•Hamilton's account o? the east indies.
488
went in, To that we were twenty-five Europeans well armed, in our little fleet. Wetook the inland pafiage, which was the neareft, and failed by feveral iflands on bothfides of us. I kept in the headmolt jonk, and a good officer in the fternmoft; andevery veffel we faw, they told us they were pirates. I anfwered them, I wanted to benear them, but I could not perfuade them to fleer towards them.
After we had failed about 18 leagues from Maccao, we came to a fmall city calledJanfan. The teytock or governor lent me a compliment, and invited me afhore; butI excufed myfelf, becaufe the wind was fair, and I was in hafte to be at Canton.About five leagues above Janfan, we entered into a canal cut through a large plain ofcorn-fields, where we faw many large flat-bottomed boats built to breed ducks, whichthey bring up for fale, and to weed the rice grounds for hire. They have three orfour ftories over one another, where are the ducks nefis. On the uppermoft they fitand hatch eggs. In the others they lodge all night; and it is wonderful to fee whatorder and ceconomy thofe ducks keep for fome old drakes (on the winding of awhiffle) drive all the younger novices into the water, fome going foremofl to fliew theway, while others take care that none loiter behind. There is a fmall port made abouta foot high from the water, and a piece of deal board laid in it, whole other end liesin the water on a gentle defcent, that ferves them for a bridge to go out, and comein at when they are out about fervice. The mafter goes in a fmall boat among the rice-grounds, (for that grain always grows among water), and winding his whiftle, they allfollow his boat, and fall to their work, to deftroy frogs and fmall fith, with the weedsthat would hinder the growth of the corn. About noon he winds his whiffle again, onwhich they all repair on board of their own veffel in good order, fome of the old drakesbringing up the rear, whilft others guard the bridge, to take >care that no ft rangerducks enter with their own tribe ; and when all are in, the old guardians enter alfoand take their, proper polls.
Sometimes when two or three of thofe boats are employed in one field, and theirducks mingle, and fome young novices, which do not underftand their proper mailer'swhiffle, chance to come in company to another boat, and would enter with the reft, theold guardian drakes foon fpy them out, and beat them away from the bridge, and onno account will they fuffer them to enter, more than an eftablilhed company will admitinterlopers to enter into their trade.
Between Janfan and Canton, which is about twenty leagues, there are many prettyvillages feated in the plains, and the peafants bring filh, fowl, eggs, &c. eatables to fellat very moderate prices; and there are alfo fome fmall high towers built on highgrounds. The reafons why they were built I could not be informed of by my compa-nions, but the foot of their covering is hung round with pieces of glafs of feveral fixes,fo near, that, with a fmall gale of wind, they beat againft one another, and make apretty agreeable noife.
When I arrived at Canton the hapoa ordered me lodgings for myfelf, my men andmy cargo in an haung or inn belonging to one of his merchants, where none but theFrench , who had then a factory there, had liberty to vifit me, and when I went abroad,1 had always fome fervants belonging to the haung to follow me at a diftance. I hadftaid about a week, and found no merchants came near me, which made me fufpect, that,there were fome under-hand dealings between the hapoa and his chaps, to my prejudice,<but I could not be informed what they defigned. At length, one night I had fuppedin the French factory, and began to make my complaint to Mr. Petchbertie, the chief,of the ftrange method I w r as treated in, that all merchants fhunned my company, butFor what reafon I knew not. He winked on me to follow him into his bed-chamber,
^ and,