Nothing eventful occurred on the outward voyage till they met, in the Straits of Sunda, two French men-of-war, also bound for Canton, whose commander greeted them in the most affectionate manner, and under the convoy of "our good allies" the vessel safely traversed the unknown Chinese seas.[1] On its arrival at Macao and Canton the vessel was welcomed by salutes from the ships of all nations in those ports and by visits from the officers and the chiefs of all the European establishments, and "treated by them in all respects as a free and independent nation." The letter says: "The Chinese were very indulgent toward us, though our being the first American ship that had ever visited China, it was some time before they could fully comprehend the distinction between Englishmen and us. They styled us the new people; and when by the map we conveyed to them an idea of the extent of our country, with its present and increasing population, they were highly pleased at the prospect of so considerable a market for the productions of theirs." It concludes: "To every lover of his country, as well as to those more immediately concerned in commerce, it must be a pleasing reflection that a communication is thus happily opened between us and the eastern extreme of the globe."
Other vessels followed this venture into Chinese waters, and within a few years they were successfully sharing
- ↑ The attentions of the French commodore were brought to the notice of the Continental Congress by Secretary Jay, and Mr. Jefferson, the minister in Paris, was instructed to convey the thanks of Congress to the French government for the valuable services of its navy. 3 Diplomatic Correspondence, 1783–1789, p. 767.
