But, notwithstanding this instance of the good intelligence between the magistrates and criminals, the strong inclination of the Chinese to lucre often prompts them to break through this awful confederacy, and puts them on defrauding the authority that protects them, of its proper quota of the pillage.  For not long after the above-mentioned transaction, (the former mandarine attendant on the ship, being, in the mean time, relieved by another,) the commodore lost a top-mast from his stern, which, after the most diligent enquiry, could not be traced:  As it was not his own, but had been borrowed at Macao to heave down by, and was not to be replaced in that part of the world, he was extremely desirous to recover it, and published a considerable reward to any who would bring it him again.  There were suspicions from the first of its being stolen, which made him conclude a reward was the likeliest method of getting it back:  Accordingly, soon after, the mandarine told him that some of his, the mandarine’s people, had found the top-mast, desiring the commodore to send his boats to fetch it, which being done, the mandarine’s people received the promised reward; but the commodore told the mandarine that he would make him a present besides for the care he had taken in directing it to be searched for, and, accordingly, Mr Anson gave a sum of money to his linguist, to be delivered to the mandarine; but the linguist knowing that the people had been paid, and ignorant that a further present had been promised, kept the money himself:  However, the mandarine fully confiding in Mr Anson’s word, and suspecting the linguist, took occasion one morning to admire the size of the Centurion’s masts, and thence, on a pretended sudden recollection, he made a digression to the top-mast which had been lost, and asked Mr Anson if he had not got it again.  Mr Anson presently perceived the bent of this conversation, and enquired of him if he had not received the money from the linguist, and finding he had not, he offered to pay it him upon the spot.  But this the mandarine refused, having now somewhat more in view than the sum which had been detained; for the next day the linguist was seized, and was doubtless mulcted of all he had gotten in the commodore’s service, which was supposed to be little less than two thousand dollars; he was, besides, so severely bastinadoed with the bamboo, that it was with difficulty he escaped with life; and when he was upbraided by the commodore (to whom he afterwards came begging) with his folly in risking all he had suffered for fifty dollars (the present intended for the mandarine.) he had no other excuse to make than the strong bias of his nation to dishonesty, replying, in his broken jargon, “Chinese man very great rogue truly, but have fashion, no can help.”