Clipperton Was As Much Rejoiced As The Rest;
For, Having Had His Full Share Of Afflictions And Misfortunes At Sea,
He
was happy in the prospect of securing a small sum of money for his own
use, and sending home
What belonged to the owners, if the ship were
really past repairing, as his people reported.
[Footnote 245: No name resembling Amoy is to be found on the coast of
China in any of our best maps, and the text gives no distinct indication
of its situation. The river Changeneu of the text, perhaps refers to
Tchang-tcheou, a city in the province of Fokien, having a large bay in
lat. 24 deg. 30' N. long. 118 deg. 15' E. and Amoy may have been some
corruption of the port of discharge at the mouth of the river which
passes Tchang-tcheou. - E.]
They had no sooner anchored in the port than ten custom-house officers
were placed on board. At Amoy, as in most other ports in China, the
customs are under the direction of a single mandarin, called the Hoppo,
or Hoppou. The Chinese are justly reputed the craftiest people in the
world; and it is their invariable maxim to appoint the cunningest man
they can find to the office of hoppo. It may be added, that the people
of Amoy are reputed to be less nice in the principles of honour and
honesty even than any others in China. The first thing demanded by these
custom-house officers was, what the ship was, and what was her business
at this port.
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