Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

489

and, {hutting the door, told me, that thofe three merchants, or rather villains, Linqua,Anqua, and Hemftiaw, had paid to the hapoa 4000 tayels for the monopolization of rnycargo, and that no merchant durfl have any commerce with me but they 5 but withal, advifed me to carry fair with them, and bargain with them on whatfoever terms theywould allow me.

Accordingly I had a meeting with my chaps, and in my difcourfe, I told them whatthe current price was in* town for every fpecies of my goods, and defired to know whatthey would give. They feemed furprifed that I knew* the market, and would fain haveknown who had informed me of the prices, but I defired to be excufed on that point,and to proceed to bid for themfelves. My cargo confifted in cotton, putchockor radixdulcis, rofainalla or liquid ftorax, and Surat coarfe chints, which, according to thecurrent market, would have come to 14,000 tayels, but they would not come within80 per cent, of the market price.

1 finding myfeif infulted, had a mind to wait on the Vice-king, who refided at atown called Sachow, about twenty miles up the river, and, in order to go thither, I ap-plied myfeif, by the afliftance of the French linguift, to a mandereen called the chumpin,for licence to go to Sachow, and for his letter of recommendation to the Vicqroy.The news of my being with the chumpin alarmed the hapoa and my merchants, whofound no yvay to impede my going but by feizing any linguift that {hould ferve me,either in Cantpn or in my journey, and accordingly, as I was going next day to receivemy letters, and the French linguift along with me, he had a lmall iron chain thrownover his head, (a cuftom that is among the Chinefe when they arreft a man j, and hewas dragged before the hapoa, and was accufed of aflifting the French in running goodson board of their {hips, for they had two lying at Whampoa, a village about fourleagues below the city. The poor man was kept in prifon as long as I ftaid at Canton jand his imprifonment fo terrified others, that I could get none to ferve me but whomthofe villains of merchants recommended to me, and none durft ferve me as linguift.

I finding no remedy but patience, to my difturbed mind, was forced to comply withthe unjuft impofitions of the hapoa, and fo ftruck up a bargain at the villainous mer-chants rates, but to receive filver for my goods; and after I had delivered them, Idefired to fettle accounts, and to have my money according to contract. They madeup a large account of charges, as 3000 tayels for the meafurage of my {hip, 1000 forliberty to buy mails, cordage, and provifions, and 1000 tayels for prefents to fomemandereens; and then they told me, for what remained I fhould have goods at thecurrent price of the market, though I was obliged to take them between 40 and 50 percent, higher. They made me pay 13 tayels per clieft for Japon copper, which I couldhave bought for 9 tayels, and for China copper I was charged ten and a half, which Ibought at Maccao for feven, fome fir mafts that I cheapened for 60 tayels they made mepay 250. It was the middle of January 1704, before I had ended my accounts withthem, and I wanted per million to go to Maccao, but that I could not have. They putme off, from day to day, about a week. At length I vifited the French chief, and hefrankly told me that they would not let me go till I laid out 10,000 tayels of filver withthem, which they were informed I had on board of my {hip, and that my merchantshad told him fo. I anfwered, that being bound to Amoy, I had bills on merchantsthere for near that lum, which, with my goods, had been fufficient to have loaded myfliip there, for which reafon I had brought no filver with me ; but I found there was noend to their villainy, and therefore I would go without leave, if I had it not in threedays. He told me of many ill confequences that would attend violent courfes; but Ianfwered him, that I could no longer bear their infults ; and, if I had not my penniffionvol. vim 3 r in