Ofício do mandarim sub-prefeito de Macau, Wei, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a entrega da licença de comércio e visita a familiares, para um mercador trances, de Cantão a Macau
Transcription
Page 1
[Main text]
諭
[Stamp — top center]
[Circular red seal partially overlapping the character “諭”]
Page 2
[Main text]
特授廣東澳門海防軍民府紀錄六次魏
諭澳門
夷目哆囉等知悉乾隆二十一年五月二日奉
廵撫廣東部院鶴
憲諭照得本部院
衙門遞年例有春
Page 3
[Main text]
貢品物向係預期飭辦以備恭
進所有需用品物合就諭辦備諭到府
即便查照本部院衙門進
上需用洋鼻烟十五瓶務須揀選味酸色
Page 4
[Main text]
黄而細真實洋烟于本
十月送繳
并開明價值請發毋得將假造不堪
之烟率繳致干駁換未便等因奉此
合就轉諭諭到該夷目即便查照購
Page 5
[Main text]
覓上好洋鼻烟十五瓶務須揀選味酸
色黄而細真實洋烟繳赴
本府并開明價值聽候給發此係進
上品物毋得將假造不堪之烟率繳致干
Page 6
[Marginalia — right]
駁換未便慎速慎速特諭
速
Page 7
[Page]
T16
[Stamp — center]
[Red rectangular seal with vertical Chinese characters: 廣州府東莞縣知縣印]
[Marginalia — top center]
乾隆二十一年五月
[Marginalia — center, below stamp]
廿二
[Marginalia — bottom center]
日諭
Page 8
[Page]
TJ6
[Stamp — left margin]
[Circular red seal with Chinese characters: 乾隆二十二年五月廿二日諭]
[Marginalia — left margin]
廿二
日諭
[Main text]
特授廣東澳門海防軍民府紀錄六次魏 諭澳門
夷目嘜嚓哆等知悉乾隆二十一年五月二十二日奉
巡撫廣東部院鶴 憲諭照得本部院
衙門遍年例有春
貢品物向係預期飭辦以備恭
進所有需用品物合就辦偹諭到府
即便查照本部院衙門進
上需用洋鼻煙十五瓶務須揀選味酸色
黃而細真實洋煙于本 十月送繳
並開明價值請發毋得將假造不堪
之煙率繳致干駁換未便等因奉此
合就轉諭諭到該夷目即便查照購
覓上好洋鼻煙十五瓶務須揀選味酸
色黃而細真實洋煙繳赴
本府幷開明價值聽候給發此係進
上品物毋得將假造不堪之煙率繳致干
駁換未便慎速慎速特諭
[Signature]
速
Translation
Page 1
**Edict**
[Stamp — centred at top]
[Circular red seal, partially overlapping the character ‘Edict’]
Page 2
[Main text]
Appointed Record-Officer of the Guangdong Macau Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration (sixth appointment), Wei
To the Foreign Heads (Yìmù) of Macau, including Do-lo et al.
Be it known that, on 2nd May, Qianlong 21 (1756), the following edict was issued by His Excellency the Governor-General of Guangdong, His Honour He Xian.
It is hereby declared that the Office of the Governor-General of Guangdong customarily observes, on an annual basis, the Spring Rites (Chūn Jì).
Page 3
The tribute goods are to be prepared and dispatched as instructed, in readiness for formal presentation. All requisite items must be duly procured and made ready forthwith upon receipt of this directive. You are hereby ordered to comply strictly with the requirements set forth by this Ministry.
Upon receipt of this order, you shall immediately investigate and act accordingly, ensuring that the following item is supplied to this Ministry’s office without delay:
fifteen bottles of imported snuff (‘yang binyan’), carefully selected for their sharp, pungent aroma and characteristic colour.
Page 4
[Main text]
Genuine, fine-grade opium (‘yangyan’, i.e., foreign opium imported via maritime routes) of authentic quality, as specified herein, is to be delivered in the current tenth month [lunar calendar].
The declared value must be clearly stated on submission; under no circumstances may adulterated, spurious, or substandard opium be tendered in its place. Such submissions would render exchange or verification impracticable, and are therefore expressly prohibited.
In accordance with the foregoing directive, this notice is hereby issued for transmission. Upon receipt, the relevant foreign superintendent (‘Yi mu’ — a Qing-era administrative designation for the head of a foreign trading community, particularly at Canton) is required to comply strictly and procure the stipulated consignment accordingly.
Page 5
[Main text]
Fifteen bottles of high-quality foreign snuff are required; these must be carefully selected for their sharp, acidic aroma, golden-yellow hue, and fine, authentic texture—genuine imported (‘foreign’/‘Western’) snuff. The consignment is to be delivered to this Prefectural Office, accompanied by a detailed statement specifying the unit price and total value, pending official assessment and disbursement. This is a premium item intended for presentation to higher authorities; under no circumstances should counterfeit, adulterated, or otherwise substandard snuff be submitted, as such negligence would incur administrative censure.
Page 6
[Marginal note — right]
Rejection and replacement deemed inadvisable; proceed with utmost caution and dispatch. Special instruction.
Proceed immediately.
Page 7
[Page]
T16
[Stamp — centred]
Red rectangular official seal bearing vertical Chinese characters: *Guǎngzhōu Fǔ Dōngguān Xiàn Zhīxiàn Yìn* (Seal of the Magistrate of Dongguan County, Guangzhou Prefecture)
[Marginal note — top centre]
21st year of the Qianlong reign, fifth month (May 1756)
[Marginal note — centre, immediately below the seal]
22nd
[Marginal note — bottom centre]
Edict issued on this day
Page 8
[Page]
TJ6
[Stamp — left margin]
[Circular red seal bearing Chinese characters: ‘Edict issued on the twenty-second day of the fifth month in the twenty-second year of the Qianlong reign’ (1757)]
[Marginal note — left margin]
22nd day
Edict
[Main text]
To the appointed Magistrate of the Macau Maritime Defence and Civil-Military Administration, with six years’ official record, Wei,
Edict addressed to the foreign headmen of Macau, including Ma-cha-duo et al.
On the twenty-second day of the fifth month in the twenty-first year of the Qianlong reign (1756), the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi (‘Bu Yuan He Xian’) issued the following edict:
It is noted that our office customarily receives, on an annual basis, spring tribute items—these are traditionally ordered in advance so as to be duly prepared for formal presentation to the Imperial Court. Accordingly, the following item is required for submission this year:
Fifteen bottles of imported snuff (‘yang biyan’), to be delivered to this office by the tenth month of the current year. The snuff must be of authentic foreign origin, selected with care: it must possess a sharp, sour aroma; be golden-yellow in colour; and have a fine, even granulation. Under no circumstances may counterfeit or inferior-quality snuff be submitted, as such submissions will be rejected outright, and replacement will not be permitted.
In accordance with the above, this office hereby transmits the Viceroy’s edict to you, the foreign headmen of Macau. You are instructed immediately to procure fifteen bottles of the highest-grade imported snuff, strictly conforming to the specifications outlined above—namely, genuine foreign snuff, with a sour fragrance, golden-yellow hue, and fine texture—and deliver them to this office, accompanied by a detailed statement specifying their cost, pending official reimbursement.
This consignment constitutes an imperial tribute item; failure to comply with the stipulated quality requirements will result in rejection, and no substitution will be accepted. Act with due diligence and expedition.
Urgent. Urgent. Edict.
[Signature]
Wei