A Narrative of Voyages and Commercial Enterprises

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PASSAGE TO BATAVIA. 39 CHAPTER IV. Impatience to be off. ? Embark for Batavia. ? Chased by a Brig. ? Outsail her. ? Arrival at Batavia. ? Governor's Surprise at our quick Passage. ? Hotel. ? American Commerce. ? Effect of the Climate on Europeans. ? Market. ? The Bay. ? Sharks and Alligators ? No Opportunity to freight to the United States ?Embark for China. ? Arrival at Macao. ? A Typhon. ? Lose an Anchor.? Arrive at Wampoa. ? At Canton ?Embarrassment as to next Destination. ? Arrival and Purchase of an English Cutter. ? Associates in the Adventure. ? Factories. ? Recourse of Beggars to compel Alms. ? Enter the City. ? Result. More than four months had elapsed since- my arrival at the Cape; and, during that period, no opportunity had offered for India. My impatience to be away was now so great, that I determined to embrace any chance that presented itself for going to the east, without regard to the particular place; and, on the first of August, the brig Betsey having touched in the bay, in a short passage from Baltimore, bound to Batavia, I embarked in this vessel, taking with me the proceeds of my vessel and cargo in Spanish dollars. I was accompanied by my black man George, for whom I had contracted an attachment, which was evidently reciprocal. The day after leaving the Cape, we had a strong westerly wind and a considerable sea, and, at noon, while making rapid progress on our way, we discovered a brig standing on a wind across us, which we had reason to suppose was a cruiser. As our vessel was-a remarkably swift sailer, we decided not to submit to the -. . % trouble and detention which a visit would cause, and therefore kept Steadiry oVour'J'ours, Tfhtch, being towards him, induced the belief, that we intended to speak him, and prevented the preparation h...