As Mr. Anson knew that an express had been dispatched to the court
at Peking with an account of the Centurion and her prize being arrived in
the river of Canton, he had no doubt but the principal motive for putting
off this visit was that the regency at Canton might gain time to receive
the Emperor's instructions about their behaviour on this unusual affair.
When the mandarins had delivered their message they began to talk to the
Commodore about the duties to be paid by his ships, but he immediately
told them that he would never submit to any demand of that kind, adding
that no duties were ever demanded of men-of-war by nations accustomed to
their reception, and that his master's orders expressly forbade him from
paying any acknowledgment for his ships anchoring in any port whatever.
The mandarins being thus cut short on the subject of the duty, they said
they had another matter to mention, which was the only remaining one they
had in charge. This was a request to the Commodore that he would release
the prisoners he had taken on board the galleon, for that the Viceroy of
Canton apprehended the Emperor, his master, might be displeased if he
should be informed that persons who were his allies, and carried on a
great commerce with his subjects, were under confinement in his
dominions. Mr. Anson was himself extremely desirous to get rid of the
Spaniards, having on his first arrival sent about one hundred of them to
Macao, and those who remained, which were near four hundred more, were on
many accounts a great encumbrance to him.
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