Mandarin killed himself.  An immense number of his men perished in the sea, and twenty-five vessels were lost.  After his defeat, it was resolved by the Chinese Government to cut off all their supplies of food, and starve them out.  All vessels that were in port were ordered to remain there, and those at sea, or on the coast ordered to return with all speed.  But the pirates, full of confidence, now resolved to attack the harbors themselves, and to ascend the rivers, which are navigable for many miles up the country, and rob the villages.  The consternation was great when the Chinese saw them venturing above the government forts.

The pirates separated:  Mistress Ching plundering in one place, Paou in another, and O-po-tae in another, &c.

It was at this time that Mr. Glasspoole had the ill fortune to fall into their power.  This gentlemen, then an officer in the East India Company’s ship the Marquis of Ely, which was anchored under an island about twelve miles from Macao, was ordered to proceed to the latter place with a boat to procure a pilot.  He left the ship in one of the cutters, with seven British seamen well armed, on the 17th September, 1809.  He reached Macao in safety, and having done his business there and procured a pilot, returned towards the ship the following day.  But, unfortunately, the ship had weighed anchor and was under sail, and in consequence of squally weather, accompanied with thick fogs, the boat could not reach her, and Mr. Glasspoole and his men and the pilot were left at sea, in an open boat.  “Our situation,” says that gentleman, “was truly distressing—­night closing fast, with a threatening appearance, blowing fresh, with a hard rain and a heavy sea; our boat very leaky, without a compass, anchor, or provisions, and drifting fast on a lee-shore, surrounded with dangerous rocks, and inhabited by the most barbarous pirates.”

After suffering dreadfully for three whole days, Mr. Glasspoole, by the advice of the pilot, made for a narrow channel, where he presently discovered three large boats at anchor, which, on seeing the English boat, weighed and made sail towards it.  The pilot told Mr. Glasspoole they were Ladrones, and that if they captured the boat, they would certainly put them all to death!  After rowing tremendously for six hours they escaped these boats, but on the following morning falling in with a large fleet of the pirates, which the English mistook for fishing-boats, they were captured.

“About twenty savage-looking villains,” says Mr. Glasspoole, “who were stowed at the bottom of the boat, leaped on board us.  They were armed with a short sword in either hand, one of which they layed upon our necks, and pointed the other to our breasts, keeping their eyes fixed on their officer, waiting his signal to cut or desist.  Seeing we were incapable of making any resistance, the officer sheathed his sword, and the others immediately followed his example.  They then dragged us into their boat, and carried us on board one of their junks, with the most savage demonstrations of joy, and, as we supposed, to torture and put us to a cruel death.”