this was the
ship."--"Why," says the old man, "I'll find out a way to prevent that;
for as I know all those commanders you speak of very well, and shall see
them all as they pass by, I will be sure to set them to rights in the
thing, and let them know that they had been so much in the wrong; that
though the people who were on board at first might run away with the
ship, yet it was not true that they had turned pirates; and that, in
particular, these were not the men that first went off with the ship, but
innocently bought her for their trade; and I am persuaded they will so
far believe me as at least to act more cautiously for the time to come."

In about thirteen days' sail we came to an anchor, at the south-west
point of the great Gulf of Nankin; where I learned by accident that two
Dutch ships were gone the length before me, and that I should certainly
fall into their hands. I consulted my partner again in this exigency,
and he was as much at a loss as I was. I then asked the old pilot if
there was no creek or harbour which I might put into and pursue my
business with the Chinese privately, and be in no danger of the enemy. He
told me if I would sail to the southward about forty-two leagues, there
was a little port called Quinchang, where the fathers of the mission
usually landed from Macao, on their progress to teach the Christian
religion to the Chinese, and where no European ships ever put in; and if
I thought to put in there, I might consider what further course to take
when I was on shore. He confessed, he said, it was not a place for
merchants, except that at some certain times they had a kind of a fair
there, when the merchants from Japan came over thither to buy Chinese
merchandises. The name of the port I may perhaps spell wrong, having
lost this, together with the names of many other places set down in a
little pocket-book, which was spoiled by the water by an accident; but
this I remember, that the Chinese merchants we corresponded with called
it by a different name from that which our Portuguese pilot gave it, who
pronounced it Quinchang. As we were unanimous in our resolution to go to
this place, we weighed the next day, having only gone twice on shore
where we were, to get fresh water; on both which occasions the people of
the country were very civil, and brought abundance of provisions to sell
to us; but nothing without money.

We did not come to the other port (the wind being contrary) for five