Lot 1727

1841 (2 May) Macao – Silverlock correspondence This is an excellent full of detailed account of state of affair in Canton and Macao before the outbreak of the Second Battle of Canton. The letter has the narratives of how the writer saw the landing and accumulation of Chinese troops in terms of Northern countrymen and Tartars coming from outside Canton province. The letter has the following state of situations: • You will be anxious to know how we are situated in Canton. At present, everything is perfectly quiet and peaceful; but although I was one of the first to arrive here, and feel less timidity than some of my neighbours, I must confess I don’t think it will long remain so. For I cannot suppose trade will go on, nor our residence here be considered perfectly safe, when our forces are on their way to Peking, or perhaps making some demonstration on the coast…… • It will seem very extraordinary to the people at home when they hear that within a week after the English forces held possession of Canton, the trade with foreigners was going on as usual. After the publication of Commodore Bremer’s notice permitting ships to proceed to Whampoa and Capt. Elliot’s proclamation of a Truce and the reopening of the trade at Canton …… • Sir Gordon Bremer with another naval officer came alongside, and questioned the Captain whether he had any written permission from the Plenipotentiary to proceed to Whampoa …… • The general impression as to the state of affairs here is that it cannot long continue in quietude. The Chinese authorities have requested Captain (George) Elliot to give up the forts—this he cannot do—and fearing they might be guilty of some rash act (i.e. be concerned on the Chinese who might suddenly take violent or provocative action), the sloops of war have been ordered to move near the factories. The steamer Nemesis also made her appearance yesterday. All the merchants are realizing property and getting off their teams as fast as possible, under the idea that trade will soon be interrupted. • The number of soldiers now in Canton and the neighbourhood is considerable; their tents are pitched on the hills north of the city, which we can see from our back window. Some fresh troops landed yesterday at the Western Gate. I was on the river when they passed—about 50 boats loaded, number of men 3,000. All north countrymen, some Tartars. Ex Percival David

蕭發樂通信，澳門，1841年5月2日 這是一封詳細描述廣州和澳門在第二次廣州戰役爆發前局勢的卓越信件。信中敘述了作者對北部人士和韃靼人從廣東省外進入，登陸和聚集的觀察。 信件內容如下： • 你一定很想知道我們在廣州的處境。目前一切都非常安靜和平，但儘管我是最早到達這裡的人之一，感到比我的一些鄰居少一點害怕，我必須承認，我不認為這種狀況會持續太久。因為我不能假定當我們的部隊正在前往北京的路上，或可能在海岸進行某些示威時，貿易還能進行，或者我們在這裡的居住能被認為是完全安全的…… • 當國內的人們聽到英軍佔領廣州不到一周，外國貿易就如常進行時，他們會覺得非常不尋常。在布雷默准將發布允許船舶前往黃埔的通知以及艾略特上校發布的停戰協議和重開廣州貿易的公告之後…… • 戈登·布雷默爵士和另一位海軍官員靠近，詢問艦長是否有全權代表給予的前往黃埔的書面許可…… • 關於這裡的局勢，有一種普遍的印象，即它不能長期保持平靜。中國當局已請求（喬治）艾略特艦長交出炮台——這是他不能做到的——並擔心他們可能會犯下一些魯莽行為（即涉及可能會突然採取暴力或挑釁行動的中國人），因此，戰艦已被命令移至工廠附近。蒸汽船Nemesis昨天也出現了。所有商人都在套現資金，盡快撤離他們的團隊，認為貿易很快就會中斷。 • 現在廣州及其周邊的士兵數量相當可觀；他們的帳篷搭在城市北面的山丘上，我們從後窗可以看到。一些新部隊昨天在西門登陸。我在河上時他們經過——大約50艘船，載有3,000人。都是北方人，有些是韃靼人。 [來源：珀西瓦爾·大維德爵士珍藏]