ruise for the Manilla ship
dangerous on account of numberless reefs, on which many Spanish vessels,
with their cargoes, had been lost, the pirates abandoned their design
and sailed for the island of Saint John, lying on the south coast of the
province of Canton, in China. The inhabitants were Chinese. There were
here plenty of hogs, goats, buffaloes, and bullocks to be seen. Dampier
describes the way the feet of the women were bound up so that they lose
the use of them, and instead of walking they only stumble about their
houses, and then squat down again. They seldom stir abroad, and one
would be apt to think their retaining this fashion were a stratagem of
the men to confine them at home, to keep them from gadding and gossiping
with their friends. The poorer sort trudge about the streets without
shoes or stockings, and these cannot afford to have little feet, having
to get their living with them. There being signs of a coming storm, in
order to have sea-room the ship made sail away from the land.

The hurricane burst on them as they expected. Their safety depended on
their being able to scud under bare poles, which they did during the
whole night; and Dampier and his shipmates averred that they had never
been in so violent a storm before.

Fearing that another tempest might come on, they resolved to run for the
Pescadores, lying between the island of Formosa and the coast of China.

Making the group on the 20th of July, they found themselves before a
large town, with a number of junks going in and out of the harbour.
Though they would have preferred anchoring in some uninhabited spot,
they had no remedy but to run boldly in. The quartermaster was at once
sent on shore to go to the Governor and inform him that they were bound
for Amoy, and as they had suffered some damage by the late storm, they
wished to remain there until finer weather.

The Governor received the quartermaster civilly, and told him that they
could refit the ship better at Amoy or Macao, and dismissed him with a
present of flour, cakes, and pineapples. Officers afterwards came on
board, but did not appear to suspect the character of their visitors.
In a short time the ship was surrounded by native boats, each having
three or four men, who soon crowded the decks, and began to steal all
the iron on which they could lay hands. One of them being found
carrying off a linchpin, a seaman took hold of the fellow, who
immediately bawled out, when