RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1964 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/qz20zx09r 40 W. C. HUNTER at Samarang where he served for 3 years. He died at Delft in 1863. (L.T.R.) 32 Viceroy. The Governor-General of Kwangtung and Kwangsi at this time was Teng Ting-chen who held this post from early 1836 until early 1840. See Hummel, op. cit., II, 716. (J.L.C-B.) 33 Hoppo. The Superintendent of Maritime Customs at Canton in 1839 was Yu (?). (J.L.C-B.) 34 The Yum Chae. Cantonese pronunciation for the characters (mandarin Ch'in-ch'ai) meaning "an Imperial Commissioner”. (J.L.C-B.) 35 Innes, James Innes (1787-1841), the "storm petrel" of Canton was the 7th Chieftain of the Inneses of Dunkinty, Scotland. He came out to China about 1825 and operated as a Free Trader mostly on his own, but for a time in the firm of Innes, Fletcher & Co. His dealings in opium had not a little to do with precipitating the trouble in 1839. He died in July 1841 and was buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery, Macao. (L.T.R.) 36 Chaye Beale. Thomas Chaye Beale was a member of the firm of Magniac & Co. in Canton as early as 1826. He severed his connections with this firm in the early thirties, and operated on his own till 1845 when he set up a house of agency in Shanghai with Lancelot Dent under the name of Dent, Beale & Co. In 1851 he was Portuguese Consul and Vice-Consul for the Netherlands at Shanghai. (L.T.R.) 37 Se-yin. This is probably a reference to the characters Ssu-ying, the officer in command of a ying which corresponded in some ways to a battalion. However, the rank of a ying commander corresponded more to the Western rank of captain or major. (J.L.C-B.) 38 Ta-lao-yeh. The phrase ta-lao-yeh signifies "revered elder”. (J.L.C-B.) 39 The linguists. Linguists (t'ung shih) were supposed to be able to act as interpreters between the Canton officials and the foreign merchants when instructions needed to be conveyed. The foreigners, for their part, usually enlisted the help of the Hong merchants when they wanted a document translated into Chinese or they needed an interpreter at an important interview. They repeatedly declared that the linguists were useless when it came to linguistic matters. In fact, the linguists appear to have been rather low-grade men of not much education, and able to speak only pidgin English. However, by law a foreign merchant trading at Canton was bound to employ a linguist. Since it was forbidden by the statutes of the Ch'ing dynasty to teach the Chinese language to foreigners, it was reasonable that linguists should be licensed to cope with their language problems. However, in order that the foreigners should not learn much about affairs in the interior, the qualifications needed by a linguist were low and their pidgin vocabulary was restricted to matters of trade. This was part of a deliberate policy which grew up among the officials at Canton, and the linguists merely acted as another cog in the mechanism whereby communication between the foreign merchants and the officials, however minor, was prevented, and the foreigners dealt instead with a number of different unofficial functionaries such as the compradores and linguists. Thus, the foreign merchants were kept at an arm's length and also kept in ignorance. The linguists and their servants mentioned in this journal appear to have acted as general clerks and messengers, as much as linguists. The prefix A or Ah (ya) signifies the status of servant. (J.L.C-B.) ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r 154 NOTES AND QUERIES MCMULLEN COLLECTION OF BILLS OF LADING As stated in the Hon. Librarian's report, printed on page 11 of this issue, the most important accession during the year was the collection of nineteenth century bills of lading formed by Rear-Admiral M.A. McMullen, C.B., O.B.E., R.N. (Rtd.),* The bills are for various consignments to and from China ports, and there is a brief description of the collection on p. 37 of the printed catalogue of the Library of the Branch. A calendar with index has been prepared by the Hon. Librarian. *This was obtained as a gift for the Branch through the offices of Dr. J. R. Jones, Past President of the Branch. The following text of his letter to Mr. Rydings, our Hon. Librarian, explains how this came about: H. A. Rydings Esq., The Librarian, The University of Hong Kong. HONG KONG. Dear Rydings, Old Bills of Lading 3 Abermor Court, 15 May Road, HONG KONG. 25th April, 1972. Two years ago I had some discussions with Mr. J. G. Young of Messrs. Andrew Weir and Company Limited of Baltic Exchange Buildings, 21 Bury Street, of London E.C.3. concerning a number of bills of lading dating from the time of the Canton Regime. They include Bills of Lading from Jardine Matheson and Company Limited and their predecessors, Magniac and Company and Augustine Heard and Company and others trading in Canton and later in Hong Kong. They were owned by Admiral McMullen who wished to find a suitable home for them and I considered that they were of great interest historically and otherwise, and of special interest to Hong Kong, and I have accepted them in the name of the Royal Asiatic Society. I enclose a package concerning these documents and hope that the Society will accept them. Yours sincerely, J. R. JONES. P.S. The owner of the collection of the old bills of lading was Rear Admiral M. A. McMullen who entrusted them to Mr. J. G. Young of Messrs. Andrew Weir and Co. Ltd. with whom I was put in touch by Mr. H. B. Neve, formally of the Bank Line (China) Limited of Hong Kong. Amongst the collection Jardine Matheson and Company appears twice, once as receivers of 10 chests of Opium, whilst Gilmans are also mentioned as shippers of 100 half chests of tea from Shanghai to Hong Kong. There is also reference to Macondray & Co. who are presumably related to the Arm of that name now operating in the Philippines. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r NOTES AND QUERIES 155 This calendar gives the following information for each of the 38 items in the collection, and in the following order: Item number (the Xerox copies have this no. in red at the top right corner) Date (for the two undated items, 16 and 17, approximate dates are assigned) Name of vessel and of master if stated (in many cases these have had to be confirmed from other sources) Ports of origin and delivery Consignor and consignee Quantity and nature of goods Remarks The list is followed by an index, showing in one alphabetical sequence the names of vessels, masters, ports, firms and goods, with relevant item numbers. In the list spellings follow the original, but in the index names have been standardized, with any necessary references from variant forms. 1. 1824 Sept. 24 SHERBURNE George White River Hooghly to Canton: Meren & Co. to Chs. Magniac & Co. 577 (or 227?) bales of cotton each 300 lb. 200 bales of cotton each 200 lb. 170 bales of cotton each 150 lb. 2. 1825 April 23 ANN William Allen Bombay to Lintin: Cowasjee Byramjee to Sorabjee and Simjee 15 chests of opium "The opium is to be transhipped immediately on the Ann's arrival off Lintin . . .” 3. 1827 April 30 MEROPE G. Parkyns Hoogly to Canton: Alexander & Co. to Magniac & Co. 25 chests of Patna opium 25 chests of Benares opium 4. 1827 May 24 CASSADOR J.A. da Silva Damão to Macao: Sr Caramichand Semechand [?] to [?] 51 boxes of Anfião de Malva In Portuguese 5. 1828 May 3 DOM MANUEL DE PORTUGAL J.M. de Taria Damão to Macao: Sr Tarachand Motechand [?] to [?] 25 boxes of Anfião de Malva In Portuguese ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r 156 6. 1828 June 23 NOTES AND QUERIES PENANG MERCHANT J. Mitchinson Penang to Lintin: C. Galastauro to Magniac & Co. 652 baskets of cutch 11,600 bundles of rattans “17 bdls and 3 baskets in dispute if found to be deld.” 7. 1828 Sept. 2 CUMBERLAND A. Steel Singapore Roads to Canton: Charles Thomas & Co. to Magniac & Co. 665 pieces of ebony about piculs five hundred 8. 1829 Feb. 7 EPHEMINA N.M. Harper Manilla Bay to Lintin: N.M. Harper to Magniac & Co. 2004 bags rice weighing about 1080 piculs Paddy in bulk about 1950 piculs 9. 1829 March 10 FALCON S. Moore Roads of Singapore to Lintin: Guthrie & Clark to Magniac & Co. Two chests Patna opium Five chests Benares opium 10. 1829 May 14 PENANG MERCHANT J. Mitchinson River Hooghly to Lintin: Nanjie Tacoran for Jamseljie Jyiebhoy [?] to Magniac & Co. Ten chests Patna opium + + + shall not be subject to any demurrage until thirty days after the arrival of the ship at Lintin.” 11. 1830 April 23 CONDE DE RIO PARDO L. d'Encarnacão Damão to Macao: [?] to Magniac & Co. 20 cases of Opio de Malva In Portuguese 12. 1830 May 24 CASSADOR J.A. da Silva Damão to Lintin: Sr Caramachande Arcachande to Magniac & Co. 5 boxes Aufião de Malva In Portuguese 13. 1850 Aug. 13 ARIEL J. Burt River Hooghly to Cumsingmoon: Moolchund Premjee on acct of Oomedchund Hookumchund of Bombay to Jardine Mathewson & Co. 10 chests Patna opium ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1973 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/8910rj06r NOTES AND QUERIES 161 Galastauro, C. 6 Macao 4, 5, 11, 34, 36 Gilman & Co. 30 Macaroni 24 Gould, W.H. 34, 36 Mackenzie, Lieut. Comdr., U.S. Navy 35 HARRY HASTINGS Heard (Augustine) & Co. 20 Mackerel 38 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Mackillop. Stewart & Co. 24 Macondray & Co. 22, 24, 25, 26, 38 Magniac & Co. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Hemp 33 Herrings 38 Matheson & Co. 34 Hobsons Bay (Melbourne) 17 Medicine 33 Holliday, Wise & Co. Hong Kong 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 34 Meren & Co. 1 MEROPE 3 Mitchinson, J. 6, 10 Moore, S. 34, 35, 37, 38 Hooghly, River (Bombay) Morgan, Stone & Co. 26 gang 9 Murray (L.M.) & Co. 1, 2, 3, 10, 13, 14, 20 Hookumchund, Oomedchund 13 Nankeens* 33 Howes, B. P. 25 Nelson, W. H. 22 Hunchund, Pemabhoy 14 New York 23, 26 27, 28, 32, 35 Hunt (Thomas) & Co. 27 Nickerson (Jas.) & Co. 27 Jafferbhoy (Ameeroodeen) Oil 33 & Co. 37 see also Downers oil, Turpentine Jardine, Matheson & Co, 13, 34 Jayne 29, 33 Opium 2, 3, 10, 11, 13, 14 JENNY (=JEANIE?) 16, 27, 28 Osborn, Cushing & Co. 17 35 Oysters 26 JOSHUA BATES 17 JULIA G. TYLER 19 Paddy 8 Jyiebhoy, Jamseljie [?] 10 PALMETTO 18 Parkyns, G. 3 Lead (metal) 17 Penang 6 LIGHTNING 14 PENANG MERCHANT 6, 10 Lintin 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 PENGUIN 15 London 36 Pigs feet 38 London & San Francisco Bank Pollard, R. 15 Ltd. 22 Pork 38 LUBRA 25 Premjee, Mool Chund 13 *See notes at end of index ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1975 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/j0995146d 292 NOTES AND QUERIES tablets showing a major repair or reconstruction in 1897-98 and 1925-26. A large Roman Catholic chapel, now in ruins, once stood close by. It is shown as being in existence in Father Volonteri's 1866 map of the San On District—see JHKBRAS Vols 9 & 10 (1969 & 1970), pp. 141-148 and 193-196 respectively—but unfortunately receives no mention in Father Ryan's The Story of A Hundred Years. The Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.) in Hong Kong 1858-1958. Hong Kong 1975 JAMES HAYES THE NOON DAY GUN The following extract from the Hong Kong Daily Press, January 3, 1870, is not without a historical and for present day residents faced with an increase in our defense contribution—topical interest: It is interesting and just to note that the renewing of the twelve o'clock gun firing is due to liberality of Mr. Magniac of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, who when the Home Government ceased to provide this small return for the heavy Military Contribution forwarded annually from this Colony, purchased a gun, etc., and had it fixed up at Messrs. Jardine's, where it is fired daily. NOTE: Herbert St. Leger Magniac was admitted a partner in the firm of Jardine, Matheson and Company, July 1, 1862. Hong Kong, 1975 CARL T. SMITH THE GERMAN CONGREGATION IN HONG KONG UNTIL 1914 A note on "Bethesda" and the "Berliner Frauenverein für China” by Pastor Albrecht Plag appeared in vol. 9 (1969) of this Journal. He there asks where Bethesda was located. Early maps of Hong Kong and a search of title in the Land Registry indicates it occupied the site of the present Mid-levels Police Station on the north side of High Street at its junction with Bonham Road. The original lot extended down to Hospital Road. The plot consisted of two Inland Lots numbered 624 and 607. Page 300 Page 301 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1990 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/d79206299 221 about 20 headquarters staff. Shortly before Hong Kong was founded in the 1830s, this company controlled one-third of all foreign trade with China. Jardine's Today, the best known of Hong Kong's traders is still Jardine Matheson, which predates the birth of the colony by nine years, although some say there has been an over-concentration on Jardine's history at the expense of other firms. Nonetheless it is the oldest, still thriving, western trading house in the Far East, having been established in the reign of William IV (1830-7). In 1817 William Jardine decided to enter commerce, and, on an introduction by Hollingworth Magniac, from 1822 to 1824 he took charge of Charles Magniac and Company (Charles and Hollingworth were brothers) which was in financial difficulties. James Matheson arrived in Canton in 1820 and formed Matheson and Company. In 1828, Jardine and Matheson joined forces. The name Magniac was dropped, and the new enterprise was established by the two Scotsmen in 1832. The name remains the same to this day. William Jardine had been a ship's surgeon in the Honourable East India Company from 1802-16. He retired to Scotland in 1838 (some records say 1839) and died in 1843. Matheson left the East in 1842 and took an active part in running the firm from Britain. He died in 1878 aged 82. Both were Members of Parliament in the 1840s. William Jardine had already returned to Scotland when the firm set up business in Hong Kong. When the first land sales were held in Hong Kong on 14th June 1841, Jardine's built godowns (warehouses) on land purchased in what is now Queensway. In 1842, these were sold to the Royal Navy for stores. Immediately Jardine's started to build an office, wharves, a slipway for ships, workshops, stables, houses, and a junior mess at East Point, on an isolated promontory. They also built godowns which had thick walls of granite blocks. The site was close to the present Yee Wo Street (fi) which takes its name from the Chinese name of the company (meaning 'pleasant harmony'), although the Chinese name for the firm is more often romanised as Ewo. All the original buildings have been demolished. Other places named after the company include Jardine's Bazaar ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1990 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/d79206299 224 twelve o'clock gun firing is due to the liberality of Mr Magniac (a partner) of Messrs. Jardine Matheson and Company, who, when the Home Government ceased to provide this small return for the heavy Military Contribution forwarded annually from this Colony, purchased a gun, etc. and had it fixed up at Messrs. Jardine's, where it is fired daily. Although their gun is still at East Point, not far from where Jardine's started trading in 1841, their head office moved to Central District as long ago as 1864. It has been said there is not one field of commerce in which it does not hold a prominent position and its 'tentacles' extend to interests in many other firms. Hong Kong Land The Colony's leading businessmen have usually had considerable interests in land, and it was thus fitting that two of them, Paul Chater (later Sir Paul) and James Johnstone Keswick, should be prime movers in the Hong Kong Land Investment and Agency Company which was incorporated in 1889. The latter, as Taipan of Jardine's, following in the footsteps of his great-uncle William Jardine, was also founding chairman of Hong Kong Land. James was the first of six Keswicks, spanning five generations, to hold the position. The company soon began buying sites and erecting office buildings. Between June 1904 and December 1905 it erected Hong Kong's first 'skyscrapers', five major buildings each of five or six storeys, which dwarfed the two and three-storey structures surrounding them. Hong Kong Land acquired Humphrey's Estate and Finance Company, which owns residential property in Mid-Levels, in 1972, and for 14 years 'Land' had a controlling interest in the Dairy Farm, Ice and Cold Storage Company. Today, the latter is once again an independent public company. In its centenary year Hong Kong Land owned some six-million square feet of commercial space of which five-million is in the so-called 'Core Central' area. The firm has been described as "... perhaps the most valuable property company in the world and certainly in the region ...." Whether this is true is not known. Certainly, today, some Japanese companies hold considerable interests in real estate on a global scale. L ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-2002 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/mp4901278 306 The last mention of Mason in Hart's letters refers to Mason in 1897 having sent Hart his book The Shen's Pigtail or Other Cues of Anglo-China Life. Mason, wrote Hart, had been in low water at home and twice [Hart] had helped him. Mason was, added Hart, a clever fellow who, before the C'Kiang affair broke out, had just got himself on to the ladder of advancement, and in that matter [the Mason affair] he was to Hart's mind, the victim of mixed motives - he was curious, and he wanted to serve Hart, and got into a quicksand. Hart was much kinder to Mason than ever Mesny would be. Mesny, in his Miscellany some ten years later, related in great detail, both from notes and from memory, the extraordinary story related above of being persecuted by Mason. Mesny also wrote in his Miscellany [6 Feb. 1896] that he had gone through the evidence [on the Mason Case] in the British Blue Books and could not see how any mortal could come to any other than one of two conclusions - either Mason had been paid by the Chinese to get up a bogus scare [to create anti-foreign action] or that he was a mere maniac. Nine-tenths of his revelations had been unquestionably pure fabrication. At the bottom of the page, Mesny added, without offering any evidence, "I am now fully satisfied that Mason was paid by the Chinese." On an entirely different aspect of life in Shanghai, we read in a postscript from Mesny on the snobbish attitudes of the British in China that adds colour to our story. The British Consul in Shanghai held a party in May of 1899 to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria. Mesny wrote in his Miscellany that despite not receiving an invitation, a fact which confirms that he was ostracised by fellow Britons, possibly because of his wife or because he made a point of living among and mixing with Chinese, though it could also have been due to his very pro-Chinese stand, he turned up at the Consulate only to be turned away by the British police at the gate. This short note in the Miscellany describing the slight would appear to have been his method of getting his own back. As with most small expatriate bodies, factions existed. Mason described in his 'Chinese Confessions', the problems of a 'British bachelor in the Imperial Customs Service in Zhenjiang, a small Customs ================================================================================