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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.

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.

This archival document is a Qing dynasty administrative memorial dated to the 6th day of the third lunar month in the eleventh year of the Qianlong reign (1746), submitted to the Hon. Magistrate of Xiangshan County. It concerns an official investigation into allegations of illicit maritime trade—specifically the clandestine exchange of black lead (lead ore) for rice—by foreign vessels operating from the Taiau (Macau) anchorage in the waters off Shangxia Cun (‘Upper–Lower Village’). The memorial confirms that no such foreign vessels had anchored or conducted prohibited exchanges in that area during the preceding year, noting that these waters lie adjacent to Macau and constitute the outermost maritime frontier of a local li administrative unit, serving as a principal corridor for Yi (foreign) and Yang (Western) vessel traffic entering or departing the region. Local residents, led by Qu Pin-kun and others, provided testimony asserting that exchanges had occurred but failed to supply verifiable details—including vessel registry number (hao), or names of officers or crew—rendering confirmation impossible. The memorial reports full compliance with prior directives and formally transmits findings both to the Magistrate of Xiangshan County and to the relevant supervisory authority for official record and review. This document provides primary evidence of Qing coastal administration, Sino-Portuguese maritime regulation, and local governance mechanisms in the Pearl River Delta during the mid-eighteenth century.

This archival document is an official Qing dynasty dispatch (*pái*) issued on the 10th day of the first lunar month, Qianlong 11 (1746), by Zhang [surname], Magistrate of Xiangshan County, and addressed to the *Yímù* (‘Foreign Headman’) of Macau. It concerns the apprehension of three Chinese subjects—Ou Lunkun, Zhang Zeyou, and Ou Guanzhang—for illicit trafficking in sulphur, following their encounter with a foreign vessel (*jìshuǐ yángchuán*) anchored off Shangcun and Xiácūn in the twelfth lunar month of Qianlong 10 (December 1745/January 1746). The offenders confessed to exchanging firewood for 678 *jīn* (c. 407 kg) of sulphur with a Black African crew member (*hēi guǐzi*), a term used in Qing administrative records to denote persons of sub-Saharan African origin serving aboard foreign ships. The document records the seizure of sixteen packages of sulphur and one vessel by garrison troops (*xùn bīng*) near Chizhou (Red Isle), the interrogation of suspects and witness Yang Hongqi, and the formal transmission of evidence via a *jiě* from Wu [surname], Commandant of the Right Camp of Xiangshan Naval Garrison. It instructs the *Yímù* to identify the foreign vessel’s registry and crew, ascertain its current status, and report findings expeditiously to enable judicial adjudication (*shěnxiáng*) and compilation of the full dossier (*shěnxiáng wén’àn*). The text reflects Qing maritime regulation, ethno-administrative categorisation, and jurisdictional oversight in the Macau–Xiangshan corridor.

This abstract describes a Qing dynasty administrative document dated the 20th day of the ninth lunar month in the tenth year of the Qianlong reign (1745), issued by the Acting Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Left Subprefectural Magistrate Gu [personal name], and registered as Second Register Entry. The document is an official dispatch (*xinpai*) transmitted to the foreign headman (*Yimu*) at Macau, instructing him to deliver the enclosed warrant (*zhaopiao*) to specific foreign merchants identified as *Lama*, *Ma*, *La*, and *Ji*, among others. It commands these merchants to present themselves forthwith at the Guangdong provincial capital (Canton) with all prohibited goods in their possession for examination and verification by the Xiangshan subprefectural administration, under the supervision of the issuing office. Non-compliance is explicitly stated to constitute a breach of administrative order. A five-day deadline for compliance is recorded in marginalia, and multiple official seals—including one identifying the date and another denoting the issuing magistrate’s title—are affixed throughout the document. The text reflects formal Qing bureaucratic protocol governing foreign commerce and regulatory oversight in the Pearl River Delta region during the mid-eighteenth century, and serves as a primary source for studying Sino-foreign administrative interaction, maritime trade regulation, and local governance structures under the Qianlong emperor.