Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 37

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
The Outbreak of War
1840 (24 Jan.) entire letter from Walter Davidson in London to William Leslie in Scotland; the letter is marked "Prepaid - 24 Jany" bearing the scarce boxed "Prepaid" of St. James, an indistinct strike of St James Penny Post plus London despatch c.d.s., the flap with Edinburgh transit (256.1); there is a heavy vertical filing fold.


The letter gives insightful information with regard to the situation in Canton, " ... I have little doubt of obtaining pretty authentic intelligence of what Adml Maitland's orders were in the course of all next month, after the fleet have sailed fairly off and I quite approve and applaud the authorities here for not allowing their intentions to transpire sooner. I know that we the parties who have been most consulted have not been trusted with the secret of the precise nature of the intended attack. The blockade is to be resorted to, there can be no doubt whatever, but I fear there is no undertaking with America, so as to attack simultaneously, which is great pity. My fear is that our attack will be too much directed to the neighbourhood of Canton which I decidedly depreciate. I wish that our thunders would rather be heard to the northward and as near to Pekin as possible. My fears too are raised lest we should send too few troops and marines, it being most essential that everything attempted or to be so set about as to defy and set at nought all opposition. It is too much the fashion to despise the military powers of a people who have been tried and although the Chinese in the south may have given us an impression of their being ill invited to meet our troops, yet it should not be forgotten that the Tartars to the north are a much more hardy and, warlike people ..."

provenance:
Edde Lawrence, September 2014


詳情請參閱英文說明

Sold for
HK$3,000

Starting price
HK$1600