From Formosa we steered west-north-west, and sometimes
still more northerly, and on the 5th of November we at last about
midnight, got sight of the mainland of China, bearing north by west, four
leagues distant.
We then brought the ship to, with her head to the sea, proposing to wait
for the morning; and before sunrise we were surprised to find ourselves
in the midst of an incredible number of fishing-boats, which seemed to
cover the surface of the sea as far as the eye could reach. I may well
style their number incredible, since I cannot believe, upon the lowest
estimate, that there were so few as 6,000 most of them manned with five
hands, and none with less than three. Nor was this swarm of fishing
vessels peculiar to this spot, for, as we ran onto the westward, we found
them as abundant on every part of the coast. We at first doubted not but
we should procure a pilot from them to carry us to Macao; but though many
of them came close to the ship and we endeavoured to tempt them by
showing them a number of dollars--a most alluring bait for Chinese of all
ranks and professions--yet we could not entice them on board us; though I
presume the only difficulty was their not comprehending what we wanted
them to do, for we could have no communication with them but by signs.
Indeed we often pronounced the word Macao, but this we had reason to
suppose they understood in a different sense, for in return they
sometimes held up fish to us, and we afterwards learned that the Chinese
name for fish is of a somewhat similar sound.
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