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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 42

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
End of the Blockade
1840 (20 Feb.) entire letter to John Bibby & Sons in Liverpool from Thomas Edmond in Macao, carried "p Charles Grant", rated "1/4" and, on reverse, unframed "india letter/plymouth" in red with London and Liverpool c.d.s. (23.6); there is a light horizontal filing fold. Clean.


The unusual contents give an account of the threats by the Chinese to invade Macao, " ...Matters continue to such quiet here and there seems now a greater probability of the Chinese allowing the English to remain here peaceably since the Portuguese have taken up their cause more warmly. We allude to the answer lately sent by the governor of Macao to a chop sent to him by the Chinese, ordering the Portuguese to retire to their Forts, as it was the intention of the Chinese to bring in a body of troops to drive the English away. To this the Governor replied that no Chinese force would be allowed to enter Macao, for any such purpose, and that if the Chinese attempted it, the Forts would fire upon them and the crew of the English Ships of War would be landed to repel the entrance of Chinese troops into Macao...". An important and historic letter

provenance:
Norman Bennett, September 2004


1840年2月20日澳門Thomas Edmond 寄利物浦John Bibby & Son 信函, 以私人輪船"Charles Grant" 携往英國. 遞送費為"1/4", 函背蓋有無框"INDIA LETTER/ PLYMOUTH" 紅色戳記, 旁有6月23日利物浦日戳. 有摺痕, 保存良好. 不尋常的內容描述了中國人入侵澳門的威脅, ...這裡的事情仍然如此平靜, 現在似乎中國人允許英國人和平地留在澳門的可能性更大, ....命令葡萄牙人撤退到他們的堡壘, 因為中國人打算帶來回答說, 任何中國軍隊都不得出於任何目的進入澳門, 如果中國人試圖進入澳門, 炮壘將向他們開火, 以擊退中國軍隊進入澳門......”. 一封重要且具有歷史意義的信函.

Sold for
HK$10,000

Starting price
HK$7500