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336 JOHN BOIT

two European gentlemen, and purchas'd of us 21 pistale of Iron at 7$ per pistal. 205 A River pilot took charge for 40$ to take the Ship to Whampoa. 206

10. Weigh'd, with the wind at NE. early in the morning making slow progress ; in the evening anchor'd below Lintin bar, in 5 fathom. Next morning weigh'd and beat up to the Boca Tigris, 206 * and anchor'd in 17 fm.

CANTON RIVER, CHINA

12. This day arriv'd to our Moorings at Whampoa, having been obliged to beat the whole way from Macao roads. Found riding here 47 sail of European Ships, and six American Do. Capt. Gray went to Canton, in the pinnace. We lay'd at this place till the 2d of February, during which time we give the Ship a complete overhaul from her keel to the truck. We haul'd the Ship a shore, on Dutch Island beach, and graved. This business cost 150$ (paid to the Proprietors of the beach). The whole expence accruing to the Columbia at Canton amounted to the enormous sum of 7000 Spanish $. The other Furs were landed at Canton, and delivered to the Hong Mer- chants, for 90,000$, average 45 Dollars each. The Land furs sold quite low, in proportion.

The Ship was 1 laden with a full Cargo of Teas and Nanken with a small proportion of Sugar and China Porcelain. 'Tis the Custom in this place to engage with a Contractor to supply the Ship with provisions and other stores. They call them- selves Compadores. You must give them a certain Sum, gen- erally 150$ before they'll undertake. The first of these fellows that was engag'd run away with 250$ in our debt. This Money was advanced him previous to our having a Security Merchant ; otherways it wou'd have been recover'd. These security Mer- chants 207 ev'ry ship must have before they can transact business,

205 A picul, a common weight in the Orient and of 1331-3 pounds. See Washington Historical Quarterly, vol. xii, p. 170. Capt Cook called it a pecul, and says it contains one hundred catty aid that each catty is eighteen ounces. His pecul would thus be \\2 l /t pounds.

206 Sometimes spelled Wampu and in numerous other forms. It was the port of Canton and was situate on the Canton River on the opposite side from Canton and about ten miles below.

206 # Part of the estuary of the Canton River. See an illustration in M cares' Voyages, 4to. ed., p. n.

207 For remarks upon the method of carrying on this trade and the hamper- ing restrictions imposed on it by the Chinese Government, see Marchand's Voyage, vol. a, p. 96, et seq., 1801 ed., and also Dixon's Voyage, Letters xliv and xlv.