The Viceroy continued the
conversation for some time, acknowledging in very civil terms how much
the Chinese were obliged to him for his signal services at the fire, and
owning that he had saved the city from being destroyed; and then,
observing that the Centurion had been a good while on their coast, he
closed his discourse by wishing the Commodore a good voyage to Europe.
After which, the Commodore thanking him for his civility and assistance,
took his leave.

Thus the Commodore, to his great joy, at last finished this troublesome
affair, which for the preceding four months had given him great
disquietude. Indeed, he was highly pleased with procuring a licence for
the shipping his stores and provisions; for thereby he was enabled to
return to Great Britain with the first of the monsoon, and to prevent all
intelligence of his being expected. But this, though a very important
point, was not the circumstance which gave him the greatest satisfaction,
for he was more particularly attentive to the authentic precedent
established on this occasion, by which His Majesty's ships of war are for
the future exempted from all demands of duty in any of the ports of
China.

HOMEWARD BOUND.

In pursuance of the promises of the Viceroy, the provisions were begun to
be sent on board the day after the audience, and four days after the
Commodore embarked at Canton for the Centurion, and on the 7th of
December the Centurion and her prize unmoored and stood down the river,
passing through the Bocca Tigris on the 10th. And on this occasion I must
observe that the Chinese had taken care to man the two forts on each side
of that passage with as many men as they could well contain, the greatest
part of them armed with pikes and matchlock muskets. These garrisons
affected to show themselves as much as possible to the ships, and were
doubtless intended to induce Mr. Anson to think more reverently than he
had hitherto done of the Chinese military power. For this purpose they
were equipped with much parade, having a great number of colours exposed
to view, and on the castle in particular there were laid considerable
heaps of large stones, and a soldier of unusual size, dressed in very
sightly armour, stalked about on the parapet with a battleaxe in his hand
endeavouring to put on as important and martial an air as possible,
though some of the observers on board the Centurion shrewdly suspected,
from the appearance of his armour, that instead of