1838 (3 Aug) Macao to Aberdeenshire, Scotland per the Ship of “Earl
of Balcarras” for China. From the famous William
1838 (3 Aug) Macao to Aberdeenshire, Scotland per the Ship of “Earl
of Balcarras” for China. From the famous William Leslie
correspondence in which the narratives mentioned “…… Sir Frederick
, Lady Maitland / the Naval Commander out here for the East Indies
/ is here in “HMS Wellesley” 74 (guns) with the “Lavina 18 (guns)”
& “Aegverin 10 (guns)” – which has enlivened the place a good deal.
Sir Frederick was the Captain who took Napoleon in the Bellicophon
in June 1815 and is a splendid specimen of a British Admiral of the
Nelson School. “2/-” is the unpaid rate charged from Macao to
Dover, England, and “ ½ ” is the local charge when arrived at
Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This is a forerunner of First Opium War,
in which the letter provides a detailed account of British naval
and civilian people to flee to Macao, China. All the senior
military officers mentioned in this letter were the key commanders
to take lead and involve in many battles during the First Opium
War. Sir Frederick Maitland was the Rear-Admiral commander of the
East Indies and China Station, and died in November 1839. A very
good First Opium War letter, full of characters.
1838年8月3日，澳門經「Earl of Balcarras」號船寄往蘇格蘭亞伯丁郡 此信出自著名的William
Leslie通信集，內容提及：「……東印度艦隊司令弗雷德里克·梅特蘭爵士及其夫人現駐澳門，座艦為74門炮的『HMS
Wellesley』，另有18門炮的『Lavina』與10門炮的『Aegverin』，為此地增添不少生氣。弗雷德里克爵士曾於1815年6月指揮『Bellicophon』號俘虜拿破崙，乃納爾遜風範的英國海軍上將典範……」
郵資標註「2/-」為澳門至英格蘭多佛的未付費率，「½」為信件抵達蘇格蘭亞伯丁郡後的本地費用。此信為鴉片戰爭前兆，詳述英國軍民撤至澳門的經過，信中提及的高級軍官皆為戰爭期間的關鍵指揮官。弗雷德里克·梅特蘭爵士時任東印度及中國站海軍少將，於1839年11月逝世。此信內容豐富，極具歷史價值。
