OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 459

 

calicoes, raw silks, tea, wrought silks, &c. and so would return by the
game course we came. He told us our best port had been to have put
in at Macao, where we could not fail of a market for our opium to our
satisfaction, and might, for our money, have purchased all sorts of
China goods as cheap as we could at Nanquin.

Not being able to put the old man out of his talk, of which he was
very opinionated, or conceited, I told him we were gentlemen as well
as merchants, and that we had a mind to go and see the great city of
Pekin, and the famous court of the mgnarch of China. ‘ Why, then,”
says the old man, ‘“‘you should go to Ningpo, where, by the river that
runs into the sea there, you may go up within five leagues of the great
canal.” —This canal is a navigable made stream, which goes through
the heart of all that vast empire of China, crosses all the rivers, passes
some considerable hills by the help of sluices and gates, and goes up °
to the city of Pekin, being in length near two hundred and seventy
leagues.

“Well,” said I, “Seignior Portuguese, but that is not our business
now; the great question is, if you can carry us up to the city of Nan-
quin, from whence we can travel to Pekin afterwards ?”—“ Yes,” he
said, “‘he could do so very well; and there was a great Dutch ship
gone up that way just before.” This gave me a little shock; a Dutch:
ship was now our terror, and we had much rather have met the devil,
at least, if he had not come in too frightful a figure. We depended
upon it that a Dutch ship would be our destruction, for we were in no
condition to fight them; all the ships they trade with in those parts
being of great burden, and of much greater force than we were.

The old man found me a little confused, and under some concern,
when he named a Dutch ship; and said to me, “ Sir, you need be under |
no apprehension of the Dutch; I suppose they are not now at war with

your nation.” —“ No,” said I, “that’s true; but I know not what lib-
erties men may take when they are out of the reach of the laws of
thelr country.” —“ Why,” said he, “ you are no pirates; what need you

fear? They will not meddle with peaceable merchants, sure.”

If I had any blood in my body that did not fly up into my face at
that word, it was hindered by some stop in the vessels appointed by
nature to circulate it; for it put me into the greatest disorder and con-
fusion imaginable ; nor was it possible for me to conceal it so, but that
the old man easily perceived it. :

“ Sir,” said he, “I find you are in some disorder in your iedus
at niy talk; pray be pleased to go which way you think fit, and de-
pend upon it, I'll do you all the service I can.”—“ Why, seignior,”
said I, “it is true I am a little unsettled in my resolution at this time, @