Lot 2204

1840 Tongkoo Bay (23 Jan) to Frederick Huth & Co., London. Entire letter, rated "8" and sent "p Harbinger", applied with "LIVERPOOL / SHIPLETTER" marking. Arrived London. Content enclosed a cargo list of Bibby, Adams & Co., announcing the loading and dispatch of ships Harbinger and Thomas Coutts. Thomas Coutts was one of the ships that ignored the blockade order of Elliot and drove into Whampoa in Oct 1839. Due to the outbreak of the First Opium War with China and the consequent withdrawal of British traders from Canton and Macao at the end of 1839, British vessels initially sought refuge in Hong Kong waters. However, following the bombardment of vessels in Hong Kong's harbour from Chinese shore batteries based on the Kowloon peninsula, from 14 Nov and onwards the foreign ships relocated to the safe anchorage at Tong Koo (now north of Lantau Island).

1840.1.23 自銅鼓灣寄倫敦Frederick Huth & Co.。郵簡，寫有郵資“8”及“p Harbinger”，鈐利物浦船信戳。抵倫敦。內容為Bibby, Adams & Co有關Harbinger及Thomas Coutts號之裝卸貨品清單。當中Thomas Coutts號為1839年10月對義律拒絕代表英商具結的命令置之不理，並於10月15日駛入黃埔具結貿易之船隻之一。 第一次鴉片戰爭爆發後，於1839年年底前英國商人從廣州和澳門撤出，英國的船隻最初在香港水域避難。不過位處在九龍半島的中國炮台有對香港進出港口的船隻進行炮轟，從11月14日起，大部份外國船隻遷往銅鼓灣（大嶼山以北）較安全的停泊地點。