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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 45

First Opium War
The Kowloon Incident
Waiting for the Expeditionary Force
1840 (4 May) John Silverlock entire letter to his father in Chichester, written from Macao and sent "pr General Kyd" and rated "8" (single ship letter rate) with a good strike of the step-type "portsmouth/ship letter". Exceptionally clean and fine.


This letter is full of background information and includes, "... we have however heard of the arrival at Sineapore of the enterprise steamer and a vessel with troops both from India, it is expected they will remain there till joined by other naval and military forces and we are told to look for them in the Chinese waters between the 1st and 20th of June ... I have no appreciation of war the force is necessary for show, but tho the Chinese would not think of meeting our troops in the field, their plan would be the same as the pursued on a former occasion, they would withdraw the coast population fifty miles into the interior, an invading power might then burn and destroy towns and villages, but unless they could reach the seat of government this would be useless...". The letter also includes description of the opium smuggling which was still going on and the fighting between the opium ships and the Chinese war junks which includes, "I fully expect the Chinese will capture one of these vessels before its over.". Ex Sir Percival David


1840年5月4日澳門John Silverlock 寄給他在英國Chichester 的父親的信函, 由汽輪"General Kyd" 携往. 遞送費是8d, (單項船遞費), 帶清晰梯型"portsmouth/ ship letter" 戳記, 保存非常良好. 這封信中充滿了背景信息, 其中包括: “……然而, 我們聽說貿易輪船和一艘載有印度軍隊的船隻抵達新加坡, 預計他們將留在那裡, 直到其他人加入海軍和軍隊, 我們被告知要在 6 月 1 日至 20 日之間在中國海域尋找他們……他們 (清廷) 將沿海人口撤回內陸五十英里, 然後入侵的軍隊可能會燒毀和摧毀城鎮和村莊...; 信中還描述了仍在進行的鴉片走私以及鴉片船隻與中國軍艦之間的戰鬥, 其中包括: “我完全希望中國人會在戰鬥結束之前抓獲其中一艘.” 前珀西瓦爾·大衛爵士.

Sold for
HK$8,000

Starting price
HK$5000