When on board the junk they rifled the Englishmen, and brought heavy chains to chain them to the deck.

“At this time a boat came, and took me, with one of my men and an interpreter, on board the chief’s vessel.  I was then taken before the chief.  He was seated on deck, in a large chair, dressed in purple silk, with a black turban on.  He appeared to be about thirty years of age, a stout commanding-looking man.  He took me by the coat, and drew me close to him; then questioned the interpreter very strictly, asking who we were, and what was our business in that part of the country.  I told him to say we were Englishmen in distress, having been four days at sea without provisions.  This he would not credit, but said we were bad men, and that he would put us all to death; and then ordered some men to put the interpreter to the torture until he confessed the truth.  Upon this occasion, a Ladrone, who had been once to England and spoke a few words of English, came to the chief, and told him we were really Englishmen, and that we had plenty of money, adding that the buttons on my coat were gold.  The chief then ordered us some coarse brown rice, of which we made a tolerable meal, having eaten nothing for nearly four days, except a few green oranges.  During our repast, a number of Ladrones crowded round us, examining our clothes and hair, and giving us every possible annoyance.  Several of them brought swords, and laid them on our necks, making signs that they would soon take us on shore, and cut us in pieces, which I am sorry to say was the fate of some hundreds during my captivity.  I was now summoned before the chief, who had been conversing with the interpreter:  he said I must write to my captain, and tell him, if he did not send an hundred thousand dollars for our ransom, in ten days he would put us all to death.”

After vainly expostulating to lessen the ransom, Mr. Glasspoole wrote the letter, and a small boat came alongside and took it to Macao.

Early in the night the fleet sailed, and anchored about one o’clock the following day in a bay under the island of Lantow, where the head admiral of Ladrones (our acquaintance Paou) was lying at anchor, with about two hundred vessels and a Portuguese brig they had captured a few days before, and the captain and part of the crew of which they had murdered.  Early the next morning, a fishing-boat came to inquire if they had captured an European boat; they came to the vessel the English were in.

“One of the boatmen spoke a few words of English, and told me he had a Ladrone-pass, and was sent by our captain in search of us; I was rather surprised to find he had no letter.  He appeared to be well acquainted with the chief, and remained in his cabin smoking opium, and playing cards all the day.  In the evening I was summoned with the interpreter before the chief.  He questioned us in a much milder tone, saying, he now believed we were Englishmen, a people he wished to be friendly with; and that if