job I
          would undertake to deliver him and his wife safely at any
          American port within reason, with money to take them home
          like princes, and a trifle over.  I’m a square man:  and if I
          weren’t, you couldn’t be in a worse fix than you are.”

“I think,” said I, “if you do not mind waiting a few minutes, we will trade, Mr. Wills.”  With this I went on deck and hoisted my private signal for Mr. ‘—­’, who came alongside in less than half-an-hour.  He was a practical man, and at once saw the prospect of escape held out by the American’s offer, ridiculous as it may seem to those who know little of Chinese law and custom.  Indeed one of the magistrates had frankly appealed to Mr. ‘—­’ to hire a substitute for Margit among the negro women at Macao:  and our friend engaged that by spending a few hundred additional dollars he would get the Dutchwoman’s corpse accepted as full discharge for the offence, provided that Mrs. Lanyon could be smuggled out of the Canton River.  This Captain Wills readily undertook to do.  Mr. ‘—­’ then suggested that his negotiations would be made easier by the disappearance of all implicated in the scuffle—­i.e.  Mr. Tomlinson and myself, as well as Obed and Mrs. Lanyon.  Mr. Findlater, my first officer, could take command and work the Macartney home; and Mr. ‘—­’ engaged to make our case right with the Company, though at the cost to me of the indirect profits which a commander looks to make from a homeward voyage.  We discussed this for some while, and in the end agreed to it.  Captain Wills, being short-handed, was even generous enough to offer me a small sum for my services in assisting him with the navigation.

To be short, all was arranged.  That same night a boat from the Independence brought the famous cask of Geneva alongside, and took us four English people in exchange, and by 4 a.m. we were under weigh and heading for the open sea.

The Independence steered through the Formosa Strait, across the Eastern Sea, and on the 25th of July entered the bay of Nangasaki under Russian colours, which she thenceforth continued to fly.  Like most European captains, our American kept his straightforward dealing for certain races only.  He produced his trading articles:  but the Japanese wanted nothing, and demanded to know what brought him there?  He answered that he wanted water and fresh provisions (we had a plenty of both), and to prove it, ordered several butts to be started, and brought empty on deck.  This was enough for the hospitable Japanese; who next day brought supplies of hogs, fish, and vegetables, for which they asked no payment; besides four dozen large tubs of water, which Captain Wills emptied on deck, stopping the scuppers, and removing the plugs at night so that the water might not be perceived.  On the fourth day we got under weigh again; our deluded friends even going so far in kindness as to tow us out of the bay, and parting from us with cheers and much waving of hats and hands.