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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 32

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
The Opening of Canton
1839 (23 Oct.) (c.) a very long and detailed 8 page letter from John Silverlock to his father. In these letters he keeps his father fully informed of the situation. Here we are presented with a complete account of what was happening in the standoff between Charles Elliot and Lin Tse-hsu as well as trade and other matters since his previous letter (23 Sept.).
The main topics covered in this letter include
The squabbling amongst the British merchants who are divided into two parties, the Dentites and the Jardineites (after the two main companies, Dent and Jardine).
The continuation of the opium trade, not only along the coast but in the anchorage (in Hong Kong)
Elliot's ultimatum to the merchant fleet that all vessels carrying opium should depart immediately. How this was disregarded and how smugglers and the owners of the ships, the drug was sold in the fleet as usual.
The abortive move to Tong Koo with the objections to the strength of tide and other inconveniences. The fleet and the men of war remained in Hong Kong
A detailed summary of the negotiations between Elliot and Lin with Lin's demands to hand over all of the opium, find the murderer of Lin Weikee, the immediate departure of the store ships, which would be burnt in the event of disobedience.
Elliot's response was to allow Chinese officers (accompanied) to inspect any vessel suspected of carrying opium, a written undertaking that from each firm and vessel that no opium has been brought into China and a joint investigation into finding the murderer of Lin Weikee.
Lin's response to this was that Capt. Elliot was to give up all opium in the fleet, if a vessel takes opium to the coast it will be destroyed and the crew put to death, the opium ships must leave immediately, the murderer of Lin Weikee to be given up in ten days and all Chinese in the fleet given up.
Details of the smuggling trade, a fee amounting to $25 a chest was given to the Chinese Customs House officers for their connivance.
How a drowned sailor could have been given up as the murderer of Lin Weikee and how this would have eased negotiations.
The arrival of the 'Thomas Coutts' which sailed directly to Whampoa, in defiance of Capt. Elliot's injunctions. It breaks the boycott, on the same day as the 'Royal Saxon' arrives and does not recognise the injunctions of the Superintendent.
Lin withdraws the demand for Bond and trade reopens outside of Canton only. The reaction of the British Chamber of Commerce.
The return of the British community to Macao.
About Elliot's communication with the Hong merchants and outlining the risk responsibilities of unloading ships outside the Bogue along with some other matters.

With complete transcript and summary, this astonishing letter gives a wealth of detailed information about this important stage in these delicate negotiations. A remarkable historical document

When the 'Thomas Coutts' broke the agreement by sailing directly to Whampoa Lin sensed a weakness in the British resolve and tore up the treaty he had made with Elliot. When the 'Royal Saxon' tried to copy this act the 'Hyacinth' (18 guns) and 'Volage' (26 guns) fired a warning shot across the bows; some Chinese war junks were sent to protect the merchant ship and advanced on the 'Volage'. In less than an hour four war junks had been sunk and after months of negotiations, war was on.



1839年10月23日英商人約翰.西爾弗洛克 (John Silverlock)在香港寫給父親的八頁記事長函, 詳細描述了1839年10月英國駐華商務監督查理斯.義律上校與清欽差大臣林則徐在第一次鴉片戰爭前夕的對峙局面. 1839年6月, 林則徐没收和搗毁了大約2 萬箱屬於英國的鴉, 但鴉片貿易卻繼續有增無減. 然後林要求每一個英國商人, 都要遵守嚴格的中國禁止進口鴉片新法律, 對外國人走私毒品判處死刑. 對此義律拒絕提交. 並禁止英商船隊與中國人交易, 直到林的要求撤銷. 這封記事信函詳細記錄了當時事態的發展情况. 並確實引用了義律, 林則徐和其他各方於當時發出的所有相關通函. 因此這記事信函確實可被公認為重要的歷史參考素材. 此外, 函中有關林則徐有如下之描述 : 大約四十五歲, 短而粗壯, 圓滑的圓臉, 細長的黑鬍鬚和敏銳的黑眼睛. 他說話的聲音及語調很清晰, 他的表達意味着他是一個慣於關心和體貼的人. 脚注: 當“Thomas Coutts”直接航行到黃埔破壞了協議時, 林則徐感覺到英國對協議不尊重, 並撕毀了他與艾略特達成的條約. 當“皇家撒克遜”號試圖模仿這一行為時, “Hyacinth 號 ”(18 門砲) 和“Volage 號”( 26 門砲) 向船頭鳴槍示警; 一些中國戰艦被派去保護商船並前進向“Volage 號”. 在不到一個小時的時間裡, 四艘戰艦被擊沉; 雖經過幾個月的談判, 戰爭開始了. 脚注: 義律於 8 月 10 日隨 S.S.“克萊德”號離開香港, 由璞鼎查爵士（東印度公司前政治代理人）接替為新的全權代表

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