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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 4

First Opium War
General Trading in Canton
Lord Napier Negotiations
1834 (2 Sept.) entire letter from Joseph Archer in Macau to William Wetmore in Canton; privately carried on a river boat and without postal marking but with detailed ink brush delivery note over both of the flaps; the usual light horizontal filing fold, clean and fine.


An interesting letter with much information including, " ... The measure adopted by Lord Napier of issuing the Chinese Chop is generally considered here as an unadvisable one, such is my own opinion. It can do no possible good, and will probably only exasperate the Mandarins ... Mr Robertson tells me it is in contemplation to permit goods to be entered here in entrepot by paying a duty if re-shipped of a 1½ to 2 per ct he thinks it is probable the measure will be carried into effect.. It will facilitate matters if it does.". Later, " ... I am sorry to hear that Fatqua is likely to be declared bankrupt. I think it would be advisable to get a receipt from Hinqua and Lin chong for the amt of the cotton yarn sold them being in payment for duties per Coliseum".


1834年9月2日信函, 由澳門Joseph Archer 寄廣州William Wetmore 收, 經內河船私人遞送, 信函上没有郵遞記號, 但两面封舌處有毛筆書寫的送遞手跡; 雖有摺痕但保存良好. 信中提及一些有趣的訊息, 包括"….正考慮徵收轉運物1½ 至2 %的貨税正沿此而實施…" 另信中提到"...很難過聽到Fatqua可能宣布破產…." (Fatqua 亦即為Takqua, 當時稱為"達官", 為容有光經營的安昌行, 是十三行中規模較小的一家, 因經營不善故率先面臨倒閉.

Sold for
HK$3,200

Starting price
HK$2200