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