Ofício do mandarim substituto sub-prefeito de Macau, Li, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a indagação feita a um navio inglês que esta ancorado nas águas da Taipa
Transcription
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T23
[Stamp — left margin, vertical]
乾隆三年八月
范
日謝
[Marginalia — top right]
402
355 13.94
T23
[Main text]
諭
著廣州澳門海防軍民府李
澳門夷目嘆噸哆等知悉現准
澳門關口會商本日有咲咭喇國
夷人到閩非駁查係寄泊雞頸洋
面吧哩時船夷在省喫深行商人與首
丁部批照上有等由弟不查吧哩時船
奉押嚴催不肯進口唯熊論飯
詼夷等埋墨在某永因行驅
城請照欽
自苦有無代為傳達
信息其所
托照是何情由因何事
故何人帶引因何
多畫並未有文到府壹色驗放
既有特獎表便遵不 [UNCLEAR: partial character] 行合就
飭諭到該夷目立將該夷查問
否的係吧哩時船夷有人代為批據其
照內所票係何情由即節逐細確查
禀覆依奪并嚴飭該夷務須謹
守候儻查明然後驗文進省倘
不遵該夷目等一道一究未便寬
速特諭
[Signature]
（紅圈內字跡模糊，無法辨識）
[ILLEGIBLE: ~6 chars]
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[Main text]
[ILLEGIBLE: ~30+ characters, fragmented ink strokes on damaged paper fragments]
Translation
Page 1
[Page]
T23
[Stamp — left margin, vertical]
Third year of the Qianlong reign (1738), eighth lunar month
Fan
Ri Xie
[Marginalia — top right]
402
355 13.94
T23
[Main text]
Imperial Edict
To Li, Maritime and Civil Defence Magistrate of Guangzhou and Macau:
You are hereby instructed to inform the foreign headmen (yímù) of Macau—namely Tan Dun Duo and others—of the following:
It has now been confirmed that a vessel from the Kingdom of *Gigilā* (i.e., *Jigilā*, an early Qing-era transliteration of ‘Portugal’ or ‘Portuguese’) has arrived in Fujian Province. Upon preliminary inquiry, it was ascertained that this vessel is not engaged in official trade but is merely anchoring temporarily off *Jijingyang* (Chicken Neck Bay). While lying at anchor near *Bālǐ* (i.e., *Barra*, the Portuguese name for the area at the mouth of the Pearl River, later associated with the Barra Peninsula and Fortaleza do Monte in Macau), certain foreign crew members disembarked in Guangdong’s provincial capital (Canton) and transacted business with local merchants. The ship’s master and chief officers presented documentation bearing official seals—including a *bùpīzhào* (‘departmental endorsement permit’)—stating that their purpose was legitimate. However, no such permit was submitted to your office for verification. Moreover, when ordered to proceed directly into port for inspection, the vessel’s personnel refused compliance; instead, they resorted to pretexts—claiming, inter alia, that provisions were insufficient (*xiónɡ lùn fàn*, lit. ‘bear-discusses-rice’, i.e., citing inadequate food supplies).
The said foreigners have lodged a formal petition requesting official certification (*zhào*)—apparently seeking authorisation to proceed inland. You are to ascertain whether this request is grounded in fact, and if so, to determine precisely:
(i) the nature and purpose of the requested document;
(ii) the specific grounds upon which it is sought;
(iii) the identity of the individual(s) who proposed or facilitated the application;
(iv) the reason(s) for the delay in submission; and
(v) why no formal written application (*wén*) has yet reached your office.
All documents presented must be examined in full and verified before any certificate is issued. Should an imperial commendation (*tè jiǎng biǎo*) have been granted, the relevant instructions must be strictly observed—and in no case may procedures be relaxed or expedited without due authority.
Accordingly, you are hereby directed to instruct the foreign headmen immediately to investigate the matter thoroughly. Specifically, you shall require them to:
(a) verify whether the vessel in question is indeed the *Bālǐ*-anchored ship referred to above;
(b) confirm whether any local intermediary has acted on its behalf in applying for official documentation;
(c) ascertain, with precision, the exact purpose stated in the permit application (*zhào nèi suǒ piào*); and
(d) submit a detailed, verified report (*bǐngfù*) to your office for deliberation and further instruction (*yī duó*).
Furthermore, you are to issue strict injunctions to the foreign headmen, requiring them to ensure strict observance of all regulations pending resolution. Only upon completion of this inquiry—and only after documentary verification has been duly conducted—may the vessel be permitted to enter the provincial capital for formal examination. Should the headmen or their subordinates fail to comply, they shall be held jointly and severally accountable. No leniency may be shown.
This edict is issued with urgency.
[Signature]
[Illegible characters within red circular seal]
[Illegible: ca. six characters]
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[ILLEGIBLE: approximately thirty or more characters; fragmentary ink strokes on damaged paper]