Cópia do ofício do mandarim da alfândega de Cantão, Shu, e dos delegados, da alfândega de Macau, sobre a notificação para a detenção de um Europeu da Igreja de São Paulo, Su Qi-Wen (padre Paulo), por missionação ilegal em Shaoguan (cidade situada no norte da província de Guangdong)
Transcription
Page 1
[Title]
奧門口諭
[Marginalia — center]
593
T313
Page 2
[Stamp — left margin]
[Circular red seal: 粵海關印]
[Main text]
欽命督理粵海關稅務上駟院卿加八級紀錄十次
諭
奧門口委員家人口書等知悉照得本年二月
十九日有四艙船一隻行抵韶關經閩上
Page 3
[Main text]
巡役向查內有一人削髮留辮有鬚頭
戴煖帽身穿袍子馬蹄貌似西洋
人形跡可疑餘人亦俱慌張當即稟
Page 4
[Main text]
經南韶道督役拏獲西洋人蘇起
文及劉之深李立誠并搜出圖像經
本銅牌銅十字架銅人漢字番字
Page 5
[Main text]
各書信訊據劉之深供稱係湖
北麻城縣人前住省城西關邏羅館
已入教門朱姓屋內詢知南海縣人倪
Page 6
[Main text]
高俊能說西洋言語邀徑到澳延請西
洋人赴川傳教隨至三巴廟吧地剎家
轉請西洋人保祿剃髮改裝更名蘓
Page 7
[Main text]
報文催船戶鍾仁秀船到韶被獲現
有李彌厄在佛山傳教有義和號番
信一封係奧門落膝堂鬼子帶交重
Page 8
[Main text]
慶堂羅教主查収並開陳溥教名陳
味唆倪高俊教名倪方濟劉之深教
名劉顥斯教師張梦之羅瑪蹄厄吧
Page 9
[Main text]
哋咧保祿即蘇起文船戸鍾仁秀李立
誠教名李伯多祿李彌厄李若瑟等情
查夷人私自出入并同漢人交接均干例
禁今被盤獲西洋人蘇起文擅自剃髮
改裝進入內地傳教殊屬大干法紀合行
Page 10
[Main text]
飭知諭到該委員等遵照刷後如遇夷
人批照上省下粵及閩時夷人與漢人私
自交接務須留心稽查倘有前項情弊
一聞確信速即參稟核辦此諭之後如
敢怠忽偷安致有疏縱及格外藉
Page 11
[Main text]
端擾累等事一經查出或別處發覺除
將該家人書役等嚴提究辦外該委
員亦一併咨參決不少貸毋違特諭
[Marginalia — left]
嘉慶二年三月初四
Page 12
[Page]
[UNREADABLE: entire surface shows no legible text, only paper degradation, white flaking areas, and a faint reddish stain near upper right quadrant]
Translation
Page 1
— TITLE —
Macau Ordinance
— MARGINALIA (centred) —
593
T313
Page 2
[Stamp — left margin]
[Circular red seal: ‘Yuehai Customs Office Seal’]
[Main text]
His Imperial Majesty’s Appointed Supervisor of the Yuehai Customs, a Court Gentleman of the Imperial Stud (Shangsiyuan), with Eight Additional Ranks and Ten Entries in the Official Merit Register,
hereby issues the following proclamation:
To the Commissioner at Macau, the local officials, household heads, and all concerned parties—take notice.
It has come to our attention that, on the nineteenth day of the second lunar month of this year, a four-compartment vessel arrived at Shaoguan. The vessel had departed from Fujian Province.
Page 3
The patrol officer reported that, during his inspection, he observed an individual who had shaved the crown of his head but retained a queue and facial hair; he wore a warm cap and a robe, and his gait resembled that of a Westerner. His demeanour aroused suspicion, and the other persons present likewise appeared visibly agitated. The officer immediately submitted a formal report to his superior.
Page 4
Apprehended by the Nan-Shao Circuit Intendant’s Office: the Westerner Su Qi, together with Liu Zhishen and Li Licheng.
Images, a bronze tablet, a bronze crucifix, and a bronze statuette were also seized.
The inscriptions on these objects comprise both Chinese characters and foreign (i.e., European) script.
Page 5
[Main text]
According to the testimony of Liu Zhishen, the letters in question were sent by him, a native of Macheng County, Hubei Province, who had formerly resided at the Luo Luo Hostel (Luo Luo Guan) in the western gate district of the provincial capital. He had already been admitted into the Christian faith. Upon inquiry at the residence of Mr Zhu, it was ascertained that the individual concerned was Ni, a native of Nanhai County.
Page 6
[Main text]
Gao Jun was able to speak Western (i.e., European, specifically Portuguese) languages and, having travelled directly to Macau, invited Western missionaries to Sichuan to preach the Christian faith. Upon arriving in Macau, he proceeded to the Sam Po Temple (São Paulo Church), where he approached the Jesuit residence (‘Badi’ or ‘Badi Jia’, a phonetic rendering of *Casa* [House]—i.e., the Jesuit College and residence adjacent to the church); there, he arranged for the Western missionary Paulus (i.e., Fr. Paolo Spinola, SJ) to undergo tonsure, adopt Chinese clerical attire, and assume the Sinicised name *Su*.
Page 7
[Main text]
Report: The vessel belonging to the shipowner Zhong Renxiu was intercepted upon arrival in Shaoguan.
Currently, Li Mi’e is engaged in missionary activity in Foshan. The merchant firm Yihao (‘Righteous Harmony’) has sent a letter from Macau, which was delivered by a foreigner (lit. ‘ghost-foreigner’) associated with the Luoqi Tang (‘Kneeling-in-Prayer Hall’) chapel in Macau.
Page 8
[Main text]
Qingtang Luo, Master of the Luo Teaching, investigated and formally reported the following individuals:
Chen Pu-jiao (secular name Chen Wei-suo);
Ni Gao-jun (religious name Ni Fang-ji);
Liu Zhi-shen (religious name Liu Hao-si);
and the instructor Zhang Meng-zhi (Romanised as Romatier).
Page 9
[Main text]
These individuals—namely, the Portuguese missionary Su Qiwen (also recorded as *Sousa*, or *Soza*), and Chinese Catholic converts Li Renxiu (baptismal name: Pedro Li), Li Li (baptismal name: Miguel Li), and Li Ruose (baptismal name: José Li)—are all associated with the Church of St Paul in Macau.
It has been ascertained that foreigners entering or leaving the territory without official authorisation, and engaging in unauthorised contact with Han Chinese subjects, contravene established imperial regulations. In the present case, the Westerner Su Qiwen was apprehended while travelling inland without permission; he had shaved his head and adopted local dress in order to conceal his foreign identity and conduct clandestine missionary activity—an act constituting a grave violation of statutory law and administrative discipline. Accordingly, formal disciplinary action is warranted.
Page 10
[Main text]
You are hereby instructed to take due note of, and strictly comply with, the following directive:
Henceforth, whenever foreign nationals (‘Yi’—a historical Sino-Portuguese administrative term for non-Chinese, particularly Western foreigners under Qing-era usage) present official travel permits (*piao-chao*) en route to Guangdong (Canton) or Fujian provinces, you shall diligently monitor and regulate all interactions between such foreigners and Chinese subjects. Any unauthorised private contact or clandestine communication is strictly prohibited. You are required to maintain vigilant oversight and conduct regular inspections to prevent such infractions.
Should credible evidence of any such breach come to your attention, you must immediately submit a formal memorial (*chan-ping*) to the relevant superior authority for investigation and adjudication.
Failure to observe this directive—through negligence, complacency, dereliction of duty, or abuse of office—will incur disciplinary action in accordance with established administrative protocols.
Page 11
[Main text]
Concerning disturbances, abuses, and similar matters: once such conduct has been discovered—whether through official investigation or reported from elsewhere—the offending domestic servants, clerks, and other subordinate personnel shall be rigorously summoned and duly prosecuted. Moreover, the responsible supervising official shall likewise be formally reported to the relevant higher authority for disciplinary censure; no leniency whatsoever will be shown. This order is issued with strict injunction—failure to comply will not be tolerated.
[Marginalia — left]
4th day of the third lunar month, second year of the Jiaqing reign (1797 CE)
Page 12
[Page]
[Illegible: the entire surface exhibits no legible text; preservation damage includes extensive paper degradation, areas of white flaking (indicative of cellulose hydrolysis and pigment loss), and a faint reddish stain—possibly iron gall ink corrosion or organic dye residue—located in the upper right quadrant.]