Lot 1722

840 (20 Aug) Macao An important Silverlock correspondence from Macao – completion of British military reinforcement and launch of intense attack to Qing Dynasty. Towards June end, the British military reinforcement was completed. The British naval force launched an intense bombardment on 5 July and soon occupied Tinghai harbour. British expedition then divided its forces, sending one fleet south to the Pearl River while sending a second fleet north to the Yellow Sea. This letter sheet provides a detailed account of the fleet sent down to the South to fully capture Canton River and the ports near Chuenpi given the strategic value of Pear River Delta to the South gateway to China. The letter content: …… and the departure of the ‘Toutae[NOTE 1]’, the Chief Chinese military officer at this station, at the solicitation of the Governor to Canton for this purpose, his interview with Lin if he had one at all was in its result unfavorable …… the ‘Toutae’ promised to withdraw his troops the Governor having presented to him; if he did not do so, the English forces would be landed. The town was in a state of great excitement, no one knowing what to expect from this gathering together of the Chinese troops. Capt. Smith had been urged by a letter from nearly all the British residents to take forcible towards affecting the release of Mr Stanton, and securing us against such dangers in future. It was very evident he extended to do something on Tuesday night the ‘Druid’, “Hyacinth’, ‘Larne’ and enterprise steamer even all in the Roads, and from the movements next morning it was clear they were preparing to strike a blow, and rumour said the Barrier and its defences were to be destroyed, such proved to be the fact. The ‘Hyacinth’ and ‘Larne’ took up a position in the Bay commanding the Barrier and the embankments; about noon, the commenced battering away and it was long time before the Chinese ceased to return their fire, they had twenty guns mounted and worked them well, the Steamer towed in fourteen boats with troops, marines, and sailors, which were landed in the Chinese side of the Barrier protected by the fire of the Steamer and the sloops of war ……Note 1: In 1840, according to Manchu convention under Qing Dynasty, “Toutae” 都台is an old romanization or phonetics variant to都統or提督, referred to Guan Tianpei (關天培) at the time. Ex Percival David

1840年8月20日澳門蕭發樂重要通信——英軍完成增兵並對清廷發動猛攻六月底，英軍完成兵力增援。英國海軍於7月5日發動猛烈炮擊，迅速佔領定海港。其後遠征軍分兵兩路：一支艦隊南下珠江，另一支北上黃海。本函件詳述南下艦隊如何奪取珠江口及穿鼻附近港口的經過，凸顯珠江三角洲作為中國南大門的戰略價值。 信件內容：「……在總督要求下，當地清軍最高指揮官『都台』[註1]移師廣州，其與林則徐會面（若確有會晤）結果不利……『都台』承諾撤軍，但言明若未履約，英軍將強行登陸。全城氣氛緊張，無人知曉清軍集結意欲何為……」 「史密斯艦長接獲全體英僑聯署信，要求武力解救斯坦頓先生並保障未來安全。週二夜間，『德魯伊號』、『風信子號』、『拉納號』與『企業號』蒸汽艦齊集錨地，翌晨動向已顯露攻擊意圖。傳聞英軍將摧毀橫檔砲台防線，後證屬實。『風信子號』與『拉納號』佔據控制砲台及堤岸的灣區陣位，正午開始炮擊。清軍二十門岸防炮頑強還擊良久，蒸汽艦拖帶十四艘載有陸戰隊及水兵的舢板，在艦炮掩護下於砲台清軍側登陸……」 [註1] 按清朝滿洲慣例，「都台」為「都統」或「提督」之舊式音譯（關天培時任廣東水師提督）。 [來源：珀西瓦爾·大維德爵士珍藏]