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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 78

First Opium War
The Eastern Expedition
The Battle of Shanghai
1841 (5 Nov.) entire letter from Turner & Co in Macao to John Gladstone & Co in Liverpool, sent "pr 'Ann Jane'", rated "8" and with a fine strike of the unframed "ryde/india letter", the flap with Ryde (26.3) and Liverpool (28.3) datestamps; light vertical fold, otherwise clean and fine.


The long letter gives an update of the fighting, "From the letters received from the Expedition some days ago it appears that Chusan was retaken about the beginning of last month & Chinhae [Shanghai] about the middle of it after which the important city of Ningpo was entered and taken possession of on the 14th ulto; at Chusan the loss of the Chinese is estimated at 4 or 500 men, and at Chinhae at 1000 or 1500. Many Mandarins and some of high rank have fallen at both places. The loss on our side, though greater than on former occasions is still inconsiderable, for the Chinese appear to become more obstinate in every successive engagement. Up to the 26th Oct., not an attempt had been made by them to open negotiations. It is rumoured that a vessel had been despatched by the Admiral to Calcutta with an application for reinforcements, and it is now universally thought that such will be required, and on a large scale too, before a lasting and satisfactory peace can be concluded.
The Mandarins in this province are continuing their preparations for renewed hostilities. The obstructions in the Channel of the river are said to be of the most formidable description, and the new forts being built between Whampoa and Canton are in a state of forwardness. As the Chinese in Canton of all classes are very confident in the security of their new defences, there can be no doubt that the very exaggerated accounts of them will be forwarded to Pekin, which of course will encourage prolonged resistance. For this we think that the Admiral, as soon as he comes down from the North (which is expected very shortly) will renew hostilities in this province, more especially as the Mandarins have been sending up troops to assist in an attempt to retake Amoy..."


1841年11月5日澳門Turner & Co. 經馬賽寄英國利物浦John Gladstone &Co. 信函, 寫有〈pr "Ann Jane"〉字樣, 遞送費為8s , 蓋有無框"RYDE INDIA LETTER" 印記, 封言有3月26日及3月28日日戳. 有摺痕, 保存尚算理想. 信函中敘述了當時戰况: "幾天前從遠征隊收到的信件來看, 舟山大約在上月初被重新奪回, 大約在月中之後, 重要的城市寧波於 14 日被攻佔; 在舟山中國人陣亡估計有 4 到500 人, 而在鎮海則有 1000 或 1500 人. 許多官吏和一些將領 (王鍚朋, 鄭國鴻及葛雲飛等) 在這兩個地方都陣亡了. 我們這邊的損失雖然比以前更大, 但仍然是微不足道的, 因為中國人似乎在每一次接戰中都變得更加頑固....直到 10 月 26 日, 他們還沒有嘗試開啟談判. 有傳言說, 海軍上將向加爾各答請求派遣了一艘船增援...."

Sold for
HK$12,000

Starting price
HK$12000