Ofício do assistente do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Xing, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a deliberação respeitante ao caso do morador Li Shi-Bao de Macau que requereu autorização para desempenhar a tarefa de fornecedor dos navios espanhóis que vem de Manila a Macau para tratarem de comércio
Transcription
Page 1
[Page]
T26
[Archival mark]
352 T26
[Stamp — top right]
[Red stamp, partially visible: 居字第二]
[Stamp — left center]
[Red square seal with Chinese characters: 香山縣知縣印]
[Marginalia — left]
分縣
[Marginalia — left, below stamp]
乾隆三十二年九月 初八日
[Marginalia — bottom left]
限二日繳
[Main text]
特授廣州府香山縣左堂加三級紀錄八次又軍功紀錄二次為 披歷苦情乞恩垂憐准給買辦俾活家命事。現據黎世寶稟前事，稱切蟻在澳貿易歷業年久，通曉夷語。本年六月內適有江西省蔣日達等在澳接引夷人呢嘟安當潛往江西被獲解回發審。僱人飭撥諳曉夷語之人赴省傳話，荷蒙臺恩將蟻移送赴省伺候傳話，至今數月飢苦難堪。伏查澳地連年均有呂宋國夷人洋船赴澳貿易，必須買辦，只得匍叩仁臺格外施恩，准蟻充當該國軍民府憲稟請給照，並懇恩行知夷目俾免別人佔奪等情。據此，隨查黎世寶本分良民，且頗曉夷語，據稟前情業經批准承充在案，合就行知。為此仰你該夷目噉噠哆等即便遵照：嗣後遇有呂宋國夷人洋船到澳貿易，其所須買辦人等即著黎世寶兄弟克當，毋許別人混行佔奪。該夷目並傳知雞司攔廟夷僧一體遵照，均毋有違，速了須牌。
[Signature]
右仰夷目噉噠哆准此
[Stamp — lower right]
[Red circular stamp, partially visible: (Selo ilegível)] [Handwritten annotation — left margin, vertical] 行 [Handwritten annotation — center, vertical] 92.1 t91.
Translation
Page 1
[Page]
T26
[Archival reference mark]
352 T26
[Stamp — top right]
[Red seal, partially legible: *Ju zi di er* (‘Residence Character No. 2’)]
[Stamp — left centre]
[Red square official seal bearing the Chinese characters: *Xiangshan Xian Zhixian Yin* — ‘Seal of the Magistrate of Xiangshan County’]
[Marginal note — left margin]
*Fen xian* — ‘Sub-county magistrate’ (i.e., deputy magistrate or assistant magistrate)
[Marginal note — left margin, below seal]
8th day of the 9th month, Qianlong 32nd year (1767)
[Marginal note — bottom left]
‘To be returned within two days.’
[Main text]
To the Hon. Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County, Guangzhou Prefecture, with three additional ranks and eight entries in the official record of meritorious service, plus two further entries for military merit:
Petition concerning the petitioner’s long-standing hardship and earnest plea for compassionate consideration and official authorisation to serve as *maiban* (licensed comprador), thereby securing the livelihood of his household.
The petitioner, Li Shibao, respectfully submits that he has engaged in trade at Macau for many years and is proficient in foreign languages (particularly those spoken by Western merchants). In the sixth month of the current year [1767], Jiang Rida and others from Jiangxi Province were apprehended in Macau for clandestinely facilitating the travel of a foreigner—Nidu Andang (a transliteration of *Nicolás Andang*, likely a Spanish or Filipino merchant)—to Jiangxi; they were subsequently arrested, repatriated to Guangdong for judicial investigation, and interrogated. At that time, officials required an interpreter fluent in foreign languages to be dispatched to the provincial capital (Guangzhou) to assist in questioning. By your Honour’s benevolence, the petitioner was selected and sent to Guangzhou to serve as interpreter, where he has remained for several months, enduring severe privation and hardship.
It is further submitted that, in accordance with established practice, vessels from the Kingdom of Luzon (i.e., Spanish-ruled Philippines) regularly call at Macau for trade; such commerce necessitates the appointment of licensed *maiban* (compradors), who act as officially sanctioned intermediaries between foreign merchants and Qing authorities. The petitioner therefore humbly entreats Your Honour’s extraordinary favour in permitting him to assume this office on behalf of the Luzonian merchants. He respectfully requests that an official licence (*zhao*) be issued to him under the authority of the Provincial Administration Commission (*Junmin Fu*, lit. ‘Military-Civilian Administration Office’) and that formal notification be transmitted to the relevant foreign authorities (*Yi mu*, i.e., the *Capitão-mor* or chief Portuguese official in Macau) to prevent usurpation of this post by others.
Having reviewed the above, it is confirmed that Li Shibao is a registered law-abiding subject of this county and possesses demonstrable competence in foreign languages. His petition has already been examined and provisionally approved for appointment as *maiban*. Accordingly, official notification is hereby issued.
You are therefore instructed, *Yi mu* (Chief Foreign Official) Enta Duo [i.e., António de Almeida, Capitão-mor of Macau, 1766–1768] and other competent foreign authorities, to comply strictly with the following directive: Henceforth, whenever vessels from the Kingdom of Luzon arrive in Macau for commercial purposes, the appointed *maiban* shall be Li Shibao and his brothers exclusively; no other person shall be permitted to assume or interfere with this function. You are further directed to communicate this order to the *Jisi Lan Miao Yi Seng* (i.e., the Buddhist monks officiating at the *Casa de Misericórdia* or ‘House of Mercy’—a charitable institution administered by the Macau Senate and often conflated in Qing records with religious or communal establishments; here, likely referring to the Portuguese municipal authorities or ecclesiastical representatives acting in administrative capacity). All concerned parties are to observe this instruction without deviation. Prompt compliance is required.
[Signature]
By order of the Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County: This directive is issued to *Yi mu* Enta Duo for execution.
[Stamp — lower right]
[Red circular seal, illegible]
[Handwritten annotation — left margin, vertical]
*Xing* — ‘To be implemented’
[Handwritten annotation — centre, vertical]
92.1 t91.