d make us fight, or put us to
death. I accordingly wrote, and gave my letter to the man belonging to
the boat before mentioned. He said he could not return with an answer in
less than five days.

The chief now gave me the letter I wrote when first taken. I have never
been able to ascertain his reasons for detaining it, but suppose he dare
not negotiate for our ransom without orders from the head admiral, who I
understood was sorry at our being captured. He said the English ships
would join the mandarines and attack them.[20] He told the chief that
captured us, to dispose of us as he pleased.

Monday, the 24th, it blew a strong gale, with constant hard rain; we
suffered much from the cold and wet, being obliged to remain on deck
with no covering but an old mat, which was frequently taken from us in
the night by the Ladrones who were on watch. During the night the
Portuguese who were left in the brig murdered the Ladrones that were on
board of her, cut the cables, and fortunately escaped through the
darkness of the night. I have since been informed they ran her on shore
near Macao.

Tuesday, the 25th, at daylight in the morning, the fleet, amounting to
about five hundred sail of different sizes, weighed, to proceed on their
intended cruise up the rivers, to levy contributions on the towns and
villages. It is impossible to describe what were my feelings at this
critical time, having received no answers to my letters, and the fleet
under-way to sail,--hundreds of miles up a country never visited by
Europeans, there to remain probably for many months, which would render
all opportunities of negotiating for our enlargement totally
ineffectual; as the only method of communication is by boats, that have
a pass from the Ladrones, and they dare not venture above twenty miles
from Macao, being obliged to come and go in the night, to avoid the
Mandarines; and if these boats should be detected in having any
intercourse with the Ladrones, they are immediately put to death, and
all their relations, though they had not joined in the crime,[21] share
in the punishment, in order that not a single person of their families
should be left to imitate their crimes or revenge their death. This
severity renders communication both dangerous and expensive; no boat
would venture out for less than a hundred Spanish dollars.

Wednesday, the 26th, at daylight, we passed in sight of our ships at
anchor under the island of Chun Po. The chief then c