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This abstract describes a dual-component historical document comprising two distinct Canton Customs permits from the Qing and late Qing periods, preserved as a single archival item (T18). The first is a 1758 (Qianlong 23) imperial permit issued by Li, Assistant Director of the Imperial Household Department and Imperially Appointed Superintendent of Canton Customs, authorising the foreign merchant João Monteiro—master of a vessel bound for Manila—to proceed to Macau following completion of customs formalities at Canton; it specifies regulatory conditions regarding navigation, verification at checkpoints, armament (10 small and 15 large cannons), crew (49 persons), provisions (22 *dan* and 5 *sheng* rice), and prohibitions on contraband. The second component is a late 19th-century (Guangxu reign) customs receipt issued by the Canton Maritime Customs at Five Immortals Gate, Guangdong, certifying payment of 404 silver taels ($404.00 Mexican dollars) in duties by the Chinese vessel *Xinning*, master Huang [illegible], under the authority of Li Hongzhang as Imperial Commissioner and Superintendent of Customs Affairs in Guangdong Province. Both documents bear the official *Yuehai Guan* seal and reflect institutional practices of maritime regulation, fiscal administration, and Sino-foreign commercial oversight in South China between the mid-eighteenth and late nineteenth centuries.

This archival document is an imperial edict issued on the second day of the seventh month of the twenty-first year of the Qianlong reign (1756 CE) by Yang, Imperial Commissioner for the Administration of Macau and Chief of the Maritime Customs and Defence Office. Addressed to the foreign headman Lóluóduō (Lorodo), the edict concerns the Portuguese vessel *Guliedi’ai Du Lu’andi Gulu’ou*—a transliteration of *Nossa Senhora da Graça* (‘Our Lady of Grace’)—which had entered Macau’s port but failed to comply with the mandatory requirement of immediate official measurement and customs assessment. The edict records that repeated official reminders had been issued without resolution and directs the headman to investigate the cause of the delay, conduct a thorough examination of the vessel for contraband or prohibited goods, and submit a detailed report specifying all circumstances contributing to the non-compliance for onward transmission to superior administrative authorities. The document reflects Qing regulatory protocols governing foreign maritime trade at Macau during the mid-eighteenth century, emphasising procedural compliance, customs enforcement, and hierarchical administrative accountability. It is a primary source illuminating Sino-Portuguese commercial interaction, colonial administration under Qing sovereignty, and the operational mechanisms of maritime governance in the South China Sea region. The marginal note on the same page incorrectly dates the report to the seventh month of the twenty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1757 CE), though the edict itself bears the earlier date of 1756 CE.

This archival document is an official notice issued in 1754 by the Imperial Commission for the Guangzhou Maritime Defence Prefecture and Civil–Military Administration, concurrently overseeing maritime security and foreign trade supervision across the four counties of Panyu, Dongguan, Xiangshan, and Sihui. Dated the twentieth day of the intercalary fourth month in the nineteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1754), it records a petition submitted by the Cohong merchant firm Yifeng Hang, represented by its principal Qiu Kun, concerning the foreign merchant Yamlij from the Kingdom of Linglan—a Sinophone rendering likely referencing a Persianate or South Asian polity. The notice details Yamlij’s arrival in Guangzhou under prior authorisation from the Imperial Maritime Customs Commissioner (Guān Xiàn) and his intended travel to Macau with one attendant and personal effects, including a sword. It directs the foreign headmen Anhuk An and others to verify Yamlij’s identity, retinue, arms, and baggage upon his arrival in Macau; assume formal custody; issue a written receipt; and ensure no conduct threatening public order occurs. The document bears multiple official seals—including the ‘Seal of the Guangzhou Prefecture’—and marginal annotations indicating authentication, archival reference (T15 1454), and an immediate one-day deadline for receipt submission. It serves as a primary source on Qing-era maritime administration, foreign merchant regulation, and the operational framework of the Cohong system within the Canton System.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty directive issued on the twenty-fourth day of the intercalary fourth month of the nineteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1754) by the Guangzhou Maritime Defence Prefecture for Military and Civil Affairs, concurrently overseeing customs enforcement in Dongguan, Shunde, Xiangshan, and Zhongshan counties. Addressed to Magistrate Wei and formally transmitted to foreign headmen (*Yí mù*), including Jiāsīduō, the directive responds to recurrent smuggling activities involving Cantonese subjects colluding with foreign merchants at Shízì Mén (‘Cross Gate’)—a designated outer anchorage near Macau—where light, high-value goods were illicitly transported via fishing boats to evade customs duties. The text outlines administrative concerns regarding enforcement failures, reaffirms prior prohibitions recorded in official archives, and mandates immediate, rigorous surveillance and interdiction across the prefecture’s jurisdiction. It specifies that any Cantonese subject found conspiring with or inciting foreigners to smuggle dutiable commodities shall be summarily apprehended and prosecuted, and warns foreign headmen that collusion, inducement, or facilitation of such smuggling will result in immediate arrest and judicial investigation. Marginalia indicate a same-day compliance deadline and a return receipt date of the twenty-ninth day. As a primary source, the document illuminates Qing coastal governance, Sino-foreign commercial regulation, and the institutional role of *Yí mù* intermediaries in mid-eighteenth-century Pearl River Delta trade.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty travel permit (yinzao) issued on the 19th day of the fourth lunar month in the nineteenth year of the Qianlong reign (1754), originating from the Guangzhou Prefect for Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration, Wei, and transmitted via the Office of Daily Administrative Affairs. It authorises John Agar, a British merchant, to travel from Guangzhou to Macau under strict regulatory conditions, accompanied by three male servants, for the purpose of settling accounts and residing temporarily at the residence of the Portuguese *yí mù* Louluoduo (Lorodo), with mandatory return to Guangzhou by the end of the fifth lunar month. The permit reflects the formal administrative framework governing foreign merchants’ movement between Guangzhou and Macau, requiring prior approval, verification by licensed Chinese hong merchants (here Chen Zhengbiao of the Zunfeng Hang) and official interpreters (tōngshì), submission of a formal guarantee (bǎojié), and dual oversight by the Guangdong Maritime Customs Office and the Macau Defence Office (*Àofáng Tīng*). It mandates verification of arrival date and personnel count by Portuguese authorities, custodial supervision by Louluoduo, and submission of a written acknowledgment (*gānjié*) upon expiry of the permitted stay. Endorsed by the Provincial Financial Commissioner (*Fānsī*) and Governor-General (*Dūbùyuàn*), the document exemplifies Qing bureaucratic control over Sino-foreign commercial interaction in the Canton System era and provides primary evidence of institutional procedures, jurisdictional coordination, and colonial-era administrative terminology.

This abstract describes a Qing dynasty administrative edict issued on 22 May 1756 (22nd day of the fifth month, Qianlong 21) by He Xian, Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and transmitted through Wei, Record-Officer of the Guangdong Macau Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration (sixth appointment), to foreign headmen (‘Yi mu’) in Macau, including Do-lo and Ma-cha-duo. The document, bearing official seals of the Dongguan County Magistracy and dated annotations confirming its issuance in May 1756 and resealing on 22 May 1757, mandates the annual Spring Rites (Chūn Jì) tribute. It specifically requires the procurement and delivery—by the tenth lunar month of 1756—of fifteen bottles of high-grade imported snuff (‘yang binyan’ or ‘yang biyan’), stipulating strict quality criteria: sharp, pungent or sour aroma; golden-yellow colour; fine, authentic texture; and verifiable foreign origin. A marginal note emphasises urgency and prohibits substitution upon rejection. The edict also references genuine maritime-imported opium (‘yangyan’) for delivery in the same lunar month, requiring declared valuation and prohibiting adulterated or substandard goods. Intended for imperial presentation, the consignment necessitates accompanying documentation specifying unit price and total value for official assessment and reimbursement. The document reflects Qing bureaucratic protocols governing foreign trade communities in Macau and Canton during the mid-eighteenth century.