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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 96

First Opium War
The Eastern Expedition
The Treaty of Nanking
1842 (1 Nov. and 2-10 Dec.) two entire letters from Capt. Henry W. Bruce writing to his sister in Ireland. The first marked as, "'Agincourt' at Hong Kong Harbour", rated "8", the reverse with Calcutta boxed datestamp (7.1), London straight-line "ship letter", transit c.d.s. (6.5), Dublin and Coleraine (8.5) c.d.s.; fine. The contents include, "We are not likely to have this place before the new year about which time Sir William Parker talks of coming to Hong Kong, but I do not know what we are likely to start here even then..."


The second letter (8 pages) rated "2/8" with "INDIA" in large oval, the flap with London, Dublin and Coleraine (5.3) datestamps, is also from "'Agincourt' at Hong Kong" includes, "... Sir Henry Pottinger has just arrived here ... I Sent you for Diana Mousell's Museum a piece of sealing wax which was used at the signing of the first Treaty..."; there is a fragment cut from the address panel, otherwise a good cover. Interesting mail from Hong Kong. (2 covers)

Capt. Bruce was in command of the 76 gun flagship H.M.S. 'Agincourt' which arrived in Hong Kong around September 1842 to assist in the first Opium War, only to find that hostilities had ended. She spent her time patrolling the Chinese waters during the volatile pirate-ridden aftermath of the war


1842年 (11月1日及12月2-10日), 布魯斯上尉 (C. Henry William Bruce) 由香港皇家戰艦HMS Agincourt 上寄往愛爾蘭的姊姊(往經加爾各答及馬賽)的兩封信函. 首封遞送費為8s, 背後有7日1日加爾各答方框型戳, 5月6日倫敦 "SHIP LETTER" 單行文字戳, 及中轉戳, 5月8日Dublin 及Coleraine 日戳. 内容包括: “我們不太可能在新的一年之前擁有這片地方, 威廉帕克爵士談到什麼時候來香港, 但我不知道我們可能會在這裡展開甚麼...... "; 次函遞送費為2s8d, 蓋大 "INDIA" 㰐圓型戳. 封舌有倫敦, Dublin及3月5日Coleraine 日戳. 內容大致: .... 亨利·璞鼎查爵士剛到這裡……我給戴安娜·穆塞爾的博物館寄了一塊密封蠟, 這是在簽署第一個條約時使用的……”. 來自香港的两函有趣郵件.

Sold for
HK$14,000

Starting price
HK$6000