Lot 1531

1853 Smith King & Co, Shanghai (4 Aug) to Currie Dale & Co. in London. Entire letter, sent “via Marseilles” and rated “2/2” in black ink; alongside with scarce “SHIPLETTER / VICTORIA HONG KONG” cachet. Transit Hong Kong (13 Aug). Arrived London (15 Oct). This letter is mostly reporting the updates on business which was severly affected as the writer “hear from the North that the rebellion is propering very favourably...” The writer was probabsly refering to the Nian Rebellion or the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

1853.8.4 上海Smith King & Co.寄倫敦Currie Dale & Co.，郵簡，正面寫有“via Marseiles”字樣及黑色“2/2”郵資字樣，旁蓋少見之“SHIPLETTER / VICTORIA HONG KONG”船信戳記。8.13經香港，10.15抵倫敦。此信內容是交代備受戰事打擊的生意狀況。作者寫道﹕“根據來自北方的消息，叛亂愈演愈烈，形勢日益佔優…”作者此處所指的叛亂應是指捻亂或太平天國。