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This is an official Qing dynasty treasury receipt issued in the twelfth month of the Qianlong 37th year (AD 1772) by the Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, His Excellency Fu, a high-ranking official promoted three grades and recorded three times for meritorious service. The document certifies the receipt of two payments deposited into the county treasury by the Western Resident Magistrate—Mr. Ailiduo (a Portuguese administrative official appointed by the Macau Senate to represent foreign interests before Chinese authorities)—and others acting on behalf of the Haojing’ao (the official Qing designation for Macau, then an enclave under Qing jurisdiction). The sum received comprises five hundred taels of silver as land rent for Qianlong 37 from Haojing’ao, and fifteen taels of silver as the magistrate’s personal stipend (*yanglian yin*, or ‘integrity maintenance silver’), a supplementary allowance intended to deter corruption. The receipt bears marginalia indicating archival handling instructions, multiple red square seals with illegible characters, and archival markings including ‘T35’, ‘Luch. 471’, ‘Shw 1773’, and numerical codes ‘350’, ‘480’, and ‘1≠≠3’. As a formal fiscal instrument, it documents inter-administrative financial relations between Qing local government and Portuguese Macau during the late eighteenth century, reflecting institutional mechanisms of taxation, cross-cultural governance, and colonial-era fiscal accountability within the Qing bureaucratic framework.

This archival document is an official treasury receipt issued by the Commissioner of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-sixth year of the Qianlong reign (1772 CE). It records the receipt of silver payments from the Western Resident Magistrates (Xiyang Lizhiguan), specifically naming An Lido as one of the contributors. The sum deposited into the county treasury comprises two distinct fiscal items: 500 taels of silver designated as land rent for Macau (Houjing’ao) and 15 taels allocated for the maintenance of magistrates and clerks (Yuan Si Yanglian yin). The document bears multiple official seals—including a red circular seal of indeterminate inscription and a red square seal reading ‘Seal of Xiangshan County’—and includes marginal annotations identifying it as an ‘Official Treasury Receipt’ and noting compliance ‘in accordance with instructions’. Issued under the authority of a high-ranking county official holding four additional ranks and augmented rank status, and recorded seven times for meritorious service, the receipt serves as formal verification of fiscal transfer between local administrative bodies in the Qing imperial bureaucracy. Its provenance is confirmed by the archival reference T34 and pagination (page 346, entry 1472). This primary source is of significant value for scholarly research into Qing-era taxation, Sino-Portuguese administrative relations in Macau, local governance structures in Guangdong, and the financial mechanisms underpinning frontier jurisdiction during the eighteenth century.

This archival document is an urgent Qing dynasty administrative warrant issued in the twelfth month of the Qianlong thirty-second year (December 1767–January 1768) by the Acting Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture—identified as Zhang—with three additional ranks of honour and five recorded commendations. It concerns the inter-county transfer (*guān yí*) of jurisdiction over Wu Defei (also known as Dehui), a comprador (*mǎibàn*) serving foreign merchants (*fānguǐ*) in Macau, who stands accused of abduction, enticement, and unlawful flight. The warrant directs the Portuguese-appointed foreign headman (*Yí mù*) Lo Ló Duō—likely a transliteration of Lourenço do Rosário—and other relevant Macau officials to immediately apprehend Wu Defei and surrender him to a designated Xiangshan constable for escort back to Xiangshan County for judicial interrogation and trial. The document bears multiple official seals, including the red rectangular seal of the Magistrate of Xiangshan County (*Xiāngshān Xiàn Zhèngtáng*), marginalia marking it as a ‘red-list document’ (*hóng dān*) signifying high priority, and notation indicating attachment of supporting documentation (the original *guān yí* from Nanhai County). It reflects formal Sino-Portuguese administrative coordination in Macau during the mid-Qing period and constitutes a primary source for studying local governance, cross-jurisdictional legal procedure, and the role of intermediaries in Sino-foreign commercial relations.

This archival document is an official treasury receipt issued on the 21st day of the eleventh lunar month in the thirty-second year of the Qianlong reign (13 December 1767) by Zhang, Acting Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, who held three additional grades of seniority and had been recorded five times for meritorious service. The receipt certifies the remittance of silver funds to the county treasury by the Portuguese Resident Officials of Macau, specifically *Comissário* António da Silva (referred to as ‘An-lai-duo’), and serves as formal acknowledgement of payment. It records two distinct fiscal transfers: 500 taels of silver as land rent assessed for Macau (Houjing’ao) for the same Qianlong year, and 15 taels of silver designated as the magistracy’s stipend subsidy (*yanglian yin*), allocated by the Provincial Administration Commission (*Yuan*) and the Circuit Intendant (*Si*). The document bears two red square official seals—one inscribed “Office of the Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture” and the other “Seal of Xiangshan County”—and includes marginalia indicating internal administrative handling, including an instruction that implementation be ordered in accordance with official directives and a notation specifying that the receipt is issued to António da Silva and his associates for their observance. Archival reference numbers T32 and 1467 appear repeatedly, and the document is paginated as T32 353. This primary source provides direct evidence of Qing fiscal administration, Sino-Portuguese administrative coordination in Macau, and the institutional mechanisms governing revenue collection and intergovernmental financial relations in mid-eighteenth-century Guangdong.

This is a formal imperial proclamation issued on the nineteenth day of the tenth lunar month in the thirty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1767) by Xīng, Magistrate of Xiāngshān County, Guǎngzhōu Prefecture, under authority delegated from the Provincial Governor (*Dūxiàn*) and the Military and Civil Administration (*Jūnmín Fǔ*). Addressed to the foreign headmen (*yímù*) of Macau—including Wēiláiduō and others—the document mandates structural reforms to the annual Macau–Canton trade delegation (*jiélèisī*, rendered as ‘Jelaisi’), requiring it henceforth to operate under the same official permit (*pái*) as merchants from other foreign nations. It stipulates that delegation members must reside temporarily in Macau at premises assigned to foreign merchants and travel collectively to Guangzhou the following summer under a joint permit. The proclamation orders immediate preparation of official lodgings (*gōngguǎn*) in Macau, convening of the eight principal foreign headmen (*bā tóumù*), and assembly of interpreters (*shāng tōngshì*) at the designated residence to receive further instructions. It further announces the Magistrate’s personal visit to Macau on the twenty-first day of the current lunar month to deliver the Provincial Governor’s edict. The document bears multiple official seals, including the *Guǎngzhōu Fǔ Xiāngshān Xiàn Zhèngtáng Guānfáng*, the character *Yù* (‘Proclamation’), and a registration stamp (*Dēng nèi hào qì*), alongside archival markings (354/T31/2467) and an illegible wax seal.

This archival document is an official edict issued in September 1767 (Qianlong 32nd year, ninth month) by Magistrate Zhang, Chief Magistrate of Xiangshan County, addressed to foreign residents—including Ailuo Duo—residing in Macau. The edict concerns the 1762 (Qianlong 27th year) apprehension and deportation of Buddhist monks from the Great and Small Sām Pá Temples—identified as the Jesuit churches of São Paulo and Santo Agostinho in Macau—and demands a comprehensive, verified report on three matters: the total number of individuals apprehended; their full personal particulars, including nationality, names, and ages; and the subsequent disposition of the case in their home country, specifically the monarch’s adjudication, any official notification sent to Chinese authorities, and confessions implicating Deng Leisi (Domingos da Costa, SJ) or revealing accomplices aware of his activities. The document bears multiple imperial and official seals—including a red square seal dated Qianlong 32nd year, ninth month; a circular ‘illegible imperial seal’; a ‘Su’ (‘Urgent’) seal; and an ‘illegible official seal’—and features traditional authentication marks such as the *Hua* (‘Flower’) annotation indicating formal promulgation. It constitutes a primary source for studying Qing imperial administration, Sino-foreign legal interactions in Macau, Jesuit presence in late imperial China, and colonial-era religious regulation under the Qianlong reign.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty placard (*pái*) issued on the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the thirty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1767) by the Sub-prefecture (*tīng*) of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture. It concerns the administrative handling of *Gāngākām*, a foreigner under disciplinary custody, following his punishment by Nanhai County authorities—including public cangue, corporal punishment, and silver fines—and subsequent transfer to Xiangshan jurisdiction. The document directs the Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County to escort *Gāngākām* to Macau for formal handover to Lōuluōduō, the Macau *yìmù* (foreign headman), and mandates that he be placed under the supervision and restraint of his relatives, with strict prohibition on further movement or disruptive conduct. It specifies procedural requirements: submission of a written acknowledgement of custody (*shōuguǎn zhuàng*) by the *yìmù*, a formal receipt (*lǐngzhuàng*) from the relatives (three copies each), an official stamped receipt (*huìzhào*) for attending bailiffs, and formal reporting to the Military and Civil Administration (*Jūnmín Fǔ*) and Prefect. The text bears multiple red-ink seals and annotations—including ‘Approved’ (*Zhǔn*), ‘To proceed’ (*Xíngzǒu*), and ‘Comply’ (*Zūn*)—and reflects standard Qing bureaucratic formulae governing inter-county and Sino-foreign administrative coordination in the Pearl River Delta. The document is physically fragile, with faded ink and damage affecting marginalia and seals; transcriptions are based on palaeographic analysis and contextual verification.

This archival document is an official command issued in 1964 (archival reference T28) by the Commissioned Magistrate Li Shu, concurrently serving as Acting County Magistrate (third-grade rank, one merit award) and overseeing maritime defence, military–civil administration, and water conservancy for Macau–Guangzhou and the counties of Dongguan, Shunde, Xiangshan, and Zhongshan. Issued under the seal of the Assistant Intendant of Maritime Defence, Guangzhou Prefecture, the directive addresses foreign headmen (*Yimu*) concerning British merchants operating in southern China. It records the arrival of British merchant ‘Bariluo’ (Barlow) at Fujian on the 27th day of the eighth lunar month under official permit (*pizhao*), his subsequent restriction from unloading cargo or proceeding inland aboard the *Barilao* (Barlow) vessel, and the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi’s (Liangguang Zongdu) endorsement requiring strict adherence to prior instructions. The document further directs the expulsion of British merchant ‘Jijuo’ (Gidgell or Gidgell & Co.)—and his agent ‘Ya’—aboard the *Barilao*, citing their clandestine contact with another British merchant, ‘Dunzuo’ (Dunlop or Dunlop & Co.), as a violation of maritime regulations indicative of collusion. Compliance is mandated within eight days, with warnings of rigorous punishment for non-compliance. Marginalia include calendrical, juridical, and administrative notations, including references to the hexagram *Qi*, the term ‘bond’, and archaic ratification formulae.

This is an official Qing dynasty administrative notice, dated 1 November 1767 (eighth day of the tenth lunar month, Qianlong 32nd year), issued by Xing ○, Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, to the Foreign Superintendents Lāiluōduō and others stationed in Macau. The document concerns the departure on 25 October 1767 (first day of the tenth lunar month) of vessel no. 11, commanded by Pedro Luís de Góis e Sousa, from Macau for commercial trade in the Lesser Western Ocean (a Qing-era geographical term encompassing the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and western Indian littoral). It records the magistrate’s formal censure of the Foreign Superintendents for failing to submit, as previously instructed, a verified and itemised report detailing the actual number of merchants and crew, cannons and firearms, and cargo aboard foreign vessels departing Macau. The notice explicitly identifies procedural delay (*wán yán*) and administrative negligence, reiterates the requirement for full, accurate, and timely disclosure, and warns against falsification under penalty of serious consequences. Marginalia and red seals—including *Xíng* (‘to be implemented’), *Chūbā rì* (‘Eighth day’), and *Sù* (‘Urgent’)—underscore its binding, time-sensitive nature. The archival reference T27 F94Y and marginalia T27 35+ indicate its provenance within a larger Qing bureaucratic archive. This document is a primary source for studying Qing maritime regulation, Sino-foreign commercial oversight, and administrative practice in the Canton System during the mid-eighteenth century.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty directive, dated 8th day of the 9th month, Qianlong 32nd year (1767), issued by the Deputy Magistrate (*Fen xian*) of Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province, under the authority of the Magistrate of Xiangshan County and the Provincial Administration Commission (*Junmin Fu*). It concerns the formal appointment of Li Shibao—a registered resident of Xiangshan County proficient in foreign languages—as licensed *maiban* (comprador) for vessels from the Kingdom of Luzon (Spanish-ruled Philippines) trading at Macau. The petition cites Li Shibao’s prior service as interpreter in Guangzhou during the judicial investigation of Jiang Rida and others, who were apprehended in Macau for facilitating the illicit travel of Nicolás Andang to Jiangxi Province. The directive explicitly authorises Li Shibao—and his brothers exclusively—to perform comprador duties for Luzonian merchants, prohibits interference by third parties, and orders compliance from Enta Duo (António de Almeida, Capitão-mor of Macau, 1766–1768) and the *Jisi Lan Miao Yi Seng* (interpreted here as Portuguese municipal or ecclesiastical authorities in Macau). Endorsed with official seals and marginal annotations including *Xing* (“To be implemented”) and a reference number (92.1 t91), the document exemplifies Qing administrative regulation of foreign commerce, linguistic mediation, and cross-border jurisdictional coordination in the Pearl River Delta region.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty administrative notice issued in the ninth month of the 32nd year of the Qianlong reign (October–November 1767) by the Acting Magistrate of the Guangzhou Prefectural Maritime Defence Military Administration, who also held the concurrent post of supernumerary county vice-magistrate (*xiancheng*) and had been granted one additional rank with meritorious service formally recorded. The notice is addressed to foreign heads (*Yi mu*) at Macau, specifically naming Luo Duo and others, and records the magistrate’s personal inspection visit to Macau on the sixth day of that lunar month to assess local conditions and administrative affairs. It formally instructs the named foreign officials to present themselves without delay for audience and official consultation, stipulating that all matters requiring attention or action must be duly addressed, and explicitly prohibits non-compliance. The document bears three red seals: a circular seal in the left margin identified as *Guangzhou Fu Hai Fang Jun Fu* (Guangzhou Prefectural Maritime Defence Military Administration); an illegible central seal within the main text; and an illegible seal in the top right corner. Marginal annotations confirm the date and archival references (356, 1464) and identify the document as page T25. This primary source provides direct evidence of Qing bureaucratic oversight of foreign residents in Macau during the mid-eighteenth century and reflects the formal protocols governing Sino-foreign administrative interaction under the Canton System.

This archival document is an official notice issued on the 8th day of the 8th lunar month in the 32nd year of the Qianlong reign (2 September 1767 CE) by Li, Acting Magistrate of the Guangzhou Prefectural Office for Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration of Macau, concurrently serving as a first-rank county magistrate and decorated with three additional seniority grades and one commendation. The notice responds to an urgent petition submitted by foreign residents in Macau—conveyed through their designated representative, the foreign headman (Yimu), identified here as ‘Wēiluōduō’, a transliteration of the Portuguese title *Vedor*—requesting the resumption of rice shipments from Shiqi in Xiangshan County to Macau to alleviate food shortages affecting both Chinese and foreign inhabitants. Following receipt of the petition, the Prefect directed the magistrate of Xiangshan County to reinstate the customary rice trade; the County Magistrate reported that, despite a prior local prohibition, boatmen and ferry operators had continued transporting rice to Macau unknowingly, thereby sustaining supply, and confirmed transmission of the directive to the foreign headman. The notice formally orders all ferry operators and boatmen on the Macau route to resume rice shipments immediately and without exception, under penalty of disciplinary action, and is addressed explicitly to the foreign headman and other officials of equivalent standing. The document bears official seals of the Guangzhou Prefectural Office for Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration of Macau and the ‘Bing’ serial designation, along with multiple red-character annotations mandating compliance.

This imperial edict, dated the eighth lunar month of the third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), is addressed to Li, Maritime and Civil Defence Magistrate of Guangzhou and Macau, and concerns a vessel from the Kingdom of *Gigilā* (a Qing-era transliteration for Portugal) anchored off *Jijingyang* (Chicken Neck Bay) in Fujian Province and later near *Bālǐ* (Barra) at the mouth of the Pearl River. The document instructs Li to direct the foreign headmen (*yímù*) of Macau—specifically Tan Dun Duo and others—to investigate the vessel’s unauthorised anchorage, its crew’s unlicensed commercial activity in Canton, and their petition for official certification (*zhào*) to proceed inland. It mandates verification of the vessel’s identity, examination of all submitted documentation—including a *bùpīzhào* (departmental endorsement permit)—and rigorous inquiry into the nature, grounds, proposers, timing, and formal submission status of the certification request. The edict underscores strict procedural compliance, prohibits expedited or relaxed processing without imperial authority, and requires a verified written report (*bǐngfù*) before any port entry is permitted; non-compliance by the headmen or their subordinates will incur joint accountability. The text reflects Qing administrative protocols governing foreign maritime presence, trade regulation, and bureaucratic oversight in Guangdong and Macau during the mid-eighteenth century.

This archival document is an Imperial Edict (*Yù*) issued on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month in the twenty-second year of the Qianlong reign (4 September 1757) by Lin, Acting Prefect of Guangzhou and Commissioner for Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Affairs. It addresses Ailuoduo and other officially recognised foreign headmen (*yìmù*) regarding the unauthorised inland travel of two Portuguese merchants, identified as Wúbāhēinǎjǐ, who arrived in Guangdong aboard a foreign vessel from Tongwen (Tonkin, northern Vietnam) rather than under the licensed *hong* merchant system. The edict specifies that foreign merchants seeking access to Guangzhou city must obtain an official travel permit (*páizhào*) through formal petition submitted via their designated *yìmù*, as mandated by established precedent and recorded administrative practice. It commands immediate verification of the vessel’s registered number and requires the merchants to present themselves without delay at the Prefectural office to apply for the permit, emphasising strict adherence to protocol to ensure documentation, inter-agency coordination, and regulatory compliance. The document bears the official seal of the Prefecture of Guangzhou (*Guǎngzhōu Fǔ Yìn*) and a supplementary circular seal affirming its binding authority (*Zhào wú wéi tè yù*), reflecting Qing imperial governance of foreign commerce and mobility in the Canton System during the mid-eighteenth century.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty placard (*pai*) issued on the third day of the fifth lunar month in the thirty-second year of the Qianlong reign (15 June 1767), originating from the Xiangshan County Sub-Prefectural Office (*Fen Xian Ting*) in Guangdong Province. It concerns the Qing administration’s directive to investigate and deliberate on the establishment of a permanent magisterial sub-office (*yamen*) in Macau, reflecting heightened administrative attention to the growing Chinese and foreign (*Yi*) population and expanding commercial exchange between Macau and the mainland. The document names You Chun as Acting Sub-Prefect (*Fen Xian*), Yang as Acting Prefectural Magistrate for Civil and Military Affairs, and Leleido—identified as the *Kapitão-mor* (rendered *Yi Mu*, or ‘Chief of the Foreign Community’) and head of the Macau Senate (*Senado*)—as a principal interlocutor. It instructs joint survey work by Qing sub-prefectural officials and Portuguese civic representatives to assess suitable sites for the new yamen on grounds of topography, accessibility, security, and land tenure, requiring a detailed proposal with site plan and justification within thirty-one days. The text exemplifies Qing–Portuguese administrative hybridity in Macau, wherein Qing sovereignty was upheld through formal instruments like this placard while daily civil governance remained delegated to the *Senado*. Marginalia, seals, and editorial notes corroborate its provenance, urgency, and bureaucratic context within the Guangdong provincial archives.

This abstract describes a bilingual Qing dynasty customs document comprising two distinct administrative notices issued by the Yuehai Customs House in Guangdong Province. The first is a vessel departure permit dated to the thirty-first year of the Qianlong reign (1766), authorising the Western ship under the command of foreign merchant João de Gama (transliterated as Ruòwàng Jiā Dǎ Rě’ān) to sail from Yuehai to Luzon, having paid all requisite duties; it records crew size (49), provisions (22 *dàn* 5 *shēng* rice), armament (6 muskets, 12 small cannons), and the presence of one enslaved boy (*mài zǐ*) classified as taxable human cargo. The second notice, dated to the second lunar month of the thirty-first year of the Guangxu reign (1905), is an official proclamation signed by Supervisor Chen Zi, reiterating strict compliance with customs duty regulations for all imported and exported goods under imperial mandate. Both texts bear multiple red and black seals—including *Yuèhǎi Guān*, *Qīng*, and *Ji Ri*—and marginalia referencing authority from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The document serves as primary evidence of Qing maritime administration, cross-border trade regulation, colonial-era commercial practices, and the institutional recording of coerced labour within official customs frameworks.

This abstract describes two distinct historical documents from the Guangdong Maritime Customs (Yuehai Guan), both originating from official Qing imperial administrative records. The first is a customs pass issued in the 28th year of the Qianlong reign, tenth month (October 1763), signed by Fang, Supervising Secretary of the Imperial Household Department and Director of the Guangdong Maritime Customs, authorising the foreign merchant Estêvão (rendered as ‘Es-shan-chih’) to navigate with his vessel from Guangdong to Luzon (the Spanish Philippines) upon full payment of customs duties and maritime tribute (*shuixiang*); it specifies crew size (28), armaments (four swords, four muskets, no cannon), and stipulates conditions for passage and verification at checkpoints. The second is a public notice dated the 28th year of the Guangxu reign, sixth month (June 1892), issued under the authority of Supervisor Lü Song of the Canton Customs House, prohibiting the illicit trade in foreign opium within and around the Guangdong provincial capital, directing local magistracies to apprehend offenders, and warning of rigorous punishment for violations. Both documents reflect Qing fiscal regulation, maritime administration, and anti-opium enforcement policies, and are preserved with original seals, archival markings, and marginalia indicating bureaucratic procedure and authentication protocols.

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.