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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 43

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
End of the Blockade
1840 (17 Mar.) a long and detailed letter (only) from John Silverlock in Macao, The letter begins with a "Copy of Letter of Agreement" with regard to their business in Canton. The main letter, to his father, refers to the state of affairs then, "... There is much talk here of an attempt made by the Chinese a few nights ago to burn the ships at Tongkoo, but it is only the persons who having little to do ... who accuse them of this intention ... others are of the opinion that it was the means used by the Mandarins to punish the Compradores by the destruction of their boats, for their disobedience to the laws of the government forbidding them to supply provisions to the ships. ... The arrangements appear to be put in the hands of the Governor General of India who is to send on such a force as he thinks needful. Already two or three steamers are ordered round and the ships from the Indian Station are to be despatched immediately. These are to be met by an extra naval force direct from England, the reports of the strength of which I am not inclined to believe, they say three ships of the line with the attendant frigates, & c, but the newspapers do not mention it. They are to arrive here May next. I am much afraid the opium will be striking point. The English will demand (it is supposed) full payment for the 20,000 chests given up last year.".


1840年3月17日澳門John Silverlock 發出的長及詳細的信函, 信函開頭是關於他們在廣州的業務的“協議書副本”. 給他父親的主要信件是指當時的事態，“……這裡有很多關於中國人幾天前試圖在銅鼓燒毀船隻的企圖, 但這只是那些無事可做的人………這些安排似乎交由印度總督負責，他將派遣他認為需要的部隊. ...已經訂購了兩三艘汽輪, 將立即派遣印度的船隻出發…. 這些將由直接來自英國的額外海軍迎戰...我很害怕鴉片會成為焦點. 英國人將要求(應該) 全額支付去年放棄的 20,000 個箱子"

Estimate
HK$5,000 to HK$8,000

Starting price
HK$3800