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SEPTEMBER, 1927]
BOOK-NOTICES
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BOOK-NOTICES
THE CHRONICLES OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY about the Anglo-Chinese trade and those who TRADING TO CHINA, 1635-1834, by H. B. MORSE, carried it on, which he could not possibly leam LL.D. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1926; 4 vols. otherwise. The book, however, is strictly
This monumental work of untold labour, which chronicle, and the searcher will have to find out is of the greatest value to all students of the doings for himself the story of any particular institution. of the great East India Company, is based chiefly e.g., of the Hoppo, but he will find that the whole on the records at the India Office, placed
of it is there. It is, indeed, a true mine of informaat the disposal of the suthor. Right good use tion and Dr. Mome shows himself to be a guide has he made of the liberajity shown him, to produce that can help the student to explore it successfully. a work which all must consult who wish to know The second volume carries on the story to 1804 the details of the work of the English in China and gives a chronicle of the same class of endless in the early days. There are unfortunate gaps trouble is heretofore, but the scene of course ever in the records up to 1775 for reasons the author, varies as the trade progresses and customs become perhaps wisely, does not explain, and like all gaps |
• not explain. And like all capsl established. In 1788 there was an attempt the they occur just at the wrong time. One gap first of its kind to settle matters with the Chinese from 1705 to 1711 covers the periods of the small Imperial Government and Colonel Cathear of the gamation of the London and East India Companies. Bengal Army was sent out as ambassador, but - period of special interest and another of
he died on the way and never mached China. In 20 years (1756-1774) covers important Vents
1793 took place the celebrated embassy of Lord like "The Seven Years' War and the North
Macartney, which eventually failed in its purpose American Acts—the Stamp Act and the Toa Tax."
of obtaining "& modest charter for the English Despite the defects in the records an immense
trade," secured later on only by force in 1842. amount of information is placed at the disposal
The trade, however, went on again in the old way of students, from the days of single ships under
-trade trouble in China, wars in Europe. Opium super-cargoes, who were sometimes the Comman
became important as a commodity, and continued ders themselves, to the yearly Council of Super to be very troublesome as an article of trade through cargoes, superseded in 1786 by the Select Com- all the Company's days. Dangerous incidents from mittee. The trade was ewentially an English
time to time occurred, partly owing to the difference trade, in which a number of Scotchmen were
between English and Chinese customs and ideas engaged, and was carried on by means of a small in regard to justice. One such incident was amount of goods and a great amount of dollars the very serious affair of the Lady Hughes in 1784, for investment in a not large selection of the
when & Chinaman was accidentally killed in the products of China. It was carried on under
firing of a salute. Chinese custom demanded enormous difficulties, and the records given in the
Vengeance for the death whether accidental or other. book show an astonishing amount of human nature
wise, and a highly dangerous situation arose. In 1799 on its worst, the greedy side. The first volume there was a similar incident over the Providence, of the Chronicles (1635–1774) shows the Chinese
which, however, brought out the great valng of merchant, who might otherwise have been honest
Sir George Thomas Staunton's knowledge of enough from old trade Association, under the
Chinese. In this way, the Chinese trade was thumb of a new Tarter aristocracy, which had
liable to entirely unforeseen disturbance over no knowledge of the ethics of commercial dealings,
mere accidents and misunderstandings, to say and only the readiest and crudest notions of filling
nothing of political troubles, such as the sudden their own pockets. That any trade was carried on
death of an Emperor in 1799, to be succeeded by at all is evidence of English tenacity.
another who rovered what he could of his predeces The volume commences with a new view of Wed. sor's acts, not necessarily however with evil effect. dell's voyage to Canton in 1637 for the Courteen The risks of carrying on trade were as great as ever. Association. From the delightful pages of
Volume III takes the tale to 1820. Between Peter Mundy's account we have what may be
1805 and that datė piracy had become a burning called the social and travelling sides of that venture. question and the opium trade still gave grave In this book we get the commercial side, which trouble. In 1807 occurred the case of the Neptune, shows that the Courteen venture did more har presenting the usual type of dispute where Chinese than good. Then the narrative goes on steadily and Englishmen were concerned, and leading to in great detail showing the strenuous and comeless
& celebrated trial of English sailors before a Chinese struggle between the English adventurers and the
Court. In 1808 the English temporarily occupied Chinose Officials. Here and there, by the way,
Macao in the course of the wars then generally the reader leams, through Dr. Morse's clear current between European natione proceeding exposition and admirable notel, how the various
that did little good to the English trade with the commercial habits and terms, now obtaining and Chinese. On the whole, however, trade proceeded mod, came one by one into existence. It is not a during the period 1806-1820 with perhape less book to review, but it tells the searcher things friction than before. In 1816 there took plaer
