs. Van 
 Hogendorp having taken us to their house saws ceremo- 
 nie. Mr. Conyers and I were entertained at whist with 
 the ladies, both of whom are endowed with the most 
 agreeable manners. Madame la Baronne is a beautiful 
 brunette, and has most bewitching eyes. 
 
 The situation of Chinsura is delightful, the gardens
 
 272 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 pleasant, the houses neat and commodious. The gov- 
 ernor lives in the fort, which is entirely dismantled ; 
 there being allowed only a saluting-battery on the bank 
 of the river, and a garrison, or rather guard, of sixty se- 
 poys. The affairs of the Dutch company in this quar- 
 ter are much on the decline. They have neither money 
 nor credit. They had no ships last year, nor do they 
 expect any this. 
 
 About one o'clock, April 3d, we went on board our 
 budgero, and on awaking, between six and seven, found 
 ourselves at anchor at Chandernagore. The late gov- 
 ernor, M. Dangereux, to whom I had a letter from M. 
 Montigny, the chief at Canton, having gone to Europe, 
 and his successor residing at Ghurhutty, five miles dis- 
 tant, we paid our compliments to M. Frimon, the milita- 
 ry commandant, a captain, who has a few sepoys as a 
 guard, in the same manner as the Dutch at Chinsura. 
 He resides in a bungalow, built on one of the ruined 
 bastions of the fort taken by the English in 1757, and 
 afterwards dismantled and demolished. In the course 
 of our visit, the conversation turned on the adjustment 
 of the disputes in Holland, when M. Frimon readily al- 
 lowed that the republican party had great reason to be 
 dissatisfied with their French friends. " We did," said 
 he, " every thing in our power ; but when we found 
 that Prussia and England were determined, in good 
 earnest, to support the Prince of Orange, and that a war 
 between us and them would be inevitable, should we 
 longer persist, we were obliged to give up the cause of 
 the republicans with the best grace that we could." 
 Finding nothing to induce a longer stay at Chanderna- 
 gore, we left at noon, dined in our budgero, and by sun- 
 set arrived at the Danish settlement of Serampore. Here
 
 SERAMPORE. 273 
 
 we found our buggy, the servant having mistaken his or- 
 ders, and, instead of going to Chinsura, remained all the 
 time at this place. After supping at the tavern we re- 
 turned to the budgero, it being our rule to sleep on board 
 every night. 
 
 The next morning we waited on Mr. Scavenius, chief 
 of the company's factory, to whom I had an introduc- 
 tory letter from Mr. Lambert. This gentleman present- 
 ed us to Mr. Lefevre, the royal governor, who is a 
 major in the army, and about thirty-five years of age. 
 Madame Lefevre being indisposed, we had not the pleas- 
 ure of seeing her ; but Mr. Wouldern, the second in the 
 factory, introduced us to his lady, with whom we all 
 dined, at Mr. Scavenius's. Mr. Kristing and Mr. Go- 
 thing, the king's agents, gave us an invitation for the 
 day following ; but the period we had fixed for our re- 
 turn to Calcutta obliged us to decline it. In the after- 
 noon, Mr. Conyers and I rode out in the buggy, to have 
 a view of the neighbouring country. We passed the 
 evening and supped with the same company as at dinner. 
 Madame Wouldern is a belle-blanche, has engaging fea- 
 tures, and a charming complexion, in which the lily and 
 rose are happily blended. She is twenty-five years old, 
 though, not having had any children, she preserves the 
 freshness of eighteen ; her manners are easy, and marked 
 by a most amiable and interesting simplicity. Though 
 she has been two years in the country, she has not been 
 either at Chinsura or Chandernagore, or even at Calcutta, 
 a circumstance at which I was astonished when she 
 mentioned it. Her husband appears to be a good man, 
 and I am much mistaken if they are not very happy to- 
 gether. He went from Serampore four years since, in 
 order to get an appointment in the factory at Canton ; 
 35
 
 274 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 but marrying this lady in Europe, he thought proper to 
 relinquish that project, rather than separate from his 
 bride, and therefore has brought her with him to this 
 country ; a measure which evidently proves his taste 
 and good-sense, for, as Yorick observes, " a man 
 might lead such a creature as this round the world with 
 him." It was not without regret that we left this 
 good company, at midnight, and retired to our budgero. 
 
 Serampore, like the other settlements on the river, is 
 agreeably situated. The Danes have two company 
 ships annually from Europe to Tranquebar, one of 
 which is thence sent to this place, where it arrives in 
 August, and takes in the company's investment. The 
 military make a rather more respectable figure here than 
 at Chinsura or Chandernagore, though they have no 
 great advantage in point of real force. The garrison is 
 inconsiderable, and the battery on the river calculated 
 only for salutes. 
 
 These three foreign settlements may be considered 
 somewhat like the cities of refuge mentioned in Scrip- 
 ture, so far as respects such of the Calcutta gentle- 
 men as, from the importunity of creditors, find it neces- 
 sary at times to shift the scene. Here they remain, un- 
 molested, all the week ; and on Sundays those at Ser- 
 ampore can without fear revisit Calcutta. It would be 
 an ill return for Mr. Titsingh's politeness to me, were I 
 in this place to omit an anecdote respecting him, which, 
 as a man, does him infinite honor. Mr. Bruere, a mer- 
 chant of extensive concerns in Calcutta, having failed for 
 a large amount, could not go to Serampore, as he was in- 
 debted to gentlemen there ; and he found it necessary to 
 write to Mr. Titsingh, to know whether he might with 
 safety repair to Chinsura. Mr. Titsingh's answer was to
 
 COUNTRY BETWEEN SERAMPORE AND CALCUTTA. 275 
 
 the following effect : That he could not account for 
 Mr. Bruere's application on any other principle than a 
 fear that he might meet with trouble from the person 
 himself to whom it was made. He therefore assured 
 him, that, so far from giving him any cause for such 
 apprehension, which could arise only from his being in- 
 debted to him, he would waive his claim altogether, and 
 hoped Mr. Bruere would so far confide in him as to re- 
 side at his house till his affairs should be in such a train 
 as to allow of his safe return to Calcutta. The invita- 
 tion was accepted ; but Mr. Titsingh did not stop here. 
 On the payment of the first dividend to the creditors, he 
 declared that he would receive no part of what was due 
 to him, fifteen thousand sicca rupees, besides interest ; 
 but gave it to Mr. Bruere for the support of his young 
 son, who, a short time previous to his father's failure, 
 had been sent to Europe to receive his education.* An 
 act which speaks so well for itself would be injured by 
 any comment. 
 
 On Saturday, after breakfasting at the tavern, we 
 crossed the river from Serampore, to the cantonment of 
 English troops on the opposite side, called Barrakpur, 
 whence we proceeded by land, in the buggy, fourteen 
 miles, and arrived in Calcutta at noon ; our budgero 
 going down the river at the same time. The country 
 on both sides is pleasant and fertile, and the view of 
 elegant country-seats all the way enlivens the prospect, 
 and gives it the appearance of a continued garden. The 
 natives, through many of whose villages we passed, ap- 
 pear to enjoy both plenty and content. 
 
 * I had this account from Doctor Turnbull, of the Bengal establish- 
 ment, brother to Mr. Turnbull before mentioned. A sicca rupee is two 
 shillings and sixpence sterling.
 
 276 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 The state of society at Calcutta is of late so much im- 
 proved, that gentlemen who now come to India find no 
 great difficulty in reconciling themselves to the idea of 
 passing the remainder of their days there ; especially 
 those who bring families with them, or form connec- 
 tions on the spot. The style of living is so expensive, 
 that even a single man must spend the amount of two or 
 three fortunes before he can save enough to return, un- 
 der easy circumstances, to Europe ; and married people, 
 unless they enjoy most lucrative appointments, or are 
 extensively and successfully concerned in commerce, 
 hardly expect such an event.* In short, a majority of 
 the present inhabitants of Calcutta regard India as their 
 home ; and the emigrations from England, in which 
 the fair sex make no inconsiderable figure, increase rap- 
 idly. Scarcely a ship arrives without three or four single 
 ladies as passengers, who have either a married brother, 
 an aunt, a sister, or a cousin, to receive and patronize 
 them. Some of the wags have observed that the mar- 
 ket is rather overstocked with this commodity. Without 
 examining how far so uncourteous a remark is founded 
 
 * Of the expenses, the servants' wages constitute a large part. No 
 servant will do what properly belongs to another ; the man who cuts 
 grass for your horse and feeds him will not clean or saddle him, nor will 
 the one employed for the latter purposes give him his food ; every horse 
 has two attendants. Besides, servants are restrained by their religion 
 from performing many of the common offices about house ; and a man 
 who will wash your feet will not put on or take off your table a dish of 
 meat or soup, on account of his caste. This necessarily occasions a 
 multiplicity of servants. Mr. Lambert's family consists only of him- 
 self, his brother, and Mr. Ross, his partner. They have seven horses, 
 a post-chaise, a phaeton, and a buggy ; each has also his palanquin, or 
 chair. The number of servants they are obliged to keep amounts to 
 ninety-seven ; I say obliged, because, on enumerating them and their 
 occupations, we could not find a single supernumerary.
 
 PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS AT CALCUTTA. 277 
 
 in truth, I will only say that I saw a list of unmarried 
 ladies, seventy-two in number, all of them reputably 
 connected, and between the ages of eighteen and twen- 
 ty-five, many of whom, it is allowed, want neither ex- 
 ternal charms nor mental accomplishments, and are des- 
 titute only of the one thing needful, money. Unfortu- 
 nately, this has now become as necessary an ingredient 
 in the matrimonial cup in India as it is in other parts 
 of the world ; a circumstance which, whilst it tends 
 greatly to the discouragement of a union that constitutes 
 the chief happiness of life, serves not a little to favor a 
 system which sentimental libertines miscall Platonic. 
 
 Among the public establishments at Calcutta are two 
 banks ; one called the General Bank of India, the other 
 the Bengal Bank. Of the former Mr. Lambert is the 
 deputy-chairman and principal manager. There is also 
 an orphan society, of which Earl Cornwallis is governor, 
 and six of the most respectable inhabitants are managers. 
 With regard to religious assemblies, there is no want of 
 them. The Portuguese, who are numerous, have several 
 churches, the Armenians, one, and the English, at 
 last, have one also, if it can be said to be yet finished. 
 It is Episcopalian, and has been built by subscription ; 
 and as his Lordship, the governor-general, is a good 
 Churchman, the military at least follow his example in 
 attending divine worship. Private business, however, 
 does not stop on Sunday, as the natives, and the Chi- 
 nese, of whom there are great numbers in the settlement, 
 do not specially regard that day. 
 
 Having remained at Calcutta till the 23d of April, I 
 that evening took leave of my good friend Mr. Lambert, 
 his brother, and Mr. Ross, intending to go on shipboard ; 
 but the appearance of an approaching northwester, which
 
 278 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 shortly after came on with great violence, induced me to 
 accept Mr. Turnbull's invitation to supper, and Mr. Lam- 
 bert did us the favor to be of the party. I lodged at the 
 house of my friends Joy and Scott, and the next morn- 
 ing, after breakfasting with Mr. Macan and Mr. Benezet, 
 at the house of the former, we went on board together, 
 and the ship came to sail. These gentlemen belong to 
 the company's civil service, and are going to Madras for 
 the benefit of their health. Mr. Macan is custom-master 
 for the port, and a few days previous to our departure 
 was introduced to my acquaintance by Mr. Lambert, 
 when he gave me an invitation to dinner, which I ac- 
 cepted. 
 
 Besides the constant attentions I experienced from 
 Mr. Lambert, he furnished me with the printed articles 
 of the present insurance company, and the rates of in- 
 surance ; also manuscript copies of the articles of an in- 
 surance company lately under his own direction ; togeth- 
 er with the articles of the Tontine, or society for the 
 benefit of survivors, a society still existing. From 
 the statistics of this institution some idea may be formed 
 of the measure of health enjoyed in the settlement. It 
 was organized on the 1st of March, 1785, to continue for 
 the term of five years, the number of members being up- 
 wards of fifty. Since that time it has increased to one 
 hundred and three, without a single death to the day I 
 received this information, the 20th of April, 1788. In 
 addition to these papers, Mr. Lambert presented me with 
 Doctor Watson's Chemical Essays, a valuable work in 
 four small volumes. I had nothing to give him in re- 
 turn but an American engraving of the siege of York- 
 town, and the Institution of the Cincinnati, with some 
 pamphlets for and against that order, which he did me
 
 CAR NICOBAR. 279 
 
 the favor to accept. It was natural that I should leave 
 this gentleman with regret, and a lively impression of 
 the value of his friendship. He has my best wishes, 
 and it is not without pleasure that I indulge the hope of 
 again meeting him, some day or other, either in America 
 or in Europe. 
 
 It being late in the monsoon when we sailed from 
 Calcutta, the pilot did not leave us till the 7th of May. 
 I improved the opportunity of his return to write to Mr. 
 Lambert and Mr. Joy. On the 4th of June we anchored 
 off the Car Nicobar, went ashore in the afternoon of the 
 5th, and sailed again the next day. Here I had the 
 pleasure of meeting Captain Adams, with whom I had 
 been acquainted last year at Canton. He was going to 
 build a ship at Pegu, and left the island the same day 
 we did. A small French vessel was also there, bound 
 from Pegu to the Coast ; but, not being able to beat 
 against the monsoon, had been there one month, and 
 would be obliged to remain as much longer. The trade 
 of this island is altogether in cocoa-nuts, which the na- 
 tives sell to country ships, that carry them to Pegu, 
 where they will always procure a full cargo of teak 
 timber. This timber is said to be the best in the world 
 for ship-building, as vessels constructed of it are now 
 running that have been kept employed upwards of six- 
 ty years. Its peculiar excellency, besides its strength, is 
 a certain oiliness in the grain, which effectually preserves 
 the iron bolts and nails from rust. On these accounts, it 
 meets with a ready sale at Calcutta, Bombay, and other 
 settlements on both sides of the peninsula. 
 
 The inhabitants of the Car Nicobar seem to be the 
 happiest people in the world, if a state of nature is al- 
 lowed to be a state of happiness. Cocoa-nuts and yams
 
 280 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 form their principal food ; in addition to which they 
 have hogs, poultry, and fish in abundance. Their swine, 
 being fed with cocoa-nuts, make the best pork I have ev- 
 er tasted ; the pigs are particularly delicious. The men 
 have no clothing, unless a small girdle round the 
 waist, one end of which is drawn tight between the 
 legs and tucked up behind, can be called such. The 
 women wear a short petticoat, and a small piece of 
 cotton cloth bound over their breasts. Their huts are 
 circular, raised on stakes, and terminating in a point. 
 Clusters of a dozen or twenty of these together, as the 
 situation may admit, form cantonments, of which there 
 are several along the shore ; and the government, if 
 they can be said to have any, is of the patriarchal kind. 
 Though almost in the midst of the torrid zone, the air 
 is constantly cooled by refreshing sea-breezes. Nothing 
 can exceed the agility of the men in climbing the cocoa- 
 nut trees. They put their feet into a string, or withe, so 
 as to keep them from spreading too far asunder, then set- 
 ting them against the tree, and extending their arms as 
 high as they can reach round its trunk, they, at every 
 hitch, go their whole length ; and, from my own obser- 
 vation, I have no doubt that one of these people would 
 climb the tallest tree while a person, at a common pace, 
 could go the same length on the ground. It is impos- 
 sible for people to be more gentle than these islanders. 
 They seem to possess much of the milk of human kind- 
 ness ; and though they frequently see Europeans, and 
 have sometimes suffered by their rapacity, yet they still 
 continue strangers to the passions attending a more civ- 
 ilized state. This is the concurrent testimony of those 
 who have been repeatedly among them, and is the more 
 extraordinary, as the inhabitants of the Andamans, a
 
 MADRAS. 281 
 
 cluster of islands but a few degrees to the northward, 
 are cannibals. 
 
 After leaving the Nicobars, and going to the south- 
 ward to within less than one degree of the line, we 
 were unable to fetch Pulicat, situated between the thir- 
 teenth and fourteenth degrees of north latitude, until the 
 1st of July ; and though in sight of Madras, it was not 
 till the 3d, in the afternoon, that we could anchor in its 
 road. Captain Fowle and I, with Mr. Macan and Mr. 
 Benezet, went ashore the same evening, these two 
 gentlemen to the houses of their friends, and the cap- 
 tain and I to the tavern, which I made my quarters till 
 the 14th, in the evening, when I embarked for Canton. 
 
 To give a particular account of Madras would be to 
 repeat a considerable portion of what has been already 
 remarked respecting Bengal ; with this exception, how- 
 ever, that the former is evidently on the decline, so far 
 as regards commerce, whilst the latter is increasing in 
 every species of opulence with a rapidity that is aston- 
 ishing. Not only Madras, but, as I have been informed, 
 Bombay, and the other English settlements on the coast, 
 as well as Bencoolen, on the island of Sumatra, are inad- 
 equate to their own maintenance, and are supported from 
 the surplus of the Bengal revenue. In a military view, 
 Bombay and Madras are of the utmost importance to the 
 company, as the former has a safe harbour, where the 
 largest ships may be refitted and repaired, and the latter 
 gives them the command of the coast of Coromandel, 
 and secures the Carnatic. The defences at Madras are 
 good, and the army is so respectable as to render the 
 English possessions on that side of India perfectly secure. 
 
 Madras is divided into two districts ; the one called 
 Fort St. George, where the officers of government and 
 36
 
 282 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 the English inhabitants reside, though most of them 
 have also country-houses ; the other denominated the 
 Black Town, as being the residence of the natives, and 
 also of the Portuguese, and other strangers. The houses 
 in Fort St. George are large and commodious, built in the 
 European style ; while those without the walls are more 
 on the plan of country-houses. The face of the country 
 in the neighbourhood of Madras is pleasant, and more va- 
 ried than that about Calcutta ; and a number of elegant 
 country-seats diversify the scene, and render an after- 
 noon's ride peculiarly agreeable. Notwithstanding its 
 more southerly situation, the heat at Madras is not so 
 intense as at Calcutta, or at Canton ; the air being cooled 
 by the land-winds in the evening and during the night ; 
 and these succeeded by the sea-breeze, emphatically 
 called the Doctor, which regularly comes in about ten 
 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 It is a general observation, that there is a manifold dif- 
 ference between Bengal and Madras, in respect to the 
 attention paid to strangers ; insomuch, that gentlemen at 
 the former settlement are cautious of giving their friends 
 letters of introduction to those of the latter. Mr. Lam- 
 bert, however, gave me an open letter to his correspond- 
 ents, Amos and Bowden, merchants there, and I had no 
 reason to complain of the behaviour of those gentlemen 
 towards me ; it was unreserved and friendly, and it was 
 with pleasure I accepted their civilities, and those of Mrs. 
 Amos. Besides these gentlemen, Mr. Hall, a merchant, 
 and an acquaintance of Captain Fowle, was particularly 
 attentive to me, with whom and Mrs. Hall I had the 
 pleasure of dining twice. I also met there Mr. Davies 
 and Mr. Girez, two gentlemen who go annually to China, 
 and with whom I had been acquainted at Canton ; with
 
 SPECIMEN OF COOL POLITENESS. 283 
 
 the former I dined twice, and with their friend Mr. 
 Young once. 
 
 With respect to the grandees at Madras, the cool polite- 
 ness of one of that class towards me prevented me from 
 making any acquaintance with them. Previously to my 
 departure from Canton. Mr. George Smith gave me a 
 sealed letter to his friend Josias Du Pre Porcher, Esq., 
 who, he said, would be happy to pay me every atten- 
 tion. This letter, the morning after my arrival, I sent 
 to its address, and in about two hours Mr. Porcher made 
 me a visit. He thanked me, in a formal way, for the 
 letter I had brought him, but neither told me where he 
 lived, nor intimated a wish to become acquainted, nor 
 made a tender either of his services or civilities. After 
 a few minutes of that kind of conversation which com- 
 monly passes between strangers on such occasions, Mr. 
 Porcher took leave ; and as, on a full consideration of 
 these circumstances, I had no right to suppose that he 
 was desirous of seeing me at his house, I regarded his 
 visit merely in the light of postage for the letter, and 
 gave myself no further trouble about him. Mr. Porcher 
 is a merchant, a man of property, and said to be a person 
 of fashion and politeness ; but as to the last point, I am 
 not ready to allow it. He was the only company's ser- 
 vant to whom I had a letter ; and owing to his neglect, 
 at least, of the rules of good-breeding, I saw neither the 
 governor nor any other member of the administration ; 
 for, as nobody offered to present me, I did not think 
 proper to attend the levee, with simply, Me void! 
 Amos and Bowden were good men, but I believe not 
 much in that line ; and when, on being acquainted with 
 Doctor Turnbull, brother of my Bengal friend, I men- 
 tioned the matter to him, he censured Mr. Porcher's
 
 284 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 conduct, and was solicitous to introduce me to the ac- 
 quaintance of his friends Corbet and Boyd, who he said 
 he was certain would be happy in having an opportunity 
 of presenting me to the governor, and contributing every 
 thing in their power to render my stay at Madras agree- 
 able to me. Though I was sensible of Doctor Turn- 
 bull's attention on this point, I did not think proper to 
 avail myself of it ; and he was considerate enough to ad- 
 mit my excuse. 
 
 Among other persons whom I met here, 1 renewed my 
 acquaintance with Captain O'Donnell, who, in the year 
 1784, at Canton, chartered part of his ship to Mr. Ran- 
 dall and me for America, Mr. Randall going with him. 
 Shortly after his arrival in America, Captain O ; Donnell 
 married at Baltimore, and has now come to India to set- 
 tle his affairs. He left Madras for Bengal on the 8th of 
 July, expecting to be there again, to sail for America, 
 in December. Previously to his departure, I gave him 
 a letter of introduction to my friend General Knox, in 
 America. 
 
 When the Argyle left Calcutta, it was intended that 
 she should go to Tranquebar, Pondicherry, Madras, and 
 Vizagapatam ; at which last place she was to take in rice 
 and proceed to China. But the season was too far ad- 
 vanced to allow of our reaching to the southward of Ma- 
 dras, and the ship had yet so much of her voyage to per- 
 form, that there was no probability of her arriving in 
 Canton till the beginning of November. Under these 
 circumstances, I applied to Captain John Robinson, on 
 the 7th of July, for a passage to Canton in the ship 
 Clive, under his command ; and though cotton-loaded, 
 and with two passengers already engaged (Mr. Davies 
 and Doctor Turnbull, the latter very sick), he consented
 
 TRANSACTIONS AT MADRAS. 285 
 
 to accommodate me. The letters I had received from 
 Mr. Scavenius, to the chief and another of his friends at 
 Tranquebar, being sealed, I transmitted them under cov- 
 er of one from myself to the chief, on the 6th instant, by 
 post ; and the same day I wrote to Mr. Scavenius and 
 to Mr. Lambert, by the snow Cornwallis, Captain Ede. 
 The letter from M. Montigny to his friend at Pondicher- 
 ry, and another to the late chief of Chandernagore, being 
 both open, and concerning only myself, I shall take back 
 to that gentleman, with my thanks. On the 9th, Cap- 
 tain Fowle went on board his ship to sail for Pondicher- 
 ry, Messrs. Thompson and Roberts, late officers under 
 Captain Metcalf in a brig from New York, being with 
 him. These gentlemen, on account of some disagree- 
 ment with the captain, had left their vessel, and come 
 from Calcutta in the Argyle, Mr. Turnbull having given 
 them their passage. It is their wish to get to America by 
 the way of Canton, and, as they had behaved in an unex- 
 ceptionable manner, I promised to give either of them, 
 as they should settle it between themselves, a passage on 
 board the ship in which I expect to return. On the llth 
 I wrote a letter to my friend Samuel Parkman, of Bos- 
 ton, to go by a ship belonging to that port, commanded 
 by Captain Roberts, which was then gone to the north- 
 ward, and was expected back to sail from Madras, on her 
 return, some time in October. On the 12th I wrote to 
 my friend Benjamin Joy, at Calcutta, and gave the letter 
 to Captain Maughan, bound there in a few days. The 
 13th, being Sunday, I went to church. On the 14th I 
 dined with Captain Robinson, and Mr. Cox, the owner 
 of his ship, at the country-house of their friend Mr. Tu- 
 ring, who had desired them to bring me with them, and 
 treated me with that genuine politeness and hospitality
 
 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 which ever mark the gentleman. I must not omit to 
 mention, however, that he is a company's servant, not- 
 withstanding which he declared his obligation to me for 
 accepting his sans-cirtmonie invitation, as it was only 
 that morning he had learned from Mr. Cox that I was in 
 the settlement. The behaviour of this gentleman was 
 quite the reverse of that of Mr. Porcher, and, on his in- 
 quiring how I liked Madras, my companions informed 
 him of the little reason that I had to be pleased with it. 
 There were other gentlemen at table, and they did not 
 let Mr. Porcher 's conduct pass without some severe, and 
 I think just, animadversions. The same evening, Cap- 
 tain Robinson, Mr. Davies, and I, went on board (Doctor 
 Turnbull having gone in the forenoon), and the next 
 morning at four o'clock the ship came to sail. 
 
 In contemplating the progress and present state of the 
 European establishments in India, it is most pleasing to 
 observe that the interests of humanity receive so great a 
 portion of the attention of its rulers. The colleges for 
 orphans at Batavia have already been noticed, as also 
 the orphan society at Calcutta. At Madras there is a Fe- 
 male Asylum, which owes its institution to Lady Camp- 
 bell, wife of Sir Archibald, the governor and command- 
 er-in-chief. Of this establishment Sir Archibald is the 
 president, the first four members of the administration 
 are vice-presidents, and eight of the most respectable of 
 the military, civil, and clerical servants of the company, 
 governors. The directresses are Lady Campbell (who is 
 also styled patroness) and twelve of the principal ladies 
 of the settlement. The names of these establishments 
 sufficiently indicate the benevolent design of their insti- 
 tution, which cannot fail to be productive of the most 
 extensive good, not only to such as are the immediate 
 objects of them, but to society at large.
 
 HINDOO DEVOTEES. 287 
 
 As respects the natives of India, it may be observed that 
 the austerities practised by them, at the present day, are 
 sufficient to countenance the most seemingly improbable 
 relations that have been given of what they will endure 
 for the sake of their religion. It is said that a Hindoo 
 will sometimes, by way of penance, crawl on his belly 
 the whole length of the Ganges, following it through all 
 its windings, from its source to its mouth ; another will 
 extend his arm, and, vowing never to draw it in again, 
 keep it in that position till his death ; while a third, 
 locking his hands together, will suffer the nails of each 
 to penetrate the back of the other, and in that manner 
 rivet them inseparably. I am not traveller enough to 
 have seen an instance of either of these practices, but I 
 was witness to one which may seem almost as incred- 
 ible. Previously to their principal festivals, parties of 
 the religious devotees go about beating up for volun- 
 teers, who place the point of honor in the firmness with 
 which they will bear pain. Some will carry an iron 
 spear, thrust through their tongue, their cheeks, or oth- 
 er parts of their body, for days together ; while others 
 will cheerfully undergo the painful operation of the 
 swing. I was present at one of these spectacles, in 
 Calcutta. A post is erected, on which is an iron spin- 
 dle that receives a long pole, placed diagonally, one end 
 of which comes near to the ground, while the other 
 is elevated seventy or eighty degrees. From the upper 
 end depends a chain with a large hook, which is forced 
 through the fleshy parts of the devotee's back, who, 
 amidst the acclamations of his countrymen, is in an in- 
 stant suspended at the utmost elevation of the pole, 
 while a party having hold of the lower end, to which 
 ropes are purposely fastened, make it fly round with the
 
 288 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 greatest velocity. While this is doing, the happy vic- 
 tim takes his turban, and, deliberately unfolding it, 
 waves it triumphantly over the heads of his applauding 
 countrymen, among whom, from time to time, he scat- 
 ters flowers, with which he previously takes care to pro- 
 vide himself. After this, he makes up his turban, re- 
 places it on his head, and is taken down. I saw four go 
 through this exercise, one of whom remained suspend- 
 ed upwards of seven minutes ; and I had the curiosity to 
 examine two of them, both when they were hooked and 
 when they were taken down, and was satisfied that there 
 was no deception. 
 
 The jugglers in India are very remarkable, and per- 
 form many feats with astonishing dexterity. Some of 
 them have tamed the most venomous serpents, so as to 
 render them perfectly innocent ; and I have seen one of 
 these people wind a snake twelve feet long round his na- 
 ked body, and, bringing its head to his mouth, blow and 
 spit upon it without the least fear, while the animal 
 would hiss, dart its tongue, and swell with indignation 
 at the treatment it received. 
 
 On Sunday, July 27th, our ship anchored off dueda, 
 where the purser and second mate were sent on shore ; 
 but there being no tin to be had there, we sailed the next 
 day, and on Tuesday evening anchored off Pulo Pinang. 
 On Wednesday, Mr. Griffiths, the intimate friend of 
 Captain Robinson and Doctor Turnbull, with his part- 
 ner, Mr. Gray, whom I had seen here on my way to 
 Bengal, came on board to dinner, and insisted that Mr. 
 Davies and I should take up our quarters at their house, 
 in company with Captain Robinson and Doctor Turnbull. 
 We readily accepted this friendly invitation, and re- 
 mained with them till Tuesday following. It was pleas-
 
 MALACCA. 289 
 
 ant to observe the progress made in this settlement in 
 the short space of six months ; the number of inhab- 
 itants being greatly increased, as was also the trade. 
 Messrs. Griffiths and Gray transact a large portion of the 
 business carried on here, and appear to be making 
 money fast. They have the best house on the island, 
 built since Mr. Gray's arrival, and take a pleasure in 
 making it agreeable to strangers. The attention paid 
 us by these gentlemen, and by Mrs. Gray, while we 
 were their guests, interests us much in their welfare ; es- 
 pecially Mr. Davies and myself, who were strangers to 
 them, and by whom they will ever be remembered with 
 pleasure and affection. The late commodore, Captain 
 Pickett, has been succeeded on the station by Captain 
 Dixon, with three company's cruisers under his com- 
 mand. The governor, Mr. Light, received me with his 
 usual hospitality ; his family having the addition of Mr. 
 Farley and Mr. Hawkins, from Canton, who, not belong- 
 ing to the factory, were prohibited, by the late regula- 
 tions, from remaining either there or at Macao. A Mr. 
 Hope, from Calcutta, but last from Batavia, arrived the 
 day before we left the island, to settle there as a mer- 
 chant. Mr. Elmer and he mentioned two American ves- 
 sels, Captains Barry and Truxton, as having passed the 
 Straits of Banca for Canton. We took leave of our 
 friends on the 5th of August, Doctor Turnbull remain- 
 ing with them for the benefit of his health. . 
 
 The 17th of August we anchored in the road of Ma- 
 lacca. In the afternoon, the captain, Mr. Davies, and I, 
 went ashore and took lodgings at the tavern. The same 
 evening we attended the wedding of a captain of one of 
 the Dutch company's cruisers and a country-born Por- 
 tuguese, where we were entertained much to our satis- 
 faction. The next day we made our visit to the gov- 
 37
 
 290 VISIT TO BENGAL. 
 
 ernor, and the following morning returned on board and 
 came to sail. 
 
 Malacca, from being not long since the emporium of 
 the straits and the neighbouring coasts, is now dwindled 
 to a mere place of refreshment. It has been for several 
 years gradually declining, under the ill fortune which 
 has attended the company's affairs throughout India gen- 
 erally ; and the recent establishment of the English at 
 Pulo Pinang has given the finishing stroke to its com- 
 mercial existence. 
 
 The women at Malacca are chiefly country-born, and 
 in their dress resemble those of Batavia ; though the same 
 cannot be said respecting their manners. They are ex- 
 ceedingly vulgar, and fond of frolicking to an extreme. 
 At their dancing parties they drink vast quantities of 
 beer, wine, and gin, chew betel and areca the greater 
 part of the time, eat a hot supper, then go to dancing 
 again, and seldom leave the house till three or four 
 o'clock in the morning. This mode of conduct ren- 
 ders them libertine to 'such a degree as to banish from 
 the minds of their male companions every idea of re- 
 spect or delicacy, I had almost said decency, towards 
 them. At the wedding just mentioned, though ladies 
 of the first class were present, yet the filles-de-joie of 
 the captains of ships from India to Canton, who leave 
 them here till their return, were not excluded. On the 
 contrary, they board in respectable families, where they 
 are companions for the mistress of the house ; and I was 
 not a little surprised, on visiting, two ladies of the first 
 rank in the settlement, the forenoon after the wedding, 
 to find one of these creatures, a mixture of Malay and 
 Indian-Portuguese, passing the day with them, tete-a-tete. 
 
 Monday, the 8th of September, we anchored in the 
 road of Macao, at five, P. M., when the second mate,
 
 RETURN TO CANTON. 291 
 
 Mr. Davies, and I, went on shore. The Dutch and 
 Swedes were gone to Canton. I visited the French, 
 supped with the Danes, at Mr. Vogelsang's, lodged at 
 Mr. Freeman's, and returned on board the next day to 
 dinner. At Macao I received a letter from P. N. Smith, 
 Esq., merchant, of New York, dated the 24th of No- 
 vember last, and inclosing one of the 21st from Mr. 
 Randall, my friend and partner. Our pilot did not come 
 on board till the evening of the llth. On the 15th, at 
 two, P. M., we anchored at Whampoa, and the next day 
 Captain Robinson, Mr. Davies, and I, came to Canton. 
 
 Having thus finished my tour, it is with pleasure I re- / 
 fleet on the many agreeable circumstances attending it ; 
 among which is not to be considered as the least the good 
 society I found with Captain Fowle, Captain Robinson, 
 and their officers, as also with my fellow-passengers. It 
 is impossible for people to have had more reason for mu- 
 tual satisfaction. Passages in country ships are frequent- 
 ly attended with embarrassing circumstances, from its 
 not being the general custom for their commanders to 
 receive money, though they do not refuse a present of 
 adequate value. Captain Fowle and I, however, came 
 to an explanation before I embarked in his ship, and I 
 paid him, at Canton, two hundred dollars for my pas- 
 sage to Bengal ; and, previously to leaving Calcutta, four 
 hundred sicca rupees to bring me back again. With 
 Captain Robinson, at Madras, I could make no terms. 
 He was happy, he said, to accommodate me ; and his 
 deportment during the whole voyage amply proved it. 
 Fortunately, I had an elegant travelling-case and a port- 
 able kitchen, which, the season before, had cost me one 
 hundred and sixty-four dollars, and he did me the favor 
 to accept them, as a token of my gratitude and esteem.
 
 RETURN TO CANTON, 
 
 AND
 
 RETURN TO CANTON, 
 
 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 I HAD the pleasure, on my arrival here, to find three 
 vessels from America, the Asia and Canton, Captains 
 Barry and Truxton, from Philadelphia ; and the Jenny, 
 Captain Thompson, from New York. My letters by the 
 Jenny informed me that two others were expected ; the 
 General Washington, from Rhode Island, and the Jay, 
 the late Hope, from New York, commanded by my 
 friend and partner, Captain Randall. Both these ships 
 left America in December, for Madeira, the coast of In- 
 dia, and China. It was the 28th of October when the 
 Washington anchored at Whampoa, from Madras ; the 
 letters by which ship, from Mr. Randall, at Madeira, 
 mentioning the delays to which the merchants there 
 subjected him, gave me but too much reason to appre- 
 hend that he would lose his season. Besides these ves- 
 sels, a ship, with a sloop as tender, had been fitted out. 
 from Boston, to go round Cape Horn to the northwest 
 coast of America for furs, with which they were to pro- 
 ceed to China, and return by the Cape of Good Hope. 
 I am sorry that I cannot mention the arrival of either of
 
 296 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 them at this place. A small English vessel from the 
 Northwest Coast reported that the tender had arrived 
 there, having parted from the ship in a severe snow- 
 storm in the latitude of 57 south. In addition to all 
 these, there is a brig called the Eleonora, Captain Metcalf, 
 from New York, which, on common principles, ought to 
 have finished her voyage there last June. With a cargo 
 of furs, instead of coming directly to China, the last sea- 
 son, Captain Metcalf went to the coast of Coromandel, 
 Bengal, and thence to Batavia ; from which last place he 
 arrived, early in the present season, among the islands in 
 the neighbourhood of Macao. There he remained, send- 
 ing his furs to Canton, to Mr. Beale,* as he could find 
 occasion, by other ships, till some time in December, 
 when he was boarded by a gang of Ladrones, Chinese 
 thieves, living among these islands, thence called La- 
 drone islands, and had two of his officers killed before 
 he could beat them off. As he is not under the protec- 
 tion either of the Portuguese or the Chinese, and has 
 never made any application to me, the consul of his na- 
 tion, I cannot form any idea of his intentions. 
 
 The list of shipping, to the 20th of January, 1789, is 
 as follows : 
 
 * This gentleman was not long since a purser of an English company 
 ship, but is now Prussian consul, and partner of Mr. Cox. The latter, 
 in consequence of the recent regulations, could no longer, as an Eng- 
 lish subject, stay in Canton, but was obliged, at the close of the last sea- 
 son, to embark for England ; while Mr. Beale, now become a Prussian, 
 as such, in defiance of his late country, remains unmolested.
 
 STATE OF TRADE. 297 
 
 English,* . ,... . : .,, yi ..:... utotev* - 21 
 
 Swedish, . ~* . . . . ,-.:." 2 
 
 Danish, . . -. . .. i .- ... > . 2 
 
 French, . <fc--l ->-: . f -. .-: . - - v 1 
 
 Dutch, . in^j, . . . . .4 
 
 Spanish, ...... <; .-<.- 2 
 
 American, . 4 
 
 36 
 
 Portuguese, at Macao, .... 7 
 
 To pass the Cape of Good Hope, . . .43 
 Country ships bound back to India, . . 24 
 English ships in the neighbourhood of Macao,f 5 
 American brig Eleonora, do. do. 1 
 
 Although the English shipping is not so numerous as 
 it was the last season, yet, should the four expected ves- 
 sels arrive,! t- ne tonnage, on the whole, it is thought, 
 will not fall short of what it then was. 
 
 The war in Formosa and the adjacent country being 
 closed, and the greatest plenty in the article of rice hav- 
 ing succeeded to the scarcity of the last two years, these 
 circumstances have had a favorable influence on the trade 
 of the present season. Teas are much more abundant 
 
 * Three of these are small vessels, from 250 to 400 tons, from Bot- 
 any Bay, and another of 120 tons from the northwest coast of Amer- 
 ica, freighted on the terms mentioned ante, p. 250. The remaining 
 ships are large ; none heing less than 800, some 1,000, and two taken 
 at 1,160 tons. There are also four others, of 800 tons and upwards, 
 expected from Bombay and Madras, by the eastern route. 
 
 f A small ship, two snows, a brig, and a sloop. 
 
 J When bound to Bengal, last season, in the Argyle, an English 
 company ship, by the eastern route, from Bombay, passed us at Second 
 Bar, the 19th of January. 
 38
 
 298 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 than they were then, and the price of the finer sorts is re- 
 duced fifteen or twenty per cent. There is a fallacy, 
 however, in this reduction of price ; for the Chinese, find- 
 ing the demand for fine teas annually increasing, have 
 adulterated them in such a manner as to render them in- 
 ferior, generally, to what in 1783 and 1784 were termed 
 the best second chop.* The consumption of tea in the 
 western world has increased astonishingly. In 1784, it 
 was estimated for Great Britain and its dependencies at 
 fourteen million pounds' weight ; not one half of which 
 was supplied by their own ships.f The commutation of 
 the duty on tea, since that period, has enabled the Eng- 
 lish to drink it at a nominally reduced rate ; and in the 
 year 1786, the company's sales alone, in the months of 
 March, May, June, September, and December, exceeded 
 fifteen million six hundred thousand net pounds, of the 
 various kinds, the common Bohea being rather more than 
 one third of this quantity ; the whole amounting, in val- 
 ue, to upwards of two million three hundred thousand 
 pounds sterling. On a comparative view of the ship- 
 ping employed in 1784 - 5, and 1787 - 8, the increase 
 is amazing. The exports of tea, of the various sorts, 
 on the company's account, by the English ships alone, 
 for the last-mentioned year, make an aggregate of one 
 hundred and sixty-one thousand three hundred and three 
 piculs, amounting to twenty-one million five hundred and 
 seven thousand and sixty-six net pounds English avoir- 
 dupois. The other companies have made no material al- 
 terations in the quantity of their shipping. 
 
 It was expected, in consequence of the increased ship- 
 ping employed by the English, that the commerce of the 
 
 * Here this word, chop, signifies quality. f See ante, p. 171.
 
 STATE OF TRADE. 299 
 
 Danes and Swedes would suffer considerable diminution. 
 These nations, however, have not yet realized any in- 
 convenience on that score ; especially as a large part of 
 their fine teas were last year sold at an advanced price, 
 for the Russian consumption. 
 
 The Dutch, for the last three or four years, have la- 
 bored under great disadvantages, owing to their not send- 
 ing from Europe a sufficiency of specie ; their company 
 having depended too far upon remittances to be made 
 from India to Europe through the medium of their treas- 
 ury. This has obliged their supercargoes to draw bills 
 on the company, which, being given to the Chinese mer- 
 chants, are by them disposed of, at a discount of twenty 
 or twenty-five per cent. This business is called trans- 
 fer, and has introduced a kind of stock-jobbing which 
 cannot fail of being highly injurious to the interests of 
 the company. 
 
 The mode of transfer used by the Dutch has also 
 been practised by the English, who, notwithstanding 
 their importation of specie from England the last two 
 years, to the amount of seven hundred thousand pounds 
 annually, and the remittances from Bengal, have been 
 obliged to adopt this expedient. Formerly, all the re- 
 mittances from British subjects in India to Europe passed 
 through the company's treasury ; the exchange for a dol- 
 lar, which is intrinsically worth only 4s. 6d., rising grad- 
 ually from 4s. 9d. to 5s. 6d. sterling, payable at three 
 hundred and sixty-five days' sight. The exchange for 
 the present season is 5s. 4d., a reduction which has great- 
 ly tended to throw the money into the treasuries of the 
 Danes and Swedes, who give 5s. 6d., and draw their bills 
 payable in London at eight months' sight. Individuals, 
 therefore, who have money at option, either pay it to
 
 300 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 these nations or wait the opportunity of purchasing trans- 
 fer. The Chinese merchant, who is ever loath to part 
 with ready money, contracts for a cargo of cotton, or 
 other merchandise, and engages to pay for it in transfer, 
 at a certain discount ; which discount is a clear profit to 
 the seller, over and above what he could obtain, were it 
 not for this transfer. Ultimately, this is a tax on the re- 
 spective companies ; for the Chinese understand calcula- 
 tion, and, by advancing one or two taels a picul on their 
 fine teas, turn the balance amply in their own favor. In 
 barter transactions, the discount on English transfer is 
 about ten per cent. ; but it has not unfrequently hap- 
 pened, that, for ready money, the Chinese merchant has 
 discounted twenty. While the company suffer by this 
 mode of stock-jobbing, it is no small aggravation of the 
 evil, that it has been brought about chiefly by some of 
 their own immediate servants at Canton ; who, contrary 
 to their engagements, not only implied but expressed, 
 have made large sums of money by this iniquitous traf- 
 fic. Indeed, this has become so notorious, that several 
 of them have this season embarked for England ; it be- 
 ing a tacit convention, that they might, by making a 
 resignation of the service their voluntary act now, pre- 
 vent an otherwise impending dismission. The increas- 
 ing magnitude of the English trade with Canton, the 
 most lucrative of all their Asiatic commerce, induces the 
 gentlemen of that nation to believe that the company 
 meditate some important changes in the present system 
 of conducting it. 
 
 The French and Spaniards are in no want of money. 
 The former, having had only one ship this season, have a 
 surplus fund of more than two hundred thousand dollars 
 in specie alone. Upon what principle of finance this ar-
 
 AMERICAN COMMERCE. 301 
 
 rangement was made it would puzzle a Sully or a Necker 
 to determine. 
 
 January 23d, 1789. Leaving the commerce of other 
 nations, it is time now to make a few observations upon 
 that of our own. 
 
 The Asia arrived the 7th of July last, and sailed the 
 7th instant. Her supercargoes, Jonathan Miffiin, Esq., 
 and Mr. John Frazier, having letters to Mr. Chalmers, 
 the Swedish chief, were by that gentleman recommend- 
 ed to the Chinese merchant Houqua, to whom they sold 
 as much of their ginseng as was good for one hundred 
 and twenty dollars a picul, and gave him some money 
 with it, how much I know not ; but Mr. Frazier told 
 me, shortly after my arrival, that he had offered the 
 whole of his supply of that article at seventy dollars, and 
 forty thousand dollars in money, to old Chowqua, who 
 declined any concern with it. Shykinkoa would do 
 nothing. When the English gentlemen came from Ma- 
 cao, Mr. Pigou, to whom my countrymen had letters of 
 recommendation, obtained from England and sent after 
 them by the Jenny, on being told by them that they had 
 contracted with Houqua, replied that they might as well 
 have thrown their property into the sea. These particu- 
 lars I had as well from Mr. Pigou as from Messrs. Mifflin 
 and Frazier. The justice of Mr. Pigou's remark was 
 soon verified. The ginseng, which Houqua bought at a 
 hundred and twenty dollars, and which was chargeable 
 with a duty of sixty more to the hoppo, he was selling 
 at one hundred dollars (China price), being eighty less 
 than it cost. He delayed performing his contract, ab- 
 sented himself almost continually from his hoang, 
 smoked opium, absconded on the 24th of December, 
 was declared bankrupt, and his effects were seized.
 
 302 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 The following minute, which I made the 27th of De- 
 cember, will show the sequel. " Yesterday forenoon Mr. 
 Mimin called on me, and, after a few minutes' conversa- 
 tion, detailed his situation relative to Houqua. After tak- 
 ing notice of the misfortune his concern had been exposed 
 to from being connected with Houqua, he declared that it 
 was no longer than twelve days ago that Mr. Chalmers 
 advised him to give all his money to Houqua. On ex- 
 pressing my astonishment at the circumstance, he repeat- 
 ed what he had before said, and added that this was only 
 seven or eight days previous to Houqua's running away. 
 He then observed, that, though Houqua was in their 
 debt six thousand dollars, they had in their hands, as se- 
 curity, notes given by Mr. Harrison, supercargo of the 
 Alliance, for goods taken of Houqua, the last year, to 
 three times this amount ; and concluded by hoping they 
 might shortly get away, as Shykinkoa had undertaken to 
 finish their business. He begged my permission, which 
 was readily granted, to lodge some money in our factory 
 for Shykinkoa, because he was unwilling to be seen re- 
 ceiving it from Mr. Mifflin's factory, which belonged to 
 Houqua." The supercargoes afterwards received mer- 
 chandise from the co-hoang,* by order of the hoppo, and 
 were obliged to give up to them Mr. Harrison's notes, for 
 the benefit of Houqua's creditors, as appears by my cer- 
 tificate, as follows : " In Monqua's house, January 7th, 
 1789, I saw Messrs. Mifflin and Frazier deliver to Mon- 
 qua Mr. Harrison's notes for $ 18,605, and $ 1,310, in 
 all, $19,915, when Houqua, being present, consented 
 to the transfer, and declared that he had no demands 
 
 * Their names are Chowqua, Shykinkoa, Monqua (president), Pin- 
 qua, Geouqua, Equa, Houqua, Pankekoa's sons.
 
 AMERICAN COMMERCE. 303 
 
 against those gentlemen or their employers. S. SHAW, 
 Consul for the United States of America" 
 
 The Canton, after stopping at Batavia, arrived on the 
 10th of August, and sailed with the Asia. Her captain 
 and Mr. Frazier having been here before, the supercar- 
 goes, Mr. Wilcox and Mr. McCall, did their business 
 with Equa and Lysingsang, to whom they sold their 
 ginseng for eighty dollars. What money they gave, or 
 what goods they received, I know not ; as I made it a 
 rule not to question any of these gentlemen concerning 
 their business. 
 
 I should add, that Messrs. Mifflin and Frazier, Wilcox 
 and McCall, all of them expressed to me the obligations 
 they were under to Mr. Pigou for his interference and 
 assistance, without which, they declared, they did not 
 know what time their ships could have got away. 
 
 The Jenny arrived the 29th of August, without any 
 supercargo, and is now ready to sail. The captain and 
 doctor, Mr. Caldwell, were recommended to Parkin and 
 Smith, of the English house, to whom they brought a 
 remittance from Lynch and Stoughton, on account of 
 teas furnished the Canton, at respondentia, on her last 
 voyage, by Lysingsang, commonly called the Black Doc- 
 tor. Parkin and Smith, not caring to act ostensibly as 
 supercargoes, prevailed on the captain and doctor to give 
 themselves out as such, and promised to assist them with 
 their advice. How far their advice has been salutary 
 Lynch and Stoughton will be the best judges, on the 
 Jenny's return. They put all their ginseng, upwards of 
 sixty thousand weight, at seventy dollars a picul, into 
 the hands of Lysingsang, together with thirty thousand 
 dollars in money. This fellow, not being a hoang mer- 
 chant, trades under Equa's chop. Equa, of course, was
 
 304 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 security to the hoppo for the duties which would be due 
 from Lysingsang, who in a short time became embar- 
 rassed in his affairs, kept himself out of the way, was 
 taken into confinement in the city, and at last, after, as 
 Dr. Caldwell expressed it, telling nine lies to one truth, 
 in the whole course of their transactions, has given them 
 merchandise to the nominal amount of their demand. 
 
 The Washington, Captain Donnison, arrived the 28th 
 of October, and is now ready to sail. The supercargo, 
 Samuel Ward, Esq., and I having known each other in 
 America, it was with pleasure we renewed our acquaint- 
 ance at Canton, and we agreed, as I was alone, to occupy 
 quarters together. His ginseng, though of a bad quality, 
 and arriving when the market was glutted, was disposed 
 of at sixty-five dollars a picul. For the amount of this 
 ginseng, one hundred and forty piculs, and thirteen thou- 
 sand dollars in specie, he received from Monqua the best 
 of Bohea tea at the market price. The funds of this 
 ship not being adequate to procuring the whole of a 
 suitable return cargo, Mr. Ward and I entered into arti- 
 cles for freighting the remaining room with merchandise 
 on account of Mr. Randall and myself. This measure 
 was now (in December) become necessary to me, as the 
 Jay could not, in common probability, be expected to 
 save her season ; and the arrangements I made last year 
 for building a ship in America render my presence there, 
 with additional funds, the ensuing summer, absolutely 
 indispensable. Having effected the credit for this busi- 
 ness, entirely independently of the Jay's concerns, I shall 
 leave the necessary information for Mr. Randall, and em- 
 bark with Mr. Ward the day after to-morrow. 
 
 Perhaps the following may be nearly a just statement 
 of the ginseng brought to market this season :
 
 ENGLISH CREDITORS OF THE CHINESE. 305 
 
 Asia, . '. . 'I . . 400 piculs. 
 Canton, 6 . . v- .'& . . 300 " 
 Jenny, . . ; .->'...< ; . .450 
 Washington, . 1~ . . 140 " 
 English company ship Talbot, . . 200 " 
 
 1490 
 
 As the captain of the Talbot speculated for 
 all the ginseng he could purchase in Eng- 
 land, it will be a large allowance, if for the 
 remaining ships, and those of other na- 
 tions, we add five hundred piculs, say, 510 
 This will make the total two thousand piculs, which is 
 only two hundred more than the importation of 1786. 
 To what the reduction in the price of this article has 
 been owing I will not undertake to say, as the contracts 
 for the three first-named vessels were all concluded be- 
 fore I arrived from Calcutta. Certain it is, that the ships 
 from our country have never brought so large a portion 
 of their funds in ready money. If it is necessary that 
 the Americans should drink tea, it will readily be grant- 
 ed that they ought to employ the means most proper for 
 procuring it on the best terms. The experience of nearly 
 a century has convinced the Europeans of the utility of 
 managing their commerce with this country by national 
 companies and with large ships. How far it may be 
 proper for America to imitate their example, and regulate 
 the exportation of her ginseng, must ultimately be deter- 
 mined by her own experience. 
 
 The payment of a yearly dividend, by the Chinese, 
 to the English creditors of three Chinese merchants, 
 who became bankrupts between 1774 and 1779, being 
 rather an extraordinary matter, as no other foreign cred- 
 itors of these merchants have had any relief granted 
 39
 
 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 them, I have been at some pains to acquire a knowl- 
 edge of the affair, and have perused all the papers relat- 
 ing to it, from which I have gathered the following par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 Mr. John Crichton, who resided at Canton as a private 
 merchant and agent from the year 1768 to 1774, had, 
 during that period, loaned to three of the capital trading- 
 houses large sums of money, at twenty per cent, interest : 
 the bonds for which, including both principal and inter- 
 est, having been annually renewed, at length amounted 
 to an enormous sum. Supposing his fortune to be made, 
 two thirds whereof remained in the hands of these Chi- 
 nese, Mr. Crichton, in 1774, left Canton for Europe, hav- 
 ing passed upwards of seventeen years in Asia. After his 
 arrival in England, not finding his remittances from Chi- 
 na regular, but on the contrary very uncertain, he, at the 
 expiration of four years, judged it necessary to return. 
 At Madras, he found some of the creditors, and agents 
 for the others, who agreed upon a plan of sending him to 
 China, as their joint agent, to endeavour to obtain redress 
 from the government of Canton for the losses they had 
 sustained by the failure of those three houses, which was 
 evidently attended with many fraudulent circumstances. 
 They accordingly joined him in a memorial to the hop- 
 po, or superintendent of the customs at Canton, in which 
 they requested that new bonds might be given, and of- 
 fered to reduce the interest from that time to twelve per 
 cent., praying, that thenceforward the interest and one 
 twelfth part of the principal might be paid annually, un- 
 til the whole should be discharged. Besides this memo- 
 rial to the hoppo, Mr. Crichton wrote a letter to Panke- 
 koa individually, and another to him and the merchants 
 of the co-hoang collectively, stating his grievances, rec-
 
 ENGLISH CREDITORS OF THE CHINESE. 307 
 
 ommending his cause and that of his constituents to 
 their consideration, and begging their assistance. 
 
 Rear- Admiral Sir Edward Vernon, who was then com- 
 mander of his Majesty's fleet in India, was also applied to, 
 in order that he, as his Majesty's representative, should 
 ask redress from the Chinese government for the subjects 
 of the king, his master, who had suffered by the bank- 
 ruptcy of these Chinese merchants, and who, by the 
 laws and customs of China, were restrained from seeking 
 and obtaining it by personal application to the Chinese 
 courts of justice. Sir Edward readily entered into the 
 views of Mr. Crichton and the agents, and engaged to 
 send Captain Panton with the Sea-Horse frigate to Can- 
 ton, to make the requisition. For these good offices, the 
 agents engaged to give Sir Edward a tenth part of the 
 amount recovered. The correspondence between them, 
 commencing with Mr. Crichton's letter to Sir Edward, 
 occasioned also a correspondence with the governor and 
 council of Madras. These papers succeed each other in 
 the following order, and show the proceedings of the par- 
 ties till the sailing of the Sea-Horse, with Captain Pan- 
 ton and Mr. Crichton, for Canton. 
 
 July 8th. Letter from Mr. Crichton to Sir Edward 
 Vernon, inclosing the aforementioned papers for his pe- 
 rusal, and requesting that the captain of the Sea-Horse 
 frigate should be ordered to deliver, in person, the memo- 
 rial to the hoppo. 12th. Letter from Mr. Crichton to 
 the attorneys of such persons, whether in Europe or In- 
 dia, as have money in the hands of the Chinese, desiring 
 to be appointed their agent for recovering the same. 
 From said attorneys and Mr. Crichton to Sir Edward 
 Vernon, to the same purport as Mr. Crichton's partic- 
 ular letter of the 8th. From the same to the govern-
 
 308 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 or and council at Madras, praying their assistance, and 
 stating their claims against the Chinese, interest includ- 
 ed, " computed at more than a million sterling." 20th. 
 From Sir Edward Vernon to the governor and board, 
 stating his compliance with the aforesaid request, and 
 asking their assistance, by directing the supercargoes at 
 Canton to afford every aid to the captain of the frigate, 
 in the prosecution of his business. Sir Edward's address 
 to the viceroy of Canton, to be delivered to him in per- 
 son by Captain Panton.* 21st. Mr. Crichton to Sir 
 
 * " To HIS EXCELLENCY THE VICEROY OF CANTON. 
 
 " May it please your Excellency, It gives me real concern that I 
 am under the necessity of laying before you the accompanying letter, 
 addressed to your Excellency by Mr. John Crichton, who has traded 
 and resided at Canton for some years, in behalf of his constituents and 
 himself, concerning the very considerable sum of money the merchants 
 of Canton are indebted to British subjects ; which letter, Mr. Crichton 
 informs me, has been approved of by such of the creditors who reside 
 at this place, as well on their own account as in behalf of such credi- 
 tors in Europe, and other parts of India, for whom they act. 
 
 " As the representative of my most gracious sovereign, the king of 
 Great Britain, by whose commission I have the honor to serve in this 
 country as an admiral, and commander-in-chief of his squadron and 
 of armed vessels of the English East India Company, I cannot, consist- 
 ently with my duty to my sovereign and my country, see his subjects 
 oppressed and distressed in the manner set forth in the said letter, ad- 
 dressed to your Excellency by Mr. John Crichton, without complying 
 with his desire that the same should be transmitted to your Excellen- 
 cy, accompanied by this address from me. 
 
 " I therefore beg leave to inform your Excellency, that, in conse- 
 quence of his application made to me, as the representative of the king 
 of Great Britain, I have ordered his Majesty's frigate the Sea-Horse to 
 proceed to your port, with specie, on account of the East India Compa- 
 ny and others ; and, at the same time, given strict and positive orders to 
 Captain Panton, commander of said frigate, to deliver into your Excel- 
 lency's own hand, in the most public manner, and with the greatest re- 
 spect, this address, accompanying Mr. Crichton's letter.
 
 ENGLISH CREDITORS OF THE CHINESE. 309 
 
 Edward Vernon, requesting to be appointed secretary to 
 Captain Panton, as the king's representative. 24th. 
 From the governor and board to Sir Edward Vernon, 
 recommending that Captain Panton be directed to take 
 the advice of the supercargoes respecting the delivery by 
 him of the address to the viceroy, and that to this end 
 those gentlemen be furnished by Sir Edward with a 
 copy of said address. 26th. Sir Edward's answer, that 
 he shall certainly order Captain Panton to present his 
 letter in person to the viceroy, &c., and that he cannot, 
 without degrading his public character as king's repre- 
 sentative, transmit to the supercargoes at Canton a copy 
 thereof ; but that Captain Panton will be directed to co- 
 operate with them, as well for the good of the compa- 
 ny's service in general as for the relief of his Majesty's 
 
 " I have also the honor to inclose your Excellency a copy of Mr. 
 John Crichton's letter to me, in my public character and station, also 
 the address of the inhabitants of this settlement who have concerns in 
 China, for your Excellency's satisfaction. 
 
 " Not having the smallest doubt but that your Excellency will take 
 into your consideration the hardships which the subjects of my most 
 gracious sovereign have suffered for these six years past, your Excel- 
 lency will use the necessary means that strict justice be done to them in 
 every respect, nattering myself the mode of making you acquainted 
 with these grievances will be approved of by your Excellency, and treat- 
 ed accordingly. 
 
 " I most ardently wish that every thing may be adjusted to the satis- 
 faction of the parties concerned, with that amity, justice, and good faith 
 which the subjects of your state owe to those of my sovereign who 
 trade thither or reside there. Indeed, I have not the smallest doubt, 
 when the emperor is made acquainted with the distressing situation of 
 the British subjects, but he will be graciously pleased to approve of the 
 means now proposed for the doing them justice. 
 
 " I beg leave to request your Excellency will accept my best wishes 
 for your health, .and that you will be pleased to allow me to add, 
 " I am, with all due respect," &c.
 
 310 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 subjects concerned in the present application. From Mr. 
 Criehton to the governor and board, stating, that, hav- 
 ing, previously to the arrival of Sir Edward Vernon, fur- 
 nished the governor with a copy of his memorial to the 
 hoppo, and no inquiries by the governor respecting the 
 same having since been made of him, he hoped that 
 he should be excused for having, on the arrival of Sir 
 Edward Vernon, applied to him, as his Majesty's rep- 
 resentative, in behalf of himself and others, his Majes- 
 ty's subjects ; he also acquaints them, that Sir Edward 
 Vernon had consented to send the Sea-Horse, with Cap- 
 tain Panton as his Majesty's representative, to endeavour 
 to obtain redress of the grievance ; and concludes by 
 hoping that their Honors would not take offence at his 
 proceedings. 29th. From the governor and board to 
 Sir Edward, disapproving of sending a king's armed ship 
 to Canton, as the trade there wanted no protection, and 
 stating, that, should the company's affairs ever render 
 such a measure necessary, " instructions will be obtained 
 by them from his Majesty's ministers." 31st. From Sir 
 Edward in reply to the governor and board, observing, 
 that, when, in his first letter to them, he asked their ad- 
 vice and assistance, he expected they would have desired 
 a meeting with him, as had been customary on other oc- 
 casions ; but that this not having been the case now, he 
 inclosed them a copy of part of his instructions to Captain 
 Panton, who was to proceed immediately on the business, 
 as soon as their despatches for Canton were delivered. 
 In these instructions, Captain Panton is forbidden to go 
 higher up the river than Second Bar, in order to avoid 
 the claim of duties for measurement, which he is by no 
 means to pay. He is directed to deliver tp the viceroy 
 the letter from Sir Edward, and to the hoppo that from
 
 ENGLISH CREDITORS OF THE CHINESE. 311 
 
 Mr. Crichton, complying with the necessary forms of 
 audience, provided that nothing therein required " be 
 derogatory to the honor of his Majesty's flag." It is en- 
 joined upon him carefully to avoid any disputes or meas- 
 ures which might have a tendency to obstruct the com- 
 pany's commerce ; and further, as it was said that a 
 representation of this matter had been sent to England 
 the last year, he was to inquire of the supercargoes at 
 Canton whether they had received any orders from the 
 government, or the court of directors, and act according- 
 ly. Finally, he is required to take Mr. Crichton as his 
 secretary. 
 
 On his arrival at Second Bar, some time in October 
 following, Captain Panton addressed a letter to the vice- 
 roy,* by whom he was admitted to an audience in the 
 
 * Captain Panton to the Viceroy of Canton. 
 11 His EXCELLENCY THE VICEROY OF CANTON. 
 
 " May it please your Excellency, The commander of his Britannic 
 Majesty's ship Sea-Horse has the honor to present to your Excellency 
 herewith a letter from the admiral, commander-in-chief of his Majesty's 
 ships in the East Indies, demanding justice to be done to his Majesty's 
 oppressed^ subjects in China, and two letters from Mr. Crichton, 
 humbly requesting justice in behalf of himself and others, to whom 
 the Chinese merchants are indebted large sums of money. 
 
 " The commander of his Majesty's ship Sea-Horse wishes to inform 
 your Excellency, in a few words, the real intention of his coming to 
 China. 
 
 " He is come to ask of the Chinese government, in a respectful, 
 friendly, and firm manner, that his Majesty's subjects may be justly 
 paid the debts owing to them by the Chinese merchants ; and that your 
 Excellency will be pleased to cause an inquiry to be made, and the 
 money and goods to be returned, which were stolen by the Chinese out 
 of the East India Company's ship, last year, while she lay at the Sec- 
 ond Bar. There is too much reason to believe people in the boats ap- 
 pointed to take care of that part of the river are well acquainted with 
 those who committed the act of robbing the ship Royal George.
 
 312 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 city, having passed thither in a sedan-chair from the 
 company's factory, to which place he came in his barge. 
 Here, in presence of the merchants, who were sum- 
 moned on the occasion, he delivered the letter to the 
 viceroy, who opened it, and then gave it to the linguist 
 to be translated. This done, his Excellency assured 
 Captain Panton that proper inquiries would be made ; 
 and likewise told him, that the emperor, in 1760, hav- 
 ing been informed of the distresses occasioned to the 
 merchants, in consequence of borrowing money from 
 the Europeans at a high premium, had issued an edict, 
 forbidding such loans upon any conditions, under pen- 
 alty to the European of a forfeiture of his money, and 
 of banishment to the Chinese, a circumstance well 
 known to all the Europeans and Chinese in Canton, the 
 edict having been published in the usual manner, and 
 translated into the several European languages. He 
 added, that, notwithstanding this flagrant violation of 
 the emperor's edict, his Majesty should be made ac- 
 quainted with the present application, and Captain Pan- 
 ton might come back for his answer the succeeding year. 
 Shortly after this audience, Captain Panton took in 
 the necessary refreshments, and sailed for Madras ; hav- 
 ing, previously to his departure, issued a proclamation, 
 forbidding all British subjects lending money to the 
 Chinese. 
 
 The viceroy, having summoned all the chiefs of the 
 trading companies to the city, demanded if they had 
 any claims, in behalf of their respective companies, 
 
 " I have the honor to subscribe myself, with all due respect, may it 
 please your Excellency, 
 
 " Your Excellency's most obedient humble servant, 
 
 " JNO. ALEX'R. PANTON."
 
 ENGLISH CREDITORS OF THE CHINESE. 313 
 
 against the estates of the bankrupt merchants ; to which 
 they replied in the negative. To the further question, 
 whether, individually, any of them had a claim for him- 
 self or friend, the answer was also in the negative. It 
 was necessary that they should give such an answer, for 
 an acknowledgment that they were creditors of the Chi- 
 nese would have been a virtual admission that they had 
 acted contrary to their engagements with their own com- 
 panies. But in this instance, the English had the ad- 
 vantage of all the others, as that nation alone allows its 
 subjects in India to carry on a trade with China, inde- 
 pendently of the company. Accordingly, the English 
 gentlemen observed, that, though, for the company, or 
 for themselves individually, they had no claims, yet, as 
 agents for British subjects who had, they begged justice 
 from the viceroy in their behalf, and hoped that he 
 would be pleased to take some measures for the relief 
 of such persons, who, with their families, had suffered 
 greatly by the said bankruptcies. 
 
 On Captain Panton's return, the year following, and 
 obtaining an audience of the viceroy in the city, he was 
 informed, that, although the emperor had just reason to 
 be offended at the little regard which had been paid to 
 his edict by the Europeans, who had thereby forfeited 
 all claim to his favor, yet, from his accustomed tender- 
 ness towards strangers throughout his dominions, his 
 Majesty had been pleased to direct that the sum of sixty 
 thousand taels of silver should be annually levied on the 
 trade of Canton, for ten years to come, and applied to 
 the liquidation of the several claims of the English sub- 
 jects, in the manner following : The full amount of 
 principal and interest on all claims prior to his edict of 
 1760 ; but for the claims after that date, one half only of 
 
 40
 
 314 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 the principal, and no interest. All the claims, of what- 
 ever nature, against one of the houses, were set aside, 
 as said house was greatly in arrears to the imperial rev- 
 enue, and its proprietor was dead. The heads of the 
 other two houses, the viceroy said, had been sent into 
 banishment. 
 
 Captain Panton having thus accomplished the object 
 of his mission, which he conducted in a becoming man- 
 ner, left Canton, on his return to India, and died at Ma- 
 lacca. It ought not to be omitted, that, on his first visit, 
 he was offered by the Chinese forty thousand dollars, if 
 he would go back without executing his commission, 
 and say that he could not be indulged with an audience ; 
 so much afraid are the merchants of having any appli- 
 cation made to their government respecting commerce. 
 The first sixty thousand taels were paid early in 1781, 
 previously to the supercargoes going to Macao ; the same 
 sum has been annually paid ever since, and there are two 
 payments yet to be made. It is no small aggravation to 
 the Dutch, Danes, Swedes, and French, that their trade 
 bears a portion of the tax for this dividend ; * for, though 
 
 * This will appear by the sixth article of instructions to M. Galbert, 
 and his return to the same, on the subject of grievances, which amount- 
 ed to ten, presented to the hoppo, as mentioned on page 185. These 
 instructions were drawn up by M. Vieillard, and approved by the dif- 
 ferent nations. 
 
 " 6. II representera que, chaque annee, les marchands paient aux 
 Anglais un dixi^me des dettes des marchands banqueroutiers, il les 
 citera par leurs noms, et le tout par ordre des mandarins, en vertu des 
 plaintes porte"es par Mr. Panton ; que, pour subvenir a ce paiment, les 
 Hannistes chargent a toutes les nations commer^antes un droit sur les 
 marchandises d'entree et de sortie, de facjon que les autres nations, qui 
 sont egalement creanci^res des Chinois, non seulement ne sont pas pay- 
 e*es, mais m6me encore se trouvent contribuer a payer les cre*ances An- 
 glaises au prorata de leur commerce."
 
 IMPERIAL CLEMENCY. 315 
 
 there were creditors of the bankrupt Chinese among their 
 respective companies' servants, yet they did not dare avow 
 their claims, and of course were entirely excluded. 
 
 After this instance of attention on the part of the Chi- 
 nese government to the representations of strangers, on 
 the score of property, it may not be amiss to show the 
 tolerant spirit it manifested towards some Christians, 
 whose zeal had led them to violate the laws of the em- 
 pire, in endeavouring to propagate their religion beyond 
 the bounds to which the Chinese policy had restricted it. 
 The edict of the emperor on this occasion, as communi- 
 cated by Le R. Pere Gramont,* is as follows : 
 
 " Edit de 1'Empereur KIEN LONG, publie en la 50 an- 
 nee de son regne, le 8 e de la 10 e lune, ce qui, en style 
 Europeen, repond au 9 e Novembre, 1785. 
 
 " Les Europeens, Pa-ti-ly -yang f et autres, entres fur- 
 tivement dans 1'interieur de 1'empire, ayant ete arretes 
 dans la province de Hu Kuangs ; apres bien des re- 
 cherches et des informations, faites & cette occasion, on 
 est parvenu a decouvrir, que dans les provinces de Tcho- 
 li, du Chantong, du Chen Si, du Se Tchuen, il y avait 
 encore d'autres etrangers, qui, contre les lois de 1'empire, 
 
 " 6. J'ai commenc^ par declarer au Hopou, a la requisition de MM. 
 les Anglais, que cet article ne les concernait en aucune faon ; qu'ils 
 etaient satisfaits par le gouvernement, au sujet de leur cre*ance ; que cet 
 article ne concerne que les Francjais, Sue"dois, Danois, et Hollandais. 
 Ensuite lui ayant explique" Particle, il m'a re*pondu, Je vous ai compris." 
 
 * A French missionary, who, having been upwards of twenty years 
 in China, the greater part of which time he passed in Peking, has for 
 the last three years resided in the suburbs of Canton, he says, for 
 the benefit of his health ; but the Chinese and the Europeans consider 
 him as a spy from the court. 
 
 . f Le nom estropie* d'un missionaire Franciscain, arrete* dans la pro- 
 vince du Hu Kuangs.
 
 316 RETURN TO CANTON. 
 
 s'occupaient secretement a repandre leur religion. Comme 
 de chacune de ces provinces, ils ont ete successivement 
 conduits et livres au King Pou,* pour etre examines et 
 juges, ce tribunal les a condamnes a une prison perpe- 
 tuelle. 
 
 " L'unique motif qui avait conduit ces Europeens dans 
 mes etats c'est le desir d'annoncer et de propager leur 
 doctrine. On n'a pu d'ailleurs les charger d'aucun 
 crime ; et si, apres avoir informe les mandarins de leur 
 arrivee, ils se fussent rendus a Peking, ils seraient a 1'a- 
 bri de tout reproche. 
 
 " Mais, comme transgresseurs de la loi, qui interdit 
 aux etrangers 1'entree de 1'empire, ils se sont glisses fur- 
 tivement dans ces provinces, ou ils travaillerent sourde- 
 ment, et en cachette a multiplier les sectateurs de leur 
 religion, on n'a pu s'empecher de sevir contre une con- 
 duite si artificieuse, et d'arreter les progres de la seduction. 
 
 " Bien qu'ils soient dignes du chatiment auquel ils 
 sont condamnes, touche cependant de leur imprudence, 
 ce n'est qu'a regret, et en faisant violence a ma bonte, 
 que j'ai ratine la sentence portee contre eux. 
 
 " Mais reflechissant aujourd'hui que ce sont des e'tran- 
 gers, des etrangers peu instruits des lois de 1'empire, je 
 sens redoubler ma compassion pour eux ; et ma bonte 
 s'irrite de les voir si long-temps dans les fers. Je veux 
 done, et j'ordonne, que ces douze etrangers soient mis en 
 liberte. 
 
 " S'il en est parmi eux qui soient bien aises de rester a 
 Peking, je leur permets de se retirer dans les maisons 
 des Europeens, et d'y vivre conformement a leur etat. 
 S'ils souhaitent de retourner en Europe, que le tribunal 
 
 * La tournelle, ou chambre criminelle du Parlement de la Chine.
 
 ETIQUETTE WITH THE ENGLISH. 317 
 
 nomme un mandarin, qui les conduise, et veille sur eux, 
 jusqu'a Canton. 
 
 " Mon intention, en accordant une grace si extraordi- 
 naire, est de donner une preuve eclatante de ma bonte, 
 et de mon affection envers les etrangers. 
 
 " Q-u'on respecte mes ordres." 
 
 Respecting the intercourse between the Europeans 
 and the Americans at Canton, it would be only to re- 
 peat what has been already mentioned more than once, 
 were I to say any thing on that score. Nationally and 
 personally, we have abundant reason to be satisfied. I 
 must not, however, omit to observe, that the etiquette 
 between the English and me has, at last, been happily 
 adjusted. On its being announced that their chief would 
 this season embark for England, it was, among other 
 matters, observed by some of the gentlemen present, 
 that they probably should then see Mr. Shaw at their 
 table, who, they said, in declining to accept their invita- 
 tions hitherto, had conducted in a becoming manner. 
 The intended successor, Mr. Harrison, joined in this 
 opinion, and said he should take occasion, after his ac- 
 cession, to pay me the usual attentions. This conversa- 
 tion was reported to me by one of the gentlemen, with 
 a view of discovering my sentiments in regard to the 
 matter, who at the same time asked me if I would ac- 
 cept the invitation. To this I replied, that, in offering 
 it, Mr. Harrison would certainly do what, would be prop- 
 er ; and that, as to myself, I hoped I should not do what 
 would be improper. Accordingly, on Mr. Browne's leav- 
 ing Canton, the llth of January, I made the compli- 
 mentary visit to the new chief, which he returned in 
 due order. An invitation to the English table followed ; 
 and on the 24th, Mr. Ward and I took our farewell din- 
 ner at their house.
 
 318 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 The usual ceremonies of leave-taking with the re- 
 spective nations having been observed, Mr. Ward and I 
 left Canton at noon the next day, January 25th, and in 
 the evening arrived on board the ship General Washing- 
 ton, near Second Bar, on our way to America. Besides 
 Captain Donnison, there are his mates, Messrs. Low, 
 Page, and Jenckes, together with Mr. Ward and his as- 
 sistants, Messrs. Magee and Smith, Mr. Edward Dowse, 
 and myself, passengers. 
 
 On the 28th of January, at four o'clock, P. M., being 
 off Macao, the pilot left us. On the 10th of February, 
 at ten, A. M., we anchored in the Straits of Banca, sent 
 the boats ashore for wood, and came to sail the next 
 day at noon. 
 
 Saturday morning, the 14th, we anchored at North 
 island, where we found the Jenny, Captain Thompson, 
 arrived the day before. The first mate of a Dutch ship 
 from Batavia, stationed at this place to wait the arrival 
 from Canton of the ships of that nation bound to Europe, 
 came on board and gave me the welcome information 
 that Captain Randall and my brother, in the Jay, were 
 safe ; that they arrived here the 3d instant, after five 
 weeks' passage from Batavia,* and sailed the 8th for 
 Bombay, whence they would return to Batavia, and 
 proceed to Canton. Notwithstanding the reason I had 
 to be happy at this intelligence, yet the idea that we had 
 missed each other only by six days seemed to convert it 
 into a misfortune ; and, such is the capriciousness of hu- 
 man nature, I could not help regretting it as an aggra- 
 vated disappointment. The next day, I wrote a letter 
 
 * Nothing can show more forcibly the nature of the monsoon in these 
 seas ; at the proper season, this distance may be sailed in less than two 
 days.
 
 UNEXPECTED MEETING. 319 
 
 to M. Le Cle, the Shabandar at Batavia, inclosing one 
 for Captain Randall, and gave it to the Dutch captain. 
 
 Leaving this place, the 17th, we sailed for Krokatoa 
 island, where we arrived the next morning, and, to my 
 inexpressible joy, found the Jay there at anchor. Ran- 
 dall and my brother were soon on board of the Wash- 
 ington, and we had the happiness of passing that and the 
 succeeding day together. After so long a separation, at- 
 tended by circumstances which threatened to double its 
 continuance, the sensations of friends so near to each 
 other, on such a long-wished and unexpected * meeting, 
 may be better imagined than described. My happiness 
 was completed by its affording me the opportunity of 
 taking my brother with me ; especially as he had left 
 America at my instance, and under the idea of being 
 constantly with me. Randall and I having settled our 
 arrangements for meeting again in America, in 1791, 
 then to pursue our fortunes together, we took leave of 
 him on Friday morning, the 20th, and came on board 
 the Washington, proceeding towards Prince's island. 
 Ships in company, the Jay and the Jenny, Americans ; 
 the Neptune, Albion, and Cornwallis, English ; two Por- 
 tuguese. Sunday evening, the 22d, having had only 
 light winds, the whole fleet, except the Jenny, still in 
 sight. The next day, at sunrise, being clear of the 
 land, we could see only the Albion. f 
 
 Wednesday, February 25th, between three and four 
 o'clock, P. M., felt a shock, as of an earthquake, which 
 
 * " Quod optanti Divum promittere nemo 
 Auderet, volvenda dies en attulit ultro." Virg. 
 f It should not be omitted, that, both at North island and Krokatoa, 
 bullocks, fowls, ducks, pigs, turtle, and fruit in abundance, may be pur- 
 chased from the Malays.
 
 320 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 lasted nearly half a minute, during which time the ship 
 shook with a very sensible motion, so as to awaken the 
 attention of every body on board. It was clear weather, 
 and almost a dead calm. At noon, our latitude was 8 
 16' south, and our longitude a degree and a half west of 
 Java Head. 
 
 Proceeding on our voyage, we spoke, at eleven, A. M., 
 March 24th, a Dutch ship, from Ceylon, bound to the 
 Cape of Good Hope ; and on the 25th we saw three 
 other vessels. 
 
 Several observations for ascertaining the longitude by 
 the sun and moon having been taken, under the inspec- 
 tion of Mr. Dowse,* since our departure from Java, 
 which invariably placed the ship ahead of the reckon- 
 ings, another was taken, at four, P. M., on the 3d of 
 April, which gave our position in 32 46' east longitude 
 from Greenwich. The succeeding noon, the longitude 
 by reckoning was 37 21', making a difference of near- 
 ly five degrees ; the latitude observed was 29 46' south. 
 At daybreak, on the 5th, we had a convincing proof of 
 the reliance which ought to be placed on these observa- 
 tions, being in full sight of, and not far from, the main 
 land of Africa. At noon of the same day, the latitude 
 observed was 31 31', and the longitude assumed 28. 
 
 On the llth of April, at four, P. M., got soundings on 
 the Bank in sixty fathoms. Saw a snow to the south- 
 ward, standing easterly. Observation at noon 35 37'. 
 At six, P. M., the 13th, no bottom in eighty-five fath- 
 oms ; saw a ship ahead. At six, A. M., saw another 
 astern. The following noon, the Cape of Good Hope, by 
 
 * This gentleman has been one of the surveyors for the United 
 States, and possesses a remarkable turn for mathematics.
 
 SPEAK TWO SHIPS. 321 
 
 reckoning, bore north-northeast thirty-four miles distant. 
 At eight, P. M., on the 14th, the ship astern, which be- 
 fore sunset had shown Imperial colors, spoke us. She 
 was the Prudentia, from Calcutta to Ostend.* They in- 
 quired after the ship Argyle, which they told us had not 
 yet been heard of, and it was apprehended she was lost. 
 It was a mixed sensation I experienced on this occasion. 
 Captain Fowle and the gentlemen of that ship had se- 
 cured my esteem, and were entitled to my affection. 
 Anxious for their fate, it was impossible not to reflect 
 upon my own ; as, fearing she would lose her season 
 for China, I had left this ship at Madras and taken pas- 
 sage in another. Was this chance, or shall I say, " Sic 
 Diis visum est" ? 
 
 A*t one, P. M., April 26th, we saw a ship. At six, we 
 showed colors, which were answered, and, though at a 
 great distance, our captain declared those exhibited by 
 the stranger to be American. The next morning they 
 were clearly discernible as such, on which we shortened 
 sail to let her come up, when she proved to be the Jen- 
 ny, and at noon we had the pleasure of speaking Captain 
 Thompson and our friends on board, all well. As he 
 did not intend to stop at St. Helena, he parted from 
 us in half an hour, and, shaping his course more west- 
 erly, was out of sight at sunset. 
 
 On the 29th, at two, P. M., our course N. W., we 
 
 * This ship is owned and navigated principally by English subjects, 
 and there are other instances of a similar nature. For sovereigns, not 
 engaged in commerce themselves, thus, in time of peace, to prostitute 
 their flag to adventurers of other nations, neither adds lustre to their 
 crown nor affords any proof of their benevolence. Renegado English- 
 men, whether as Imperial merchants or Prussian consuls, can never be 
 respected by the thinking part of mankind. 
 41
 
 322 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 made the island of St. Helena, N. by W. ten leagues 
 distant. At four, we saw three ships standing in. Keep- 
 ing off and on during the night, we the next morning 
 stood in, and, after sending our boat with an officer to 
 ask permission, we anchored in the bay at eleven o'clock. 
 Here we found four English company ships, two Swedes, 
 that came in with us, and two English Imperialists. The 
 Albion, which sailed in company with us from Krokatoa, 
 arrived yesterday ; and the Lord Hawkesbury, despatched 
 ten days before us, came in only this morning. Both 
 these ships are coppered, and are reckoned remarkably 
 fine sailers. The Swedes left Whampoa seventeen days 
 before us. At noon, the captain, Mr. Ward, my brother, 
 and I, went ashore, and took lodgings at Mr. Kennedy's, 
 which Mr. Dowse, who went in the first boat, had b'een 
 so obliging as to engage for us. Here we were informed 
 of the war between the Swedes and Danes, the ships of 
 the latter having been gone only fifteen days ; and also 
 of the melancholy situation of the king of Great Britain, 
 disordered in his mind past hope of recovery.* 
 
 Having passed the remainder of the 29th on shore, 
 and completed our watering and refreshments the 30th, 
 we, in the evening of that day, returned on board ship, 
 and at eight o'clock came to sail, shaping our course for 
 the island of Ascension. 
 
 St. Helena is thus described by Mr. Guthrie : " The 
 first island on this side the Cape is St. Helena, situated 
 in west longitude 6 4', south latitude 16, being twelve 
 hundred miles west of the continent of Africa, and eigh- 
 teen hundred east of South America. The island is a 
 
 * Mem. In this and the four preceding paragraphs the time is reck- 
 oned as on board ship, where the day begins at noon.
 
 ST. HELENA. 323 
 
 rock about twenty-one miles in circumference, very high 
 arid very steep, and only accessible at the landing-place, 
 in a small valley at the east side of it, which is defend- 
 ed by batteries of guns planted level with the water ; 
 and, as the waves are perpetually dashing on the shore, 
 it is generally difficult landing even here. There is no 
 anchorage about the island but at Chapel Valley Bay ; 
 and, as the wind always blows from the southeast, if a 
 ship overshoots the island ever so little, she cannot re- 
 cover it again. The English plantations here afford po- 
 tatoes and yams, with figs, plantains, bananas, grapes, 
 kidney-beans, and Indian corn ; of the last, however, 
 most part is devoured by rats, which harbour in the 
 rocks, and cannot be destroyed ; so that the flour they 
 use is almost wholly imported from England ; and in 
 times of scarcity they generally eat yams and potatoes 
 instead of bread. Though the island appears on every 
 side a hard, barren rock, yet it is agreeably diversified 
 with hills and plains, adorned with plantations of fruit- 
 trees and garden-stuff. They have great plenty of hogs, 
 bullocks, poultry, ducks, geese, and turkeys, with which 
 they supply the sailors, taking in exchange shirts, draw- 
 ers, or any light clothes, pieces of calico, silks, muslins, 
 arrack, sugar, &c. 
 
 " St. Helena is said to have been first discovered by 
 the Portuguese on the festival of the Empress Helena, 
 mother of the Emperor Constantine the Great, whose 
 name it still bears. It does not appear that the Portu- 
 guese ever planted a colony here ; and the English East 
 India Company took possession of it in 1600, and held it 
 without interruption till the year 1673, when the Dutch 
 took it by surprise. However, the English, under Cap- 
 tain Munden, recovered it again within the space of a
 
 324 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 year, and at the same time took three Dutch East India 
 ships that lay in the road. There are about two hundred 
 families in the island, most of them descended from Eng- 
 lish parents. The East India ships take in water and 
 fresh provisions here, in their way home ; but the island 
 is so small, and the wind so much against them outward 
 bound, that they very seldom see it then. 
 
 " The company's affairs are here managed by a gov- 
 ernor, deputy-governor, and storekeeper, who have stand- 
 ing salaries allowed by the company, besides a public ta- 
 ble well furnished, to which all commanders, masters of 
 ships, and principal passengers are welcome." 
 
 From the observation our opportunities allowed us to 
 make, I am induced to believe that no account could be 
 more just than the foregoing. The governor, Mr. Brooke, 
 whom we visited on going ashore, received us with po- 
 liteness, and gave us an invitation to dinner the next day, 
 which we accepted, though only Mr. Ward and myself 
 went ; Mr. Dowse being indisposed, and the captain pre- 
 ferring to dine at our lodgings. The governor was 
 pleased to apologize for his not being able to give us per- 
 mission to visit the interior parts of the island, it being a 
 standing order from the company that no foreigner, nor 
 even any English passenger in a foreign ship, shall have 
 that indulgence. He observed, at the same time, that he 
 thought the order improper, as strangers of all denomina- 
 tions must, from the nature of the place, not only land at, 
 but pass through, its principal defences. Great improve- 
 ments have lately been made in these, and in the fortifi- 
 cations on the surrounding heights, and the garrison is re- 
 spectable. The governor, who is also a military man, 
 pronounces the place to be impregnable ; and was not a 
 little pleased to have his opinion corroborated by that of
 
 ST. HELENA. 325 
 
 Sir Archibald Campbell, governor of Madras, and per- 
 haps the first engineer of the age, who, with his family, 
 passed five days here, on their return to England, and 
 re embarked the evening of our arrival. The labor be- 
 stowed on this place is almost incredible, and the obsta- 
 cles of nature have everywhere been conquered by the 
 exertions of industry and art. Taken altogether, St. 
 Helena is one of the most remarkable places in the 
 world ; and, instead of ever attempting to wrest it from 
 its present possessors, every nation trading to India ought 
 to contribute to its support. The port charges are mod- 
 erate, three pounds sterling for every ship that takes 
 less than twenty butts of water, and five for such as ex- 
 ceed, by any quantity. This article is conveyed to the 
 landing by means of pipes and ducts, so that the largest 
 ships may obtain a full supply in twenty-four hours ; 
 and every sort of refreshment we had occasion for was 
 easily procured. All homeward-bound vessels belong- 
 ing to the company are obliged to stop here, and there 
 are annually two ships from England, which, after leav- 
 ing stores, proceed to India or China. In time of war, 
 the appearance of three ships in the offing, and in peace 
 of five, causes a general alarm, on which occasions the 
 posts are manned, and the inhabitants subjected to 
 military duty with the garrison. The society is very 
 agreeable, the manners perfectly European, though 
 many of the inhabitants have never been off the island, 
 the ladies handsome, fond of dress, and well behaved. 
 It is peculiarly grateful to strangers, that immediately on 
 their arrival they become domesticated, as the first fam- 
 ilies in the place do not think it derogatory to receive 
 them as lodgers. The gentleman at whose house we 
 stayed is deputy -secretary, and has an amiable family,
 
 326 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 consisting of his wife, an agreeable woman, and five little 
 girls, the eldest of whom has seen about eleven years. 
 For our expenses, and the few necessaries we took, I 
 gave my bills on Captain Randall at Canton, in favor of 
 Captain Edward Manning, of the storeship, whose purs- 
 er, Mr. Murray, supplied Mr. Ward with money ; by 
 Avhich opportunity I also wrote to my friend Thomas 
 Freeman, Esq., of the English house there. 
 
 On the 7th of May, towards evening, we saw the island 
 of Ascension, bearing N. N. W. five leagues. At two 
 the next morning, sent the yawl after turtle. At day- 
 light saw two French brigs lying under the island, which, 
 on our standing in, hoisted anchor and sailed away. Our 
 boat returned at nine, not having been able to land. Mr. 
 Low went on board one of the vessels, but all he could 
 learn was, that they were from Bordeaux, after turtle, 
 and bound back there. We remained at Ascension that 
 and the following day, and while there, the ship Parr, 
 Captain Folger, on a whaling voyage from New Bruns- 
 wick, also put in. Though we had two parties ashore 
 both nights, yet, owing to the lateness of the season, we 
 took only three turtles, but these very large, from 
 three to four hundred weight, and killed a goat. The 
 Frenchmen standing off and on while we were there, we 
 had no opportunity of speaking them. Probably they 
 had been robbed of turtle by some ship passing this way, 
 and were afraid of a repetition. At eleven, A. M., on 
 Sunday, we came to sail, having in the mean time taken 
 a plentiful supply of good fish. Captain Folger being 
 to sail the next day for Nantucket, I wrote by him to 
 my friend S. Parkman, at Boston. 
 
 The island of Ascension, according to Mr. Guthrie, " is 
 situated in 7 40' south latitude, six hundred miles north-
 
 WEST INDIA ISLANDS. 327 
 
 west of St. Helena. It received its name from its be- 
 ing discovered by the Portuguese on Ascension day, 
 and is a mountainous, barren island, about twenty miles 
 round, and uninhabited ; but it has a safe, convenient har- 
 bour, where the East India ships generally touch to fur- 
 nish themselves with turtles or tortoises, which are very 
 plentiful here, and vastly large, some of them weigh- 
 ing above a hundred pounds each. The sailors, going 
 ashore in the night-time, frequently turn two or three 
 hundred of them on their backs before morning ; and 
 are sometimes so cruel as to turn many more than they 
 use, leaving them to die on the shore." 
 
 Leaving Ascension, we shaped our course for the West 
 Indies, and on the 17th of May, at noon, observed in 21' 
 north latitude, being, by account, in 25 50' west longi- 
 tude. On the 29th, saw a ship to windward, standing 
 our course. June 4th, at one in the morning, spoke a 
 French brig, but could learn nothing. On the 6th, at 
 nine, A. M., saw a French sloop, or drogher, which we 
 spoke, but could learn nothing. In an hour after, we 
 made Deseada, S. W. by W. six leagues. At two, P. M., 
 saw Guadaloupe, S. S. W. six leagues, and Antigua on 
 the starboard bow. At six, saw Montserrat, passed it at 
 eleven, arid Redonda at midnight. At two, the next 
 morning, passed Nevis, and at daylight were sailing by 
 St. Christopher and Saba, towards St. Eustatius, where 
 we came to anchor, at ten o'clock. Mr. Henry Jennings, 
 one of the principal merchants of the place, came on 
 board, and invited us to dinner. The captain, Mr. Ward, 
 Mr. Dowse, my brother, and I, went ashore, took lodg- 
 ings at the hotel, kept by Mr. Howard, and passed the 
 day with Mr. Jennings. 
 
 The next day we visited the governor and the fiscal,
 
 328 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 and obtained permission to trade, paying two and a half 
 per cent, on sales, according to our own estimate, which 
 the governor himself said we might make very moderate. 
 From this circumstance, and the general conduct of the 
 merchants, there is a strong presumption that the pay- 
 ment of any duty is rather a matter of courtesy than an 
 obligation. 
 
 Besides Mr. Jennings's family, we became acquainted 
 with that of his partner, Mr. Tucker, as also with that 
 of Mr. Hafley, with whom we did our principal business. 
 To the last of these gentlemen we were introduced by 
 Mr. Sears (son of my worthy friend deceased at Can- 
 ton), whose visit I had the pleasure to receive on board, 
 and the satisfaction to learn at the same time that he was 
 advantageously connected at Dominica with his brother- 
 in-law, Mr. Bourdieu. The gentlemen above named 
 being married, we had the pleasure of conversing with 
 three veryamiable ladies, occasionally visiting and once 
 dining with each of the first two, and repeatedly with 
 the last, with whom we were more en famille. Mr. 
 Clarkson, a young gentleman from Philadelphia, is estab- 
 lished here, with whom and his lady we had the pleasure 
 of breakfasting. The house of Hardtman and Clarkson 
 is very respectable. These gentlemen married sisters 
 (the daughters of a merchant at St. Christopher), a cir- 
 cumstance I should not notice, were it the only instance 
 of the kind. Mr. Richard Jennings, now in England, 
 married a widow at St. Eustatius ; his brother, one of 
 her daughters ; and Mr. Tucker, their partner, the other. 
 Besides these houses of established credit, there is also 
 that of James and Lambert Blair ; and, among other re- 
 spectable persons in business, Mr. Robertson and Mr. 
 Harper should not be omitted.
 
 ST. EUSTATIUS. 329 
 
 Although a Dutch colony, yet every thing at St. Eus- 
 tatius, excepting the officers of government, and the 
 Jews, who are very numerous, seems English. For 
 several years there had been an interregnum, and on 
 our arrival we were informed that a new governor, Mr. 
 Godin, who had been some time appointed, was in the 
 neighbourhood, and daily expected, having been em- 
 ployed in visiting the principal islands belonging to the 
 Europeans, in order the better to qualify himself for the 
 administration of his own government. This, and the 
 circumstance of his having been engaged in commerce 
 himself, particularly at New York, where he became ac- 
 quainted with the American trade to these islands, had 
 occasioned the inhabitants to form a favorable opinion 
 of him, and impatiently to desire his arrival. It was a 
 pleasing incident, that this took place before we left the 
 island, his Excellency having landed, incognito, on Sun- 
 day evening. The next morning, after taking leave of 
 Mr. Reynolds, the late administrator, Mr. Dowse and I 
 paid our respects to the new governor. He received 
 us politely, and was so obliging as to observe that he 
 had the pleasure of being acquainted with the Ameri- 
 cans, and should be happy in occasions of being useful 
 to them. The government of this island, we were told, 
 is shortly to be transferred from the company *to the 
 States, and Mr. Godin is already considered as a States 
 governor. 
 
 With the new governor we found Colonel O'Reiley, 
 an Irish gentleman, whom I had seen a few days before. 
 Being in the French service at the commencement of 
 our war with England, he obtained an appointment in 
 the American army, and was captured in Canada, in 
 1776. He was afterwards in Georgia, under Count 
 
 42
 
 330 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 D'Estaing, and at St. Christopher, with the Marquis de 
 Bouillie ; and it is said that on one occasion during the 
 war in these seas, he was a volunteer in an English fleet. 
 However this may be, he is now commandant of the 
 Dutch troops and forts on the island, an appointment 
 which he owes to the Marquis de Bouillie, who, accident- 
 ally meeting him at Amsterdam, as he was going to the 
 West India house, took him with him. The directors 
 were then consulting on the appointment of a military 
 commandant for St. Eustatius, and, fortunately for O'Rei- 
 ley, took the opportunity of complimenting the Marquis 
 with the nomination of the person. The Marquis, with 
 the vivacity of a Frenchman, and a goodness natural to 
 himself, putting his hand upon O'Reiley's shoulder, pre- 
 sented him to the directors, with Ecce homo ! and thus 
 Mr. O'Reiley, no less to his surprise than his satisfaction, 
 became the military commandant of St. Eustatius. He 
 is a genteel man. about thirty-five years of age, and does 
 not seem deficient in modest assurance. Shortly after 
 his arrival at the island, he married a lady of some for- 
 tune, who dying, he again married advantageously. His 
 going to St. Christopher, to attend the expected gov- 
 ernor, two days after our arrival, prevented, he said, his 
 having the pleasure of entertaining us at his house ; a 
 circumstance I could not help regretting, as I was told 
 that his present lady is an amiable woman, and as I 
 should have been amused in cultivating a further ac- 
 quaintance with this soldier of fortune. 
 
 According to Mr. Guthrie, St. Eustatius, " situated 
 in 17 29' north latitude, 63 10' west longitude, and 
 three leagues northwest of St. Christopher's, is only a 
 mountain, about twenty-nine miles in compass, rising 
 out of the sea like a pyramid, and almost round. But,
 
 ST. EUSTATIUS. 331 
 
 though so small, and inconveniently laid out by nature, 
 the industry of the Dutch has made it turn to very good 
 account ; and it is said to contain five thousand whites, 
 and fifteen thousand negroes. The sides of the moun- 
 tain are laid out in very pretty settlements ; but they 
 have neither springs nor rivers. They raise here sugar 
 and tobacco ; and this island, as well as Currassou [Cu- 
 racoa], is engaged in the Spanish contraband trade, for 
 which, however, it is not so well situated ; and it has 
 drawn the same advantage from its constant neutrality. 
 But when hostilities were commenced by Great Britain 
 against Holland, Admiral Rodney was sent with a con- 
 siderable land and sea force against St. Eustatius, which, 
 being incapable of any defence, surrendered at discretion, 
 on the 3d of February, 1781. The private property of the 
 inhabitants was confiscated, with a degree of rigor very 
 uncommon among civilized nations, and very inconsistent 
 with the humanity and generosity by which the English 
 nation were formerly characterized. The reason assigned 
 was, that the inhabitants of St. Eustatius had assisted the 
 revolted colonies with naval and other stores. But on 
 the 27th of November, the same year, St. Eustatius was 
 retaken by the French, under the command of the Mar- 
 quis de Bouillie, though their force consisted of only three 
 frigates and some small craft, and about three hundred 
 men." 
 
 Present appearances confirm the foregoing account. 
 Although the medium of much trade between the Unit- 
 ed States and such powers in the West Indies as keep 
 their ports shut against the American vessels, or, what 
 amounts to the same, lay them under too severe restric- 
 tions, yet St. Eustatius is far from being in that flourish- 
 ing state which it enjoyed during the late war, before it
 
 332 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 was so shamefully plundered by the British. The over- 
 grown wealth acquired by its inhabitants in consequence 
 of its neutrality, previously to this occurrence, makes 
 them feel the difference more sensibly. Yet, that out 
 of the question, St. Eustatius may soon recover its for- 
 mer consideration. 
 
 The Sunday morning before we left the island, our 
 friend Mr. Haffey was so obliging as to provide us with 
 horses, and attend us on a circuit in the country, which 
 afforded us also a sight of the islands of St. Bartholomew 
 and St. Martin. At first view of St. Eustatius, a person 
 would hardly suppose there could be much cultivated 
 ground ; and therefore, on riding into the country, is most 
 agreeably surprised to find it so different from his ex- 
 pectation. The island, though apparently a rock, pro- 
 duces, one year with another, from a thousand to twelve 
 hundred hogsheads of sugar. After returning from our 
 ride, we breakfasted with Mr. and Mrs. Haffey ; and our 
 friend's politeness carried him so far as to propose attend- 
 ing us to the English church ; an offer we the more 
 readily embraced, from being acquainted with the par- 
 son, Mr. Audain, a gentleman of good sense and engag- 
 ing manners, and who did not disappoint our expecta- 
 tions of him in his sacred character. It was with regret 
 that we were obliged to decline our friend's invitation to 
 dinner, on account of a prior engagement. This was 
 with Mr. Hovey, who had asked us five days before, 
 promising, if we would come, to show us the Garden of 
 Eden. This gentleman has lived on the island about 
 thirty years, and, being from Maiden, near Boston, says 
 he has a claim upon all Americans, but more particularly 
 upon his Yankee countrymen, and is accordingly happy 
 in all occasions of entertaining them. During the war,
 
 ARRIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES. 333 
 
 he carried his hospitality so far that his house was never 
 empty. He is certainly an original, and though his 
 country residence on the hill is not the Garden of Eden, 
 it is a most comfortable place. His wife is a well-be- 
 haved woman, and daughter to a former governor of Sa- 
 ba. He says she was handsome once, and her present 
 appearance justifies the assertion. It must be allowed 
 that she is good-natured, for a young woman at ta- 
 ble, who was called Miss Polly, between whom and her 
 there seemed to be the utmost cordiality, is in fact her 
 husband's kept mistress, living in the same house, and 
 the mother of a little girl, who appeared equally dear to 
 them both. This circumstance, which we did not learn 
 till after leaving the house, and other peculiarities of Mr. 
 Hovey, prevent them from visiting in what is called 
 the polite circle ; though, otherwise, he bears the char- 
 acter of a good sort of man. A beautiful young wo- 
 man from Boston, the wife of one of his partners, or as- 
 sistants, and mother of two charming boys, was also of 
 the party. 
 
 Having remained at St. Eustatius till Tuesday, June 
 16th, we went on board ship in the evening, and at 
 eight o'clock proceeded to sea. Thence, without other 
 incident than seeing outward-bound vessels, and speak- 
 ing several of them, we arrived on the American coast, 
 and at noon, July 2d, got soundings in sixty fathoms. 
 At sunset, the next day, our reckonings being up, we 
 were prevented from seeing the land by reason of the 
 extreme haziness of the weather, and were obliged to 
 stand off and on during the night. The two succeeding 
 days were so foggy, that many times we could not see 
 the ship's length from us. In this state of uncertainty, 
 on the last of these days, July 5th, at ten o'clock, a sloop,
 
 334 VOYAGE HOMEWARD. 
 
 that morning from Newport, gave us the bearing and 
 distance of the light-house. At two, P. M., we passed 
 Newport, which we saluted with seven guns ; and at six 
 o'clock, anchoring five miles below Providence finished 
 our voyage.
 
 APPENDIX
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 NOTE A. Page 217. 
 
 To the Honorable the Minister of the United States for Foreign Affairs. 
 
 Neio York, May 19*A, 1785. 
 
 SIR, The first vessel that has been fitted out by inhabitants of 
 the United States of America, for essaying a commerce with those of 
 the empire of China, being, by the favor of Heaven, safely returned to 
 this port, it becomes my duty to communicate to you, for the infor- 
 mation of the fathers of the country, an account of the reception its 
 citizens have met with, and the respect with which its flag has been 
 treated in that distant region ; especially, as some circumstances have 
 occurred which had a tendency to attract the" attention of the Chinese 
 towards a people of whom they have hitherto had but very confused 
 ideas, and which served, in a peculiar manner, to place the Americans 
 in a more conspicuous point of view than has commonly attended the 
 introduction of other nations into' that ancient and extensive empire. 
 
 The ship employed on this occasion was about three hundred and sixty 
 tons burden, built in America, and equipped with forty-three persons, 
 under the command of John Green, Esq. The subscriber had the hon- 
 or of being appointed agent for their commerce, by the gentlemen at 
 whose risk this first experiment was undertaken. 
 
 On the 22d of February, 1784, the ship sailed from New York, and 
 arrived, the 21st of March, at St. Jago, the principal of the Cape de 
 Verde islands. Having paid our respects to the Portuguese viceroy, 
 and, with his permission, taken such refreshments as were necessary, 
 we left those islands on the 27th, and pursued our voyage. After a 
 pleasant passage, in which nothing extraordinary occurred, we came to 
 anchor in the Straits of Sunda on the 18th of July. It was no small 
 43
 
 338 APPENDIX. 
 
 addition to our happiness on this occasion to meet there two ships be- 
 longing to our good allies, the French. The commodore, M. D'Ordelin, 
 and his officers, welcomed us in the most affectionate manner ; and, as 
 his own ship was bound directly to Canton, gave us an invitation to go 
 in company with him. This friendly offer we most cheerfully accept- 
 ed, and the commodore furnished us with his day and night signals, 
 and added such instructions for our passage through the Chinese seas as 
 would have been exceedingly beneficial had any unfortunate accident oc- 
 casioned our separation. Happily, we pursued our route together. On 
 our arrival at the island of Macao, the French consul for China, M. 
 Vieillard, with some other gentlemen of his nation, came on board to 
 congratulate and welcome us to that part of the world ; and kindly un- 
 dertook the introduction of the Americans to the Portuguese governor. 
 The little time that we were there was entirely taken up by the good 
 offices of the consul and the gentlemen of his nation, with those of the 
 Swedes and Imperialists, who still remained at Macao. The other Eu- 
 ropeans had repaired to Canton. Three days afterwards, we finished 
 our outward-bound voyage. Previously to coming to anchor, we saluted 
 the shipping in the river with thirteen guns, which were answered by the 
 several commodores of the European nations, each of whom sent an offi- 
 cer to compliment us on our arrival. These visits were returned by the 
 captain and supercargoes in the afternoon, who, on taking leave, were 
 again saluted by the respective ships. When the French sent their of- 
 ficers to congratulate us, they added to the obligations we were already 
 under to them, by furnishing men, boats, and anchors, to assist us in 
 coming to safe and convenient moorings. Nor did their good offices 
 stop here ; they furnished us with part of their own banksall, and in- 
 sisted, further, that until we were settled w r e should take up our quar- 
 ters with them at Canton. 
 
 The day of our arrival at Canton, August 30th, and the two follow- 
 ing days, we were visited by the Chinese merchants and the chiefs and 
 gentlemen of the several European establishments, and treated by them 
 in all respects as citizens of a free and independent nation. As such, 
 during our stay, we were universally considered. The Chinese them- 
 selves were very indulgent towards us, though, ours being the first Amer- 
 ican ship that had ever visited China, it was some time before they could 
 fully comprehend the distinction between us and Englishmen. They 
 styled us the New People; and when by the map we conveyed to them an 
 idea of the extent of our country, with its present and increasing popula- 
 tion, they were highly pleased at the prospect of so considerable a market 
 for the productions of their own empire.
 
 APPENDIX. 339 
 
 The situation of the Europeans at Canton is so well known as to ren- 
 der a detail unnecessary. The good understanding commonly subsist- 
 ing between them and the Chinese was in some degree interrupted by 
 two occurrences, of which, as they were extraordinary in themselves, 
 and led to a more full investigation of the American character, by both 
 parties, than might otherwise have taken place, I will, with your per- 
 mission, give a particular account. 
 
 The police at Canton is at all times extremely strict, and the Euro- 
 peans residing there are circumscribed within very narrow limits. The 
 latter had observed with concern some circumstances which they deemed 
 an encroachment upon their rights. On this consideration they deter- 
 mined to apply for redress to the Hoppo, who is the head officer of the 
 customs, the next time he should visit the shipping. Deputies accord- 
 ingly attended from every nation, and I was desired to represent ours. 
 We met the Hoppo on board an English ship, and the causes of com- 
 plaint were soon after removed. 
 
 The other occurrence, of which I beg leave to take notice, gave rise to 
 what was commonly called the Canton war, which threatened to be pro- 
 ductive of very serious consequences. On the 25th of November, an Eng- 
 lish ship, in saluting some company that had dined on board, killed a 
 Chinese and wounded two others in the mandarin's boat alongside. It 
 is a maxim of the Chinese law that blood must answer for blood, in pur- 
 suance of which, they demanded the unfortunate gunner. To give up 
 this poor man was to consign him to certain death. Humanity pleaded 
 powerfully against the measure. After repeated conferences between 
 the English and the Chinese, the latter declared themselves satisfied, 
 and the affair was supposed to be entirely settled. Notwithstanding 
 this, on the morning after the last conference (the 27th) , the supercar- 
 go of the ship was seized, while attending his business, thrown into a 
 sedan-chair, hurried into the city, and committed to prison. Such an 
 outrage upon personal liberty spread a general alarm, and the Euro- 
 peans unanimously agreed to send for their boats with armed men from 
 the shipping, for the security of themselves and their property, until the 
 matter should be brought to a conclusion. The boats accordingly came, 
 and ours among the number ; one of which was fired on, and a man 
 wounded. All trade was stopped, and the Chinese men-of-war were 
 drawn up opposite the factories. The Europeans demanded the restora- 
 tion of the supercargo, Mr. Smith, which the Chinese refused, until the 
 gunner should be given up. In the mean while, the troops of the prov- 
 ince were collecting in the neighbourhood of Canton, the Chinese ser-
 
 340 APPENDIX. 
 
 vants were ordered by the magistrates to leave the factories, the gates 
 of the suburbs were shut, all intercourse was at an end, the naval 
 force was increased, many troops were embarked in boats ready for 
 landing, and every thing wore the appearance of war. To what ex- 
 tremities matters might have been carried, had not a negotiation taken 
 place, no one can say. The Chinese asked a conference with all the na- 
 tions except the English. A deputation, in which I was included for 
 America, met the Fuen, who is the head magistrate of Canton, with the 
 principal officers of the province. After setting forth, by an interpreter, 
 the power of the emperor, and his own determination to support the laws, 
 he demanded that the gunner should be given up within three days ; de- 
 claring that he should have an impartial examination before their tribu- 
 nal, and if it appeared that the affair was accidental, he should be re- 
 leased unhurt. In the mean time, he gave permission for the trade, ex- 
 cepting that of the English, to go on as usual, and dismissed us with a 
 present of two pieces of silk each, as a mark of his friendly disposition. 
 The other nations, one after another, sent away their boats, under protec- 
 tion of a Chinese flag, and pursued their business as before. The Eng- 
 lish were obliged to submit, the gunner was given up, Mr. Smith was re- 
 leased, and the English, after being forced to ask pardon of the magistra- 
 cy of Canton, in presence of the other nations, had their commerce re- 
 stored. On this occasion, I am happy to remark that we were the last 
 who sent off our boat, which was not disgraced with a Chinese flag ; nor 
 did she go till the English themselves thanked us for our concurrence 
 with them, and advised to the sending of her away. After peace was 
 restored, the English chief and four other gentlemen visited the several 
 nations, among whom we were included, and thanked them for their as- 
 sistance during the troubles. The gunner remained with the Chinese, 
 his fate undetermined. 
 
 Notwithstanding the treatment we received from all parties was per- 
 fectly civil and respectful, yet it was with peculiar satisfaction that we 
 experienced, on every occasion, from our good allies, the French, the 
 most flattering and substantial proofs of their friendship. " If," said 
 they, " we have in any instance been serviceable to you, we are happy ; 
 and we desire nothing more ardently than further opportunities to con- 
 vince you of our affection." The harmony maintained between them 
 and us was particularly noticed by the English, who more than once ob- 
 served, that it was matter of astonishment to them that the descendants 
 of Britons could so soon divest themselves of prejudices which they had 
 thought to be not only hereditary, but inherent in our nature.
 
 APPENDIX. 341 
 
 We left Canton the 27th of December, and on our return stopped for 
 refreshments at the Cape of Good Hope, where we met with a most 
 friendly reception. After remaining there five days, we sailed for 
 America, and arrived in this port on the llth instant. 
 
 To every lover of his country, as well as to those more immediately 
 concerned in commerce, it must be a pleasing reflection, that a commu- 
 nication is thus happily opened between us and the eastern extremity of 
 the globe ; and it adds very sensibly to the pleasure of this reflection , 
 that the voyage has been performed in so short a space of time, and at- 
 tended with the loss of only one man. To Captain Green and his of- 
 ficers every commendation is due for their unwearied and successful en- 
 deavours in bringing it to this most fortunate issue, which fully justifies 
 the confidence reposed in them by the gentlemen concerned in the en- 
 terprise. 
 
 Permit me, Sir, to accompany this letter with the two pieces of silk 
 presented to me by the Fuen of Canton, as a mark of his good disposi- 
 tion towards the American nation. In that view, I consider myself as 
 peculiarly honored in being charged with this testimony of the friend- 
 ship of the Chinese for a people who may, in a few years, prosecute a 
 commerce with the subjects of that empire, under advantages equal, if 
 not superior, to those enjoyed by any other nation whatever. 
 
 I have the honor to be, with the most perfect respect, Sir, 
 
 Your most obedient and very humble servant, 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 To MR. SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 Office of Foreign Affairs, June 23d, 1785. 
 
 SIR, Having communicated to Congress the letter you wrote to me 
 on the 19th ult., respecting your voyage with Captain Green, in the 
 ship Empress of China, to Canton, I have now the pleasure of inform- 
 ing you, by their order, " That Congress feel a peculiar satisfaction in 
 the successful issue of this first effort of the citizens of America to es- 
 tablish a direct trade with China, which does so much honor to its un- 
 dertakers and conductors." 
 
 I have the honor to be, &c., 
 
 JOHN JAY. 
 
 P. S. The pieces of silk which accompanied your letter, having 
 been returned to this office, will be delivered to you by the bearer.
 
 342 APPENDIX. 
 
 NOTE B. Page 235. 
 
 To the Honorable JOHN JAY, Secretary of the United States for the 
 
 Department of Foreign Affairs. 
 
 Canton in China, January, 1787. 
 
 SIR, I have the honor to avail myself of this opportunity, which 
 the return of our ship to America affords me, for communicating to you 
 such information respecting the commerce carried on with China by the 
 other nations of the world, as my situation and circumstances, after a 
 second voyage to this country, have enabled me to obtain. It will not, 
 I presume, be expected that this communication should be altogether 
 perfect ; but, as the nature of the commerce here is exceedingly uni- 
 form, and not liable to many alterations, a competent knowledge of it 
 can never fail to be the result of a moderate share of attention and ap- 
 plication. I shall, therefore, only say, that I have every reason to be- 
 lieve the following accounts, as far as they extend, are authentic ; and 
 I shall consider myself happy, if they should be in the least degree sat- 
 isfactory on the several points recommended to my attention, in the let- 
 ter of instructions with which you have been pleased to honor me. 
 
 The commerce of the Europeans with China appears to be as simple, 
 perhaps, as any in the known world. The Danes, Spaniards, Imperial- 
 ists, Swedes, French, English, and Dutch, have regular establishments 
 at Canton, and trade by companies. The Portuguese, although they are 
 in possession of Macao, do not, in the manner of the other nations, keep 
 a public establishment, but carry on their trade by agents sent from Eu- 
 rope, who also return in the ships. As the business of unloading and 
 loading their ships is, by particular indulgence, transacted at Macao, a 
 considerable saving thence accrues on the duties which other nations are 
 obliged to pay. 
 
 The English ships bring out from Europe lead and large quantities 
 of cloth ; which latter the company are obliged by their charter to ex- 
 port annually to China, for the encouragement of the home woollen 
 manufacture. The remainder of their cargoes is made up of supplies 
 for the company's establishments in India, and such European commod- 
 ities as will suit the various markets upon the coast. After having 
 disposed of these, they take on board cotton, with which, their lead, 
 and cloth, they proceed to China. The English derive considerable ad- 
 vantage from the permission granted to private ships, owned by their
 
 APPENDIX. 343 
 
 subjects in India, to trade with China. These vessels, besides the cot- 
 ton, sandal-wood, putchock-root, ebony, opium, shark-fins, and birds'- 
 nests they bring from the coast, carry on a smuggling trade with the 
 Dutch settlements in and about Malacca, and with the natives, whom 
 they supply with opium, clothing, fire-arms, &c., in return for which 
 they receive pepper, block-tin, and spices. The net proceeds of these, 
 with the silver and other articles they bring from India, are, to the 
 amount of about one third, carried back in such merchandise as will suit 
 the India markets ; and the remainder, either in cash or transfers on the 
 Chinese merchants, is paid into the company's treasury, for which they 
 receive bills on the company in England, at the exchange of five shil- 
 lings and sixpence sterling for a dollar, payable twelve months after 
 sight. This fund has for a number of years rendered it unnecessary for 
 the company to export from Europe any specie for carrying on their 
 commerce with the Chinese. 
 
 With respect, however, to this advantage derived by the English 
 from their subjects in India, as well as from their credit with the Chi- 
 nese, it must be observed that both have been pushed as far as they 
 would bear. Last year their ships depended greatly on the latter of 
 these resources for their homeward cargoes, and the company have sent 
 from England the present year upwards of three millions of dollars in 
 specie alone. 
 
 Besides the trade to China, these country ships (so called because 
 they are not suffered to pass westward of the Cape of Good Hope) 
 sometimes make very good voyages to Batavia, the capital of the Dutch 
 settlements in India. They carry there all kinds of cotton piece goods, 
 a variety of silk manufactures, and large quantities of saltpetre. In re- 
 turn, those that come to Canton take pepper and block-tin ; and such 
 as go back to the coast generally carry sugar, which pays a handsome 
 freight. 
 
 The Dutch, by their resources from their settlements in Java, Suma- 
 tra, Malacca, and their other possessions in India, are enabled to man- 
 age their trade with China under equal, if not superior, advantages to 
 those of any other people. 
 
 The other companies depend principally upon their lead and silver 
 brought from Europe, though sometimes English captains from the 
 coast of India furnish them with the latter in return for bills. This 
 exchange is forbidden by the English company, and any person detect- 
 ed in it forfeits his privilege, and may be sent prisoner to England. 
 However, this penalty, as it is seldom, if ever, inflicted, is but little re-
 
 344 APPENDIX. 
 
 garded. British subjects in India, who wish to remit their property to 
 Europe, will find means of doing it through other channels than those 
 of the company's treasury. They get a penny, and sometimes two 
 pence, more on a dollar, and bills at a shorter sight. 
 
 There being no French company at the conclusion of the late war, sev- 
 eral essays have been made for conducting the trade of that nation with 
 China. In the year 1783, the king made the expedition on his own ac- 
 count, with four ships. In 1784, he lent three large ships to a compa- 
 ny of merchants, who were obliged to sell a certain number of shares 
 to such individuals as chose to become adventurers ; and the last year 
 there was only one ship. The result of these experiments very proba- 
 bly induced the forming of a new company ; and the present year they 
 employ eight ships, six for India, and two for China, one of which 
 last, having been late in the season off the Cape of Good Hope, has 
 gone to Mauritius. Their India ships carry out stores and merchan- 
 dise to the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, and to their settlements 
 on the Indian peninsula ; whence they return to France with pepper, 
 coffee, drugs, saltpetre, and piece goods, such as muslins, calicoes, 
 chintzes, and the various other manufactures of that quarter, both of 
 silk and cotton. A consul of France, part of their former establish- 
 ment, is still retained here. He has a house and table found him by 
 the king, with a salary of six thousand livres per annum. Should 
 any disputes arise among the subjects of France, his decision in a court 
 of chancery where he presides is final, unless an appeal be made to the 
 king and council. 
 
 The commerce of the Imperialists is closed. The German domin- 
 ions are not well situated for prosecuting it. The company have had 
 no ships here since 1783, and are one hundred and fifty thousand dollars 
 in arrears to the Chinese for the cargoes then supplied. Their agent, 
 Mr. Reid, returns this season to Europe. 
 
 The establishments of the Swedes and Danes have hitherto been sup- 
 ported principally by the smuggling trade which they have carried on in 
 the Channel and upon the coast of Britain. But as the British parlia- 
 ment have taken off the duties on teas imported in their own ships, it is 
 expected that this policy will very considerably prevent the advantages 
 heretofore reaped by those nations, and not a little injure that branch of 
 their commerce. The general opinion seems to be, that the trade of 
 both these nations with China must, therefore, be on the decline. 
 
 The Spaniards, after conducting their trade in private ships, have 
 formed a company at Manila, whose fund is said to be eight millions of
 
 APPENDIX. 345 
 
 dollars. They have now two ships here, which return to Manila, 
 where their cargoes are disposed of. Part is retained for the market 
 there, such parts as will suit their settlements in America are sent by 
 the way of Acapulco, and the residue to Europe in other ships. 
 This nation must depend principally on its silver. 
 
 The Portuguese retain scarcely the shadow of their former conse- 
 quence. A few ships, owned by individuals at Macao and their remain- 
 ing settlements in India, arc kept in the country trade, which is managed 
 by them in much the same manner as by the English. Their trade to 
 Europe, as has been observed, is also conducted by private persons, 
 and so little do they now derive from their possessions in India, that they 
 are obliged to depend in a great measure on a credit from the Chinese for 
 their homeward cargoes. Scarcely one of their ships brings from Europe 
 sufficient funds ; and were it not for this credit, and the aid they re- 
 ceive from such European company servants in India as are desirous of 
 sending home their property, not subject to the scrutiny of their masters, 
 the commerce of this nation with China would undoubtedly fail. 
 
 Besides the Europeans, the Armenians and Moors drive a considera- 
 ble trade with China in pearls and other merchandise, which they freight 
 in Portuguese and English bottoms, from the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, 
 and the peninsula of India. 
 
 Since the year 1783, some small vessels have been fitted out by pri- 
 vate persons in India and at Macao, for the fur- trade to Kamtschatka 
 and the northwest coast of America. Their success has answered the 
 expectations of the adventurers, and not a little reduced the price of furs 
 brought here from Europe. 
 
 Such are the outlines of the commerce carried on by the Europeans 
 with China. The national establishments are on a liberal footing. The 
 supercargoes are provided with elegant factories, and every accommoda- 
 tion they can wish. All expenses are paid, and a commission allowed 
 them for transacting the business, which is divided among them accord- 
 ing to seniority. In the English factory, a young gentleman (whose 
 father, perhaps, or other near relation, is one of the company) comes 
 out at fourteen or fifteen years of age, as a writer, with all expenses 
 paid, and one hundred pounds sterling per annum. At the expiration 
 of five years he commences supercargo, when his salary ceases and he 
 is included for part of the commission. The amount of this depends on 
 the number of ships. The present year twenty-five have already ar- 
 rived, and five more are expected.* The proportion to the chief and 
 
 * January 24th. Four of them have arrived. 
 44
 
 346 APPENDIX. 
 
 second, who share alike, will, it is supposed, be from twelve to fifteen 
 thousand pounds sterling each. 
 
 The English captains in the company's service, and all the officers, 
 are allowed the privilege of private trade ; on which account, as soon 
 as their ships are moored at Whampoa,* the captains take each his own 
 factory at Canton. Their adventures consist chiefly of clock-work of 
 all kinds (of which the Chinese are extremely fond), cutlery, glass, 
 furs, some silver, and ginseng, besides articles from the coast of India. 
 The captain's privilege in the ship is about sixty tons measurement. 
 This he commonly fills up with fine teas, cassia, silks, porcelain, &e., 
 which, on his entering the English Channel, are in part disposed of to 
 smugglers, between whom and the cGstom-house officers there is always 
 a clear understanding. The ships are built and equipped by private 
 merchants, who charter them to the company at a certain tonnage. 
 They are generally from eight hundred to a thousand tons burden, and 
 no ship is suffered to perform more than four voyages. A captain must 
 have great interest to get one of these ships, or pay from five to seven 
 thousand pounds for the command. In this case, he may sell again, 
 and, if he should die during the voyage, the privilege is filled up for the 
 benefit of his heirs or assigns. This arrangement extends to the sub- 
 ordinate officers. The country captains also take factories at Canton, 
 and for privilege make the best bargain they can with their employers. 
 
 Other nations, instead of the privilege of private trade to their officers, 
 allow a certain gratuity to each, according to his rank. Every captain 
 has an apartment in the factory, and a place at the company's table, 
 where there is also a plate for any other officer who may come to 
 Canton. 
 
 No Europeans are suffered to remain at Canton throughout the year. 
 After their ships are gone, and they have settled their accounts with the 
 Chinese, they repair to Macao, where each nation has its separate estab- 
 lishment. There they continue till the arrival of their ships the next 
 season, when they return to Canton. 
 
 As soon as a ship, whether public or private, arrives at Whampoa, a 
 fiador, or security, must be engaged, before she can discharge any part 
 of the cargo. This person is one of the principal merchants, and gen- 
 erally the one with whom the business is transacted, though this cir- 
 cumstance does not prevent dealing with others. He is answerable to 
 the custom-house for payment of the emperor's customs of entrance, 
 which average between four and five thousand dollars a ship. Besides 
 
 * Fourteen miles below Canton.
 
 APPENDIX. 347 
 
 this tax, there are duties on every article, whether of import or export ; 
 but with these there is no trouble, it being understood in all bargains 
 with the Chinese, whether buying or selling, that they pay them. 
 
 The trade on the part of the Chinese is conducted by a set of mer- 
 chants who style themselves the co-hoang, a word expressing our idea 
 of a trading company. This co-hoang consists of ten or twelve mer- 
 chants, who have the exclusive privilege of the European and country 
 trade, for which they pay a considerable sum to government ; and no 
 other dealers, if we except the petty shopkeepers, who are also licensed 
 by government, can be concerned in it but by their permission. The 
 co-hoang assemble as often as is necessary, communicate the informa- 
 tion they have obtained respecting the commodities at market, agree 
 on the prices at which they will purchase, and fix those of their own 
 goods in return. When it happens that a ship has but a small cargo, 
 no single individual of the co-hoang is willing to be its fiador, as perhaps 
 his profits will not pay the duties. In this case, a fiador is appointed 
 by the co-hoang, and the vessel's business done on their joint account. 
 There is generally no material variation from the prices fixed by the 
 co-hoang. 
 
 Each ship and factory must also have a comprador. This is a person 
 who furnishes provisions and other necessaries, for which he contracts 
 at certain prices. There is much imposition in these articles ; and if 
 the ship is small, the comprador, besides being paid for all supplies, will 
 have a douceur of a hundred or a hundred and fifty taels.* This must 
 be submitted to, as the government derives a stated revenue for every 
 ship, of whatever size, which the comprador has permission to supply. 
 
 All the company ships, on coming to Whampoa, have each a banksall 
 on shore, for the reception of their water-casks, spars, sails, and all the 
 lumber of the ship, and containing, besides, apartments for the sick. 
 The French have theirs separate from the other Europeans, on an island, 
 thence called French island. The others are on the main land, on the op- 
 posite side, and confined to the ground they occupy ; for the remainder 
 being ricefields, and constantly watered, renders it impossible to go be- 
 yond the limits of the banksall ; whereas French island is a delightful 
 situation, and the resort of the gentlemen of all nations, who go on and 
 off at pleasure. Excepting those of the French and the Americans, no 
 common sailors are allowed to go there. For the exclusive privilege 
 of this island, every French ship adds one hundred taels extra to the 
 
 * One hundred dollars are equal to seventy-two taels.
 
 348 APPENDIX. 
 
 hoppo's* present. The hanksalls are large buildings, framed with bam- 
 boo reeds, and covered with mats and straw. They are erected by the 
 Chinese, who pull them down immediately on their being left, in order 
 that they may have the advantage of setting up new ones. The ex- 
 pense for a banksall is about two hundred dollars. 
 
 Besides a fiador and comprador, each ship must also have a linguist, 
 at an expense of about a hundred and twenty taels. This person is ab- 
 solutely necessary, as he is employed in transacting all business with 
 the custom-house, which is in the city, where no European can be 
 admitted, provides boats for unloading and loading, and is always at 
 call. 
 
 When the hoppo goes to measure the shipping at Whampoa, which 
 he does whenever there are three or four that have not been visited, he 
 is attended by the co-hoang. On these occasions the captains produce 
 their clock-work and other curiosities, of which the hoppo lays by such 
 as he likes, and the fiador for the ship is obliged to send them to him. 
 Some time after, the hoppo demands the price, for he will not receive 
 them as a present, when the merchant, who understands matters per- 
 fectly, tells him about one twentieth part, or less, of their value, and 
 takes the money. 
 
 As soon as a ship is measured, the fiador takes out a permit for un- 
 loading, and the linguist provides two boats to receive the goods, which 
 are hoisted out of the ship in presence of two mandarins, who live in 
 their boat alongside. When the goods arrive at Canton, one of the 
 principal mandarins, with his assistants, attends to weigh, measure, and 
 take an account of every thing ; after which, liberty is granted to sell. 
 Such articles as the fiador or the co-hoang do not want may be disposed 
 of to any other purchaser, from whom the linguist collects the duty, and 
 settles with the fiador. When the return cargo is to be sent on board, 
 the mandarins attend as before, examine and take account of every thing. 
 Each package must have the seller's mark upon it, in order that the lin- 
 guist may know where to apply for the duties. No fees are paid to 
 these officers either by the buyer or seller, their salaries being fixed by 
 the emperor. The expense of unloading is paid by the Europeans, and 
 the Chinese deliver the return cargo alongside the ship, free of all du- 
 ties and charges whatever. All merchandise must be transported by 
 Chinese boats. 
 
 In the customs at Canton, as in other parts of the world, instances of 
 
 * Chief officer of the customs.
 
 APPENDIX. 349 
 
 knavery sometimes occur. The duty on silks may be compromised with 
 the mandarin, who will accept a present of about one half the amount 
 for letting them go free. In these cases, the ship's boat, carrying the 
 flag of its nation, attends at the time and place appointed, takes in the 
 goods, and receives the mandarin's permit, which passes her without 
 further examination. All boats are searched in coming to and going 
 from Canton, and must have a permit ; besides which, they must, unless 
 carrying the national flag, be stopped and examined at three different 
 houses on the river. 
 
 The factories at Canton, occupying less than a quarter of a mile in 
 front, are situated on the bank of the river. The quay is enclosed by a 
 rail-fence, which has stairs and a gate opening from the water to each 
 factory, where all merchandise is received and sent away. The limits of 
 the Europeans are extremely confined ; there being, besides the quay, only 
 a few streets in the suburbs, occupied by the trading people, which they 
 are allowed to frequent. Europeans, after a dozen years' residence, 
 have not seen more than the first month presented to view. They are 
 sometimes invited to dine with the Chinese merchants, who have hous- 
 es and gardens on the opposite side of the river ; but even then no new 
 information is obtained. Every thing of a domestic concern is strictly 
 concealed ; and though their wives, mistresses, and daughters are com- 
 monly there, none of them are ever visible. 
 
 The Europeans at Canton do not associate together so freely as might 
 be expected ; the gentlemen of the respective factories keeping much 
 by themselves, and, excepting in a few instances, observing a very cer- 
 emonious and reserved behaviour. At the Danish factory there is, ev- 
 ery Sunday evening, a concert of music, performed by gentlemen of 
 the several nations, where every body attends that pleases. This is 
 the only occasion when there appears to be any thing like a general in- 
 tercourse. On the whole, the situation of the Europeans is not envi- 
 able ; and, considering the length of time they reside in this country, 
 the restrictions to which they must submit, the great distance they are 
 from their connections, the want of society and of almost every amuse- 
 ment, it must be allowed that they dearly earn their money. 
 
 Much has been said respecting the knavery of the Chinese, partic- 
 ularly those of the trading class. But there is no general rule without 
 an exception. The small dealers are many of them indisputably 
 rogues, and require to be narrowly watched. But the merchants of the 
 co-hoang are a set of as respectable men as are commonly found in oth- 
 er parts of the world. They are intelligent, exact accountants, punc-
 
 350 APPENDIX. 
 
 tual to their engagements, and, though not the worse for being well 
 looked after, value themselves much upon maintaining a fair character. 
 The concurrent testimony of all the Europeans justifies this remark. 
 
 The ships employed in this trade are, on an average, seven hundred 
 tons each, some as many as fourteen, but none less than five, and 
 for the last three years the numbers have varied considerably. In 1783, 
 exclusive of the country ships returning to India, there sailed from Can- 
 ton and Macao forty-five ships for Europe, sixteen of which were Eng- 
 lish. In 1784, there were eleven English, four French (including one 
 chartered at Mauritius), five Dutch, three Danish, and four Portu- 
 guese, which sailed for Europe ; one Danish and eight English country 
 ships that returned to the coast; and. .one American. The Swedish 
 ships lost their season that year. In 1785, there were eighteen English, 
 four Dutch, one French, four Spanish, three Danish, four Swedish, and 
 one English-American under Imperial colors, which sailed for Europe 
 and America. Ten English country ships returned to the coast. The 
 present season, the list is as follows : twenty-nine English, five Dutch, 
 one French, two Spanish, two Danish, one Swedish, five American, for 
 Europe and America ; and twenty-three English country ships that re- 
 turned to the coast ; also five Portuguese from Macao for Europe. This 
 is the greatest number that has ever been known here in any single year, 
 and its effects on the commerce are such as must naturally be expected. 
 Excepting Bohea, every kind of tea is at least twenty-five per cent, high- 
 er than in the year 1784, and the other exports are proportionably dear. 
 
 Having been thus particular respecting the manner in which other na- 
 tions conduct their commerce with China, it will not, I trust, be improp- 
 er to make a few observations on the nature of our own. 
 
 The inhabitants of America must have tea, the consumption of which 
 will necessarily increase with the increasing population of our country. 
 And while the nations of Europe are, for the most part, obliged to 
 purchase this commodity with ready money, it must be pleasing to 
 an American to know that his country can have it upon easier 
 terms ; and that the otherwise useless produce of her mountains and 
 forests will in a considerable degree supply her with this elegant lux- 
 ury. The advantages peculiar to America in this instance are striking ; 
 and the manner in which her commerce has commenced, and is now 
 going on, with this country, has not a little alarmed the Europeans. 
 They have seen, the first year, a single ship, not one fifth part of 
 whose funds consisted of ready money, procure a cargo of the same arti- 
 cles, and on equally good terms, as those of their own ships, purchased,
 
 APPENDIX. 351 
 
 as has been observed, for the most part, with specie. They have seen 
 this ship again here, on her second voyage, and four others in addition. 
 They see these ships depending, and that, too, with sufficient reason, 
 upon the productions of their own country to supply them with the 
 merchandise of this ; and, though a very small proportion of their funds 
 consisted of specie, they see them all returning with full and valuable 
 cargoes. Such are the advantages which America derives from her 
 ginseng. 
 
 With respect to the demand in this country for the ginseng of Amer- 
 ica, which might be rendered as beneficial to her citizens as her mines 
 of silver and gold have been to the rest of mankind, the world has been 
 much mistaken. Until the American flag appeared in this quarter, it 
 had been generally supposed that forty or fifty piculs * were equal to the 
 annual consumption. But experience has proved the contrary. Up- 
 wards of four hundred and forty piculs were brought here by the first 
 American ship, in 1784, which did not equal the quantity brought from 
 Europe the same season, the. greatest part of which must have been pre- 
 viously sent there by citizens of the United States. The present year 
 more than eighteen hundred picuJs have been sold, one half of which 
 came in the American vessels. Notwithstanding this increased quanti- 
 ty since 1784, the sales have not been materially affected by it, and it is 
 probable there will always be a sufficient demand for the article to make 
 it equally valuable. 
 
 On a consideration of the subject of ginseng, the inquiry seems nat- 
 urally to arise, whether it cannot be rendered more beneficial to the 
 country which produces it than it is at present. How far the culture 
 of this commodity is practicable, in what manner it may be best pro- 
 moted, and whether it would be for the interest of America to prevent 
 the exportation of it in any but American bottoms, directly to this coun- 
 try, may be questions not unworthy of national attention. 
 
 Besides the advantage America may derive from her ginseng in the 
 direct commerce with China, others would also accrue from making 
 the voyage circuitous, which could be performed without loss of time. 
 The ship in which I made my second voyage to China stopped at Bata- 
 via, the capital of the Dutch establishments in India. We were well re- 
 ceived there, and allowed to trade on the same terms as other nations. 
 Iron and naval stores, the produce of our country, found a ready sale ; 
 and besides these, we disposed of articles which, though not immedi- 
 
 * A picul is 133J Ibs. English.
 
 352 APPENDIX. 
 
 ately productions of our own, had been received from other countries in 
 exchange for them. A profit may sometimes be made on merchandise 
 carried from Batavia to Canton. No doubt, similar advantages might re- 
 sult to the Americans in circuitous voyages to China, by the coasts of 
 Malabar and Coromandel, and through the Straits of Malacca. 
 
 On the whole, it must be a most satisfactory consideration to every 
 American, that his country can carry on its commerce with China un- 
 der advantages, if not in many respects superior, yet in all cases equal, 
 to those possessed by any other people. 
 
 I have thus, Sir, used my best endeavours to communicate to you all 
 the information I have been able to obtain of the means by which the 
 other nations of the world carry on their commerce with China. Should 
 these remarks be found in any degree interesting to my country, it will 
 afford me the most heartfelt satisfaction. The matter of this communi- 
 cation, I believe, may be relied on ; but for the manner in which it is 
 made I must request that indulgence which I have been so happy as to 
 experience on a former occasion. 
 
 I must not omit mentioning that the death of Mr. Sears, our late wor- 
 thy friend and partner, renders it necessary that Mr. Randall should re- 
 turn to America, in order to attend to our private concerns. This step 
 I hope will not be disagreeable to you. He will be able to give any fur- 
 ther information respecting the foregoing particulars that may be neces- 
 sary. I shall, in the mean time, go to Bengal, and return here the en- 
 suing season. If in this tour any new information should be obtained, I 
 will do myself the pleasure of transmitting it to you. 
 
 I have the honor to be, with the most sincere esteem and regard, Sir, 
 Your much obliged and humble servant, 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 Mem. The ship Hope passed Macao, February 1st. 
 
 NOTE C. Page 253. 
 
 To the Honorable JOHN JAY, Secretary of the United States for the 
 
 Department of Foreign Affairs. 
 
 Canton in China. December 21st, 1787. 
 
 SIR, Having, in the letter which I did myself the honor of address- 
 ing to you towards the close of the last season, mentioned the several
 
 APPENDIX. 353 
 
 matters which came within my observation relative to the commerce 
 which the Europeans carry on with this part of the world, I have only 
 to remark generally on this subject, that a detailed account of it at pres- 
 ent, such is its uniformity, would involve merely a repetition of the greater 
 part of what was then written. I shall, therefore, confine myself rather 
 to the quantity, if I may be allowed the expression, than to the manner, 
 of the commerce for the current year. 
 
 Since the year 1784, the trade here has been constantly tending to the 
 disadvantage of the Europeans. The imports, collectively taken, hard- 
 ly defray the first cost ; and the exports have increased in a ratio beyond 
 all possible conjecture. On an average, at the most moderate computa- 
 tion, the price of every sort of tea, Bohea only excepted, has advanced 
 more than forty per cent., nor is it yet at the highest point. Such is 
 the demand for this article, that the Chinese hardly know how much to 
 ask for it ; and should the rage for purchasing continue only another 
 year, it is not improbable that the price may be doubled. I shall, for 
 your information, annex a list of the shipping at Whampoa. Though 
 the number of English vessels does not exceed that of the last year, yet, 
 from their superior size, the quantity of tonnage is greatly increased. In 
 the opinion of judicious observers, the English seem to be not only aim- 
 ing at a monopoly of the tea- trade for Europe, but appear to have in view 
 the exclusive commerce of this division of the globe. The new plan of 
 government for Bengal and its dependencies, their late establishments, 
 both to the eastward and westward, the prohibition to their subjects 
 in India against selling their ships to foreigners, and, in short, their 
 whole conduct, strongly favor the suspicion. This object, and to be 
 sure it is no trifling one, is now considered as the great idol of the Eng- 
 lish nation ; and in consequence of it, the current of popular opinion 
 carries rapidly along every measure which the company think fit to 
 adopt How far our republican friends, the Dutch, whom it most near- 
 ly concerns, will suffer any attempts of this kind, a few years must de- 
 termine. The settlement of the English at Pulo Pinang, which enables 
 them to command the whole of the navigation from the peninsula of In- 
 dia, Malaya, and the island of Sumatra, has not a little alarmed them ; 
 and the settlement at Botany Bay, on the southeast coast of New Hol- 
 land, has increased their apprehensions. I say nothing of the opposi- 
 tion the English may expect from the Swedes and Danes, who cer- 
 tainly find their advantage in this commerce, or from the French, 
 invariably their enemies. Perhaps a commercial confederation of these 
 45
 
 354 APPENDIX. 
 
 nations, for their mutual benefit, not unlike the armed neutrality during 
 the late war, may be adopted, as the best means of checking and defeat- 
 ing such exorbitant pretensions. 
 
 With respect to our own commerce in this quarter, which is yet in 
 its infancy, I shall only observe, that, inconsiderable as it has hitherto 
 been, and is this year especially, it is viewed with no small degree of 
 jealousy by our late mother country. Gentlemen, in all parts of the 
 world, of whatever nation they may be, can esteem, and sometimes 
 love, one another ; but Englishmen and Americans, merely as such, in 
 any place, as at Canton, where the former have the ascendency, can 
 barely treat each other with civility. It is to national prejudices only, 
 not yet done away, that I have reference, for I have found among the 
 English men who are an honor to their race. No national civilities, on 
 their part, have been offered us at Canton, either last year or the pres- 
 ent ; but at Macao, in the interval, there was a full tender of them made 
 me, with a general invitation to their table. These, however, I thought 
 proper to decline, without assigning a reason, as circumstances rendered 
 any explanation unnecessary. Personally, I have no cause of complaint. 
 The usual compliment of a visit has been mutually paid and returned, 
 and we frequently meet at other tables, and also at the Danish concert. 
 They have themselves a public concert, weekly ; but, for the reasons 
 mentioned, I never attend it. After saying thus much concerning the 
 English, I should be guilty of the highest ingratitude, were I to omit 
 testifying, on this occasion, my entire satisfaction at the reception and 
 treatment I have met with from the chiefs and gentlemen of the other 
 nations, not only at Canton, but during a residence of six months at Ma- 
 cao. It has been, and continues to be, in all respects proper, and in 
 many instances really friendly. 
 
 Though little can ever be known of China by persons restricted to 
 such narrow limits as are the foreigners who trade here, yet we see 
 enough to give us very unfavorable ideas of its government. The laws 
 may be good, but its police is extremely defective. It would shock your 
 humanity, were I to give a sketch of the misery which is here daily ex- 
 hibited ; and what excites the indignation of every foreigner is, that the 
 number of these wretched objects being inconsiderable, it is evidently in 
 the power of the magistracy amply to provide for them. This is not the 
 only instance which contradicts the generally received idea of the excel- 
 lence of the Chinese government. At present there are great disturb- 
 ances in many parts of the empire, and the insurrections in the island of
 
 APPENDIX. 355 
 
 Formosa and the adjacent country threaten consequences of a serious 
 nature. The war in that quarter has raged upwards of a twelvemonth, 
 and its issue is yet doubtful. The oppressions exercised by govern- 
 ment have reduced the inhabitants of those parts to a state of despera- 
 tion, which has had the most pernicious effects on the agriculture and 
 commerce, not only of that, but of the neighbouring provinces. 
 
 From this painful view of the effects of despotism, I turn with pleas- 
 ure to the contemplation of that happiness which an American enjoys, 
 under the government of equal laws and a mild administration. Sure- 
 ly, if we avail ourselves of the experience of other nations, and make a 
 proper use of the advantages with which Heaven has blessed us, we 
 cannot fail in due time of becoming a great and a happy people. 
 
 In addition to the observations in my former letter respecting the ar- 
 ticle of ginseng, I shall only observe, that the sales of it this season 
 confirm me in the opinion of the great advantages our country may de- 
 rive from it. The annexed list will show the quantity brought here. 
 The price for the best has been from one hundred and thirty to two 
 hundred dollars a picul (133J Ibs.), at which it now stands, though 
 probably it will rise twenty or thirty dollars before the departure of the 
 last ships. 
 
 It was my intention, after despatching our ship last season, to go 
 to Bengal ; but the vessel in which I had engaged a passage lost so 
 much time at Macao, that her destination was changed for Manila, 
 and I was reduced to the necessity of remaining behind. I am now 
 making a second attempt, have engaged my passage, and expect to sail 
 the first week in January. On my return here, in August next, I hope 
 to meet Mr. Randall, from America, by whom I flatter myself I shall 
 have the honor of receiving your commands. The commercial engage- 
 ments I have made in behalf of Mr. Randall and myself will involve 
 the necessity for me, if not for both of us, to return at the close of the 
 season to America. I therefore take the liberty of begging you will be 
 pleased to communicate this circumstance to Congress ; and I humbly 
 hope that honorable body will not be offended that I take this step with- 
 out their permission previously obtained. The loss of time which the 
 waiting for such permission must involve would be prejudicial to us in 
 the extreme ; and this, with the consideration that the office of consul 
 at Canton is rather honorary to the person vested with it than essential 
 to the commerce of our country, I presume to flatter myself will be ad- 
 mitted as my excuse.
 
 356 APPENDIX. 
 
 Be pleased, Sir, to do me the honor to accept my acknowledgments 
 for the favors I have received from you, and to believe me most respect- 
 fully, with the highest esteem and regard, 
 
 Your very obedient and obliged humble servant, 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 List of Ships, &c., arrived at Whampoa in 1787, to December 20th. 
 
 PiculB. Catties. 
 
 English,* 28 Ginseng brought, 500 38 
 
 Dutch, 5 " " 25 5 
 
 Swedish, 2 " " 19 51 
 
 Danish, 2 " " 9 48 
 
 French, 3 " " 115 99 
 
 Prussian, 1 " 3 69 
 
 Tuscan, 1 " 
 
 American, 1 " " 52 18 
 
 726 28 
 
 43, to pass the Cape of Good Hope. 
 Country ships, 31, not allowed to pass the Cape. 
 
 At Macao, 4, Portuguese, bound to Lisbon. 
 
 NOTE D. Page 118. 
 
 To the Honorable MR. ENGLEHARD, Shabandar of Batavia. 
 
 Satavia, September 4th, 1790. 
 
 SIR, On my arrival at Batavia, the 30th ult., in the American ship 
 Massachusetts, of eight hundred and twenty tons, from Boston, in her 
 way to Canton in China, I did myself the honor of waiting on you with 
 a report of my cargo, and requested to be indulged with the privileges 
 hitherto accorded to the citizens of America trading to this quarter of the 
 globe. I have to beg your acceptance of my acknowledgments for your 
 politeness in presenting me to the governor-general and the council, to 
 request their permission to dispose of such articles as I had provided for 
 this market (conforming myself to the usual laws and customs) , which I 
 had experienced in my former voyage here, in 1786. Judge then, Sir, 
 
 * Two more expected from England, one direct, the other vi& Bombay.
 
 APPENDIX. 357 
 
 of my surprise, on being answered that all commerce with the Ameri- 
 cans was absolutely prohibited. My acquaintance with and respect for 
 the law of nations teach me, that, in such circumstances, implicit obe- 
 dience is a virtue ; and I shall accordingly, on the morrow, proceed on 
 my voyage, declaring, as owner of said ship and her cargo, that no 
 article of the same has been or will be sold during our stay ; and that 
 nothing has been purchased here, except water, vegetables, and other 
 refreshments for our passage to Canton. 
 
 At the same time that I make this declaration, permit me, Sir, to ob- 
 serve to you, that I have reason to believe this prohibition is laid upon 
 my countrymen on account of evil reports, which have been propagated 
 to their prejudice by persons unfriendly to both countries ; and I have 
 therefore, as consul for my nation, taken the liberty of making a repre- 
 sentation to the government here on the subject, which I herewith in- 
 close, and request you will take the earliest opportunity of having it 
 presented. As a public officer and a good citizen, I feel for the honor of 
 my country. As a merchant, the prohibition is exceedingly detrimental 
 to my interest. These motives, Sir, I hope will plead my excuse for 
 troubling you on the present occasion ; and I pray you to believe me, 
 with much esteem, and a grateful sense of your friendly attentions, 
 Your most obedient servant, 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 NOTE E. Page 118. 
 
 The undersigned, Consul at Canton in China for the United States of 
 America, has the honor to make the following declaration to the Gov- 
 ernor-General and the Council of Batavia. 
 
 That he was at Batavia, in the month of July, 1786, with a ship 
 from New York, called the Hope, whereof he was supercargo and part 
 owner. . That he left Batavia for Canton after remaining there twenty 
 days ; during which time he did not, in any instance, by himself or any 
 one for him, violate the laws of trade by a clandestine exportation of 
 pepper, coffee, or spices ; or in any manner act contrary to the orders 
 and laws of the government, as signified to him by the then Shabandar, 
 Mr. Le Cle'. 
 
 That after having resided at Canton, as consul for his nation, during
 
 358 APPENDIX. 
 
 the remainder of the year 1786, the whole of 1787 and 1788, he, in the 
 month of January, 1789, took passage for America, where he arrived in 
 July following. 
 
 That, as for other ships belonging to citizens of his nation, which 
 have been at Batavia and China since the aforesaid year of 1786, he 
 believes the same line of conduct has been observed by their captains 
 and owners. It may not be improper to observe, that coffee from the 
 Isles of France and Bourbon, pepper from the coast of Malabar and oth- 
 er places in India, and spices from Batavia, may be purchased by Amer- 
 icans from English country ships at Canton, as well as from the Chi- 
 nese, upon such terms as will afford them a reasonable profit in their 
 own country ; and he has just grounds to suppose that the small quan- 
 tities which from time to time have been carried thither were procured 
 in that way. 
 
 The undersigned is sorry to remark, that, in consequence of reports 
 to the prejudice of his countrymen, they have not only been prohibited 
 all commerce here, but have been considered in a very unfavorable point 
 of view by the government at Batavia, and classed with smugglers, 
 who, instead of conforming themselves to the established customs of 
 civilized nations in matters of commerce, do not hesitate to pursue any 
 measures, however dishonorable, to promote their own advantage ; and 
 he feels most sensibly for the honor of his country, as well as for him- 
 self and his fellow-citizens, who, conscious of not violating any laws of 
 this government, have come or may yet come to Batavia, not know- 
 ing that by such evil reports the administration here have been in- 
 duced to prohibit all commerce with them. That, in his own particular 
 case, he had provided in America sundry articles, not contraband, to a 
 large amount, expressly for the market of Batavia, which, to his great 
 injury, he is not allowed to dispose of; but, contrary to his expecta- 
 tion, is obliged to proceed with them to Canton, where they are not 
 wanted. 
 
 It becomes, in a peculiar manner, the duty of the undersigned, as 
 consul for his nation, to use every means in his power to vindicate it 
 from the unjust aspersions under which it suffers ; and he flatters him- 
 self that a little time will suffice entirely to remove them ; in which 
 event, he confides in the justice of the administration in Holland, and in 
 that of Batavia, that his countrymen will then be admitted to the full 
 enjoyment of all privileges allowed to any other nation ; especially, as 
 the connection at present happily subsisting between their republic and 
 the United States of America has, in his humble opinion, the equitable 
 principle of reciprocal good for its immediate object.
 
 APPENDIX. 359 
 
 With these sentiments, and those of the most perfect respect and 
 good-will towards the illustrious republic of Holland and its establish- 
 ments throughout the globe, the undersigned has the honor to put his 
 name to this representation, made at Batavia, the fourth day of Septem- 
 ber, one thousand seven hundred and ninety. 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
 NOTE F. Page 118. 
 
 To the President of the United States of America. 
 
 Canton in China, December 7th, 1790. 
 
 SIR, The commerce of a nation being one of the principal objects 
 of the attention of its rulers, I hope it will not be deemed inconsistent 
 with the duties of the office with which you have been pleased to honor 
 me, that I submit to your consideration some particulars relative to the 
 trade of the citizens of the United States with those of the United 
 Netherlands, at Batavia, the capital of their establishments in India. 
 
 Having sailed from Boston the latter end of March last, in an entirely 
 new ship, built, navigated, and owned by citizens of America, I arrived 
 at Batavia, the first port of my destination, on the 30th of August fol- 
 lowing ; when, to my no small astonishment, I was informed by the 
 head officer of the customs, that all commerce with the Americans was 
 prohibited by orders from Holland ; and that we should be allowed to 
 take only the necessary refreshments for our passage to Canton, my 
 second port of destination. Notwithstanding this information from the 
 Shabandar, I thought it my duty to exercise the right of petitioning to 
 the governor-general and the council for permission to trade, as had 
 been heretofore the custom ; and accordingly I was the next morning 
 presented to his Excellency at his levee, and, in two hours after, deliv- 
 ered to him my petition at the council-board, where I received for an- 
 swer that the prayer of it could not be granted. 
 
 After informing myself, from the Shabandar, of the reasons on which 
 the prohibition of the Americans to trade at Batavia was grounded, I 
 thought it incumbent on me, as consul for the United States, to make 
 a representation to the governor and council, on a matter which I con- 
 ceived so nearly to concern the welfare of our country. On communicat- 
 ing to the Shabandar this my determination, he assented to the propriety
 
 360 APPENDIX. 
 
 of it, and observed, that, though the prohibition was in the highest degree 
 injurious both to the Americans and to the inhabitants of Batavia, yet, if 
 the former did not complain to the supreme authority when they had an 
 opportunity, it would ill become that respectable body to take any notice 
 of the matter to the administration in Holland. Accordingly, on Sat- 
 urday, the 4th of September, I drew up a memorial to the governor and 
 council, and inclosed it in a letter to the Shabandar, requesting him to 
 take the earliest opportunity of having it presented. On seeing that 
 gentleman afterwards, he assured me that the memorial should be pre- 
 sented on the ensuing Tuesday, and that it would be favorably received, 
 it being the wish, not only of the inhabitants, but of the government 
 also, that the commerce at Batavia should be as free for the Americans 
 as it was for any other nation. 
 
 To the aforegoing particulars I take the liberty of adding copies of 
 the letter and declaration above mentioned, and of begging that you will 
 believe me to be, with the most respectful attachment, Sir, 
 Your very obedient humble servant, 
 
 SAMUEL SHAW. 
 
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