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military forces of the Crown, afloat and ashore.
Taking these in turn, starting with the pilots who took foreign ships into the Macau Roads and up the river to Whampoa, we can examine their several duties, and - if we can find contemporary descriptions to suit - even their persons and characteristics.
The outside and inside pilots
Despite the existence of various sailing guides, the masters of ships sailing to Macau normally took on a pilot once arrived among the islands off the coast of China at this point. There were the "outside" pilots who took vessels into Macau Roads, and the "inside" ones who took merchant vessels on to the Whampoa anchorage.
The former were stated to be ‘a very simple, well-meaning race of people, who get their living by fishing, when they have finished their pilotage.' After describing their simple dress and shoeless condition, Dr. Downing added, "They are supposed to know the depth of water in the different channels, with the times of the changes of the tides, but very little trust is reposed in them, and they are not educated and sworn-in for the office.'44
There was a reason for this, to us, rather odd state of affairs. The "outside" pilots were not necessarily the registered ones. As another reliable contemporary source has it, 'The pilots' names were registered at an office near Macao; and all who were licensed paid the sum of six hundred dollars. The person who took out the licence sometimes knew nothing about ships or the river; but in such cases he employed fishermen to do the duty."45
Whilst a ship was being conducted into Macau Roads, the pilot-boat would take in letters and despatches for China and would bring back the "inside" pilot, "without whom and his chop [a permit] the vessel cannot proceed up the river.'46
These "inside pilots" were a different class of people, 'properly educated and examined as to their knowledge of the management of European craft, with the depth of water and direction of the currents in the river.' Downing has left us this amusing picture of the "inside" pilot who was to take his ship up the river. 'He seemed to consider himself of