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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 35

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
The Outbreak of War
1839 (20 Nov.) John Silverlock entire letter from Macao to Chichester "via Marseilles" and "per steamer from Bombay", rated "2/8" with boxed "INDIA", Calcutta Ship Letter due and London arrival c.d.s. (13.3) on the flap; with manuscript "care of Mesrs Sanderson, Frye & Co. London" at foot of the address panel. There is a light vertical filing fold and slight overall soiling.


The long and detailed letter in his neat hand includes important details of the outset of the conflict, including, " ... opening of trade outside the port were progressing favorably for some time. Many of the English, myself amongst the number returned to Macao, on our arrival we found the negotiations were broken off, the Commissioner more violent against the English, and everything in a worse state ... the cause of all this mischief ... were entirely owing to the obstinate and ill advised acts of the owners and others concerned in the ship 'Thomas Coutts', this ship is one of the large East India Company's came from Bombay with a cargo of cotton and with positive orders to go up to Whampoa in defiance of Capt Elliot's injunctions ... She applied for her pass and pilot, which were readily granted and up to Whampoa she went, this circumstance and another ship applying for a pass, etc about the same time induced the Yumchae to think that Capt Elliot was playing a double game with him, he sent his refusal to allow the negotiations to be proceeded with, saying that all vessels waiting outside the waters must immediately repair to Whampoa to discharge their cargoes, and threatened to send fire ships to destroy all that remained in Hong Kong ... the 'Volage' and the 'Hyainth' with Capt Elliot's cutter went up to the Bogue Forts to demand an explanations of the Yumchae's conduct ... an insulting answer was returned and the Chinese (war) junks at the same tine got underweigh and came towards the English ships, they were cautioned not to approach too near or they would be fire into ... when the 'Hyacinth' and 'Volage' opened their fired upon them, four junks out of twenty nine were sunk ... had Capt Elliot not been there the whole of the junks would have been destroyed ... such a blow ... by so small a force ... would most probably have saved the future loss of many hundred lives, instead of this Capt Elliot exhorted the Commander of the 'Volage' to cease firing ... the English residents (in Macao) about 30 in number requesting them immediately to leave the place it being expected that the Chinese would attack the English at Macao ... the whole fleet was now positively ordered to remove to Tongkoo Bay ... on the night of Monday 11th inst the Chinese opened fire from these forts and batteries, and guns which they brought down to the beach ... from the deck we could see distinctly the flash of every gun that was fired few were shotted but these were very heavy, one fell within two hundred yards of us, one struck 'Heroine', another passed through the masts of a schooner, no damage done, they continued firing till daylight, it was not returned by any ship of the Fleet ... The only chance of remaining here is to keep as much as possible from being seen by any of the Mandarins, and if no more come over from Tong Koo we shall be allowed to stay without annoyance ... it is supposed that the Yumchae has sent his report of the battle of the Bogue and the proceedings at that time to the Court of Pekin and is now waiting for the Emperor's orders ...", An important and significant insight into how matters stood at this time

provenance:
John Sussex, 'The Opening of China'. November 1987


1839年11月20日澳門John Silverlock 寄英國Chichrster信函, 此信函經印度加爾各答及馬賽而抵英國. 封面註明郵費為"2/8", 旁有框型"INDIA" 戳記, 下端寫有 "care of Mesrs Sanderson, Frye &Co. London" 字句, 封舌上有3月13日倫敦到達日戳. 信函帶有摺痕及老化現象. 此信敘述了義律海軍上校與清廷林則徐在1939年第一次鴉片戰爭開始的一系列事件, 包括了中英之間談判的中斷, 英國商船"Thoma Coutts" 無視義律的詔書公然向黄埔航行, 清廷與英國艦隊 (Volage號和Hyacinth號) 相互攻擊而導至穿鼻洋戰爭正式開展, 旅居澳門的英國人撤離, 英國船隊撤離至銅鼓灣和此發函人随後返回澳門展開業務的各種當時情况. 這實在是第一次鴉片戰爭伊始的一封十分重要及引人入勝的歷史代表性信函.

Sold for
HK$22,000

Starting price
HK$15000