four of them refused to comply, for which they were punished in the following cruel manner:  their hands were tied behind their backs, a rope from the masthead rove through their arms, and hoisted three or four feet from the deck, and five or six men flogged them with their rattans twisted together till they were apparently dead; then hoisted them up to the mast-head, and left them hanging nearly an hour, then lowered them down, and repeated the punishment, till they died or complied with the oath.

“On the 28th of October, I received a letter from Captain Kay, brought by a fisherman, who had told him he would get us all back for three thousand dollars.  He advised me to offer three thousand, and if not accepted, extend it to four; but not farther, as it was bad policy to offer much at first:  at the same time assuring me we should be liberated, let the ransom be what it would.  I offered the chief the three thousand, which he disdainfully refused, saying he was not to be played with; and unless they sent ten thousand dollars, and two large guns, with several casks of gunpowder, he would soon put us to death.  I wrote to Captain Kay, and informed him of the chief’s determination, requesting, if an opportunity offered, to send us a shift of clothes, for which it may be easily imagined we were much distressed, having been seven weeks without a shift; although constantly exposed to the weather, and of course frequently wet.

“On the first of November, the fleet sailed up a narrow river, and anchored at night within two miles of a town called Little Whampoa.  In front of it was a small fort, and several Mandarin vessels lying in the harbor.  The chief sent the interpreter to me, saying, I must order my men to make cartridges and clean their muskets, ready to go on shore in the morning.  I assured the interpreter I should give the men no such orders, that they must please themselves.  Soon after the chief came on board, threatening to put us all to a cruel death if we refused to obey his orders.  For my own part I remained determined, and advised the men not to comply, as I thought by making ourselves useful we should be accounted too valuable.  A few hours afterwards he sent to me again, saying, that if myself and the quarter-master would assist them at the great guns, that if also the rest of the men went on shore and succeeded in taking the place, he would then take the money offered for our ransom, and give them twenty dollars for every Chinaman’s head they cut off.  To these proposals we cheerfully acceded, in hopes of facilitating our deliverance.

“The Mandarin vessels continued firing, having blocked up the entrance of the harbor to prevent the Ladrone boats entering.  At this the Ladrones were much exasperated, and about three hundred of them swam on shore, with a short sword lashed close under each arm; they then ran along the banks of the river till they came abreast of the vessels, and then swam off again and boarded them.  The Chinese thus attacked,