ow foresaw that they had no other method of succeeding
than by violence, and that even against this the Commodore was prepared,
they were at last disposed, I conceive, to let the affair drop, rather
than entangle themselves in a hostile measure which they found would only
expose them to the risk of having the whole navigation of their port
destroyed, without any certain prospect of gaining their favourite point
thereby.

CHAPTER 39.
STORES AND PROVISIONS--A FIRE IN CANTON--SAILORS AS FIREMEN--THE VICEROY'S
GRATITUDE.

BARGAINING.

When the Commodore arrived at Canton he was visited by the principal
Chinese merchants, who affected to appear very much pleased that he had
met with no obstruction in getting thither. They added that, as soon as
the Viceroy should be informed that Mr. Anson was at Canton, they were
persuaded a day would be immediately appointed for the visit, which was
the principal business that had brought the Commodore thither.

The next day the merchants returned to Mr. Anson, and told him that the
Viceroy was then so fully employed in preparing his despatches for Pekin,
that there was no getting admittance to him for some days; but that they
had engaged one of the officers of his court to give them information as
soon as he should be at leisure when they proposed to notify Mr. Anson's
arrival, and to endeavour to fix the day of audience. The Commodore was
by this time too well acquainted with their artifices not to perceive
that this was a falsehood, and had he consulted only his own judgment he
would have applied directly to the Viceroy by other hands. But the
Chinese merchants had so far prepossessed the supercargoes of our ships
with chimerical fears, that they were extremely apprehensive of being
embroiled with the government and of suffering in their interest, if
those measures were taken which appeared to Mr. Anson at that time to be
the most prudential; and therefore, lest the malice and double-dealing of
the Chinese might have given rise to some sinister incident which would
be afterwards laid at his door, he resolved to continue passive as long
as it should appear that he lost no time by thus suspending his own
opinion. With this view he promised not to take any immediate step
himself for getting admittance to the Viceroy, provided the Chinese with
whom he contracted for provisions would let him see that his bread was
baked, his meat salted, and his stores prepared with the utmost despatch