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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 81

First Opium War
The Eastern Expedition
The Renewed Blockade of Canton
1842 (1-3 Jan.) entire letter from Turner & Co. in Macao to John Gladstone & Co, Liverpool "overland via Marseilles", rated "2/8" and with a good strike of "INDIA" in large oval, the reverse with a fine strike of Richie Steuart & Co., Bombay forwarding agent's handstamp (28.2), London and Liverpool (6.4) datestamps; although some of the ink is showing through the paper, a clean cover.


The key part of this letter reads, "... all the channels of the river above Whampoa are now so completely obstructed ... The English naval force on the part are confirming their exertions exclusively ... thus without the least forwarding the objects of the Expedition are creating a great deal of misery and a most hostile spirit among the people rendering the duration of the foreign trade and the resistance of Englishmen in Canton more and more precarious.

All accounts represent the Emperor as state nothing but defiance while the force he is assembling at Hang-chow-foo leads to the expectation of a more obstinate resistance than has yet been offered to our troops. Every day's experience makes the inadequacy of our present force more, and more evident, and it is more earnestly to be hoped that large reinforcements may arrive before the season will admit of an advance on Pekin..."


1842年1月1-3日澳門Turner & Co 經馬賽寄英國利物浦John Gladstone &Co 信函, 寫有"overland via Marseilles" 字樣, 遞送費為2s 8d. 蓋完整㰐圓型 "INDIA" 戳, 函背蓋2月28日Richie Steauart & Co 孟買中轉代理章, 4月6日倫敦及利物浦日戳; 雖然信函中字跡墨水有透背, 但仍保存良好. 信函提及1842年1月初杭州府屯兵準備採取軍事行動的情况. 這是之後於同年3月淅東戰役英軍攻打寧波前, 清廷於各地抽調援軍趕往浙東前線以示抗衡.

Sold for
HK$4,200

Starting price
HK$3000