understanding his language, we could not often make out all the
circumstances attending it; that he passed in sight of Japan; made Luconia;
and was there directed how to steer to Canton; that arriving there, he had
applied to the French, and had got a passage in one of their India ships to
France; and that most of the Russians had likewise returned to Europe in
French ships, and had afterward found their way to Petersburg. We met with
three of Beniowski's crew in the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul; and
from them we learnt the circumstances of the above story.

On our arrival at Canton, we received a farther corroboration, of the facts
from the gentlemen of the English factory; who told us, that a person had
arrived there in a Russian galliot, who said he came from Kamtschatka, and
that he had been furnished by the French factory with a passage to
Europe.[14]

We could not help being much diverted with the fears and apprehensions of
these good people, and particularly with the account Mr Port gave us of the
serjeant's wary proceedings the day before. On seeing me come on shore, in
company with some other gentlemen, he had made him and the merchant, who
arrived in the sledges we had seen come in the morning, hide themselves in
his kitchen, and listen to our conversation with one another, in hopes that
by this means they might discover whether we were really English or not.

As we concluded, from the commission and dress of Mr Port, that he might
probably he the commander's secretary, he was received as such, and
invited, with his companion, the merchant, to dine with Captain Clerke; and
though we soon began to suspect, from the behaviour of the latter toward
him, that he was only a common servant, yet this being no time to sacrifice
our little comforts to our pride, we prevented an explanation, by not
suffering the question to be put to him; and, in return for the