Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé
This abstract describes a Qing dynasty imperial edict issued on the 2nd day of the tenth lunar month in the forty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) by Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County, addressed to foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others. The document mandates th...
Saved in:
| Format: | Manuscripts |
|---|---|
| Published: |
1776-11-13
|
| Subjects: |
Guangdong bureaucratic governance
;
Macau Trade Administration
;
Official Seal Authentication
;
Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict
;
Xiangshan County magistrate
;
Yimu community leaders
;
authentic opium provenance
;
foreign opium procurement
;
lunar calendar compliance
;
opium regulation
;
ornamental bottle caps
;
Manuscripts
|
| Online Access: | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/HG8E8ABW/viewer_HG8E8ABW.html |
| _version_ | 1877197619031179264 |
|---|---|
| archiveLocation | PT/TT/DCHN/1/1/000047 |
| building | Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo |
| collection | Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo |
| description | This abstract describes a Qing dynasty imperial edict issued on the 2nd day of the tenth lunar month in the forty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) by Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County, addressed to foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others. The document mandates the procurement and delivery—within the first ten days of the tenth lunar month—of no less than four hundred catties (approximately 240 kg) of authentic foreign opium, characterised by its sharp, pungent odour and pale yellow, fine-grained appearance; it further directs the immediate despatch of an official envoy to Macau to purchase ornamental bottle caps for the storage and transport of this commodity. The edict references prior directives from the Provincial Administration Commissioner (fuxian) concerning tobacco snuff (bīyān) and rebukes foreign officials for allegedly false claims regarding vessel loss and lack of anchorage as excuses for non-compliance. Marginalia, multiple official seals—including one dated Qianlong 42 and another bearing the phrase ‘strictly prohibited; immediate action imperative’—and physical evidence of degradation (surface flaking, ink loss, indistinct stamps) are integral to the document’s material provenance. This edict constitutes a primary source for studying late eighteenth-century Sino-foreign commercial regulation, opium trade administration, local governance in Guangdong, and bureaucratic communication practices under the Qing dynasty. |
| first_indexed | 2026-05-17T07:57:44Z |
| format | Manuscripts |
| fulltext | [transcription]
{{PAGE:1}}
[Stamp — top center]
諭
[Marginalia — center]
303
T47
A476
{{PAGE:2}}
[Stamp — top right]
[Red seal: 香山縣正堂]
[Main text]
香山縣正堂楊
諭夷目唩囉哆等知悉照得
鼻烟一項現奉
撫憲諭催限於十月初旬繳送等因先經本縣
{{PAGE:3}}
[Main text]
剴切諭辦迄今日久該夷目均以小西洋船遭
風無姻塘塞並不留心上緊設法購辦殊屬玩
[Marginalia — left]
悞現奉
[Stamp — center right]
[Circular stamp: 6]
{{PAGE:4}}
[Main text]
憲催嚴切合再諭催諭到該夷目等立即設法
上緊確訪或有上年貯煙或有別路攜來務必
購覓味酸色黃而細真實洋煙四百餘觔并合
{{PAGE:5}}
[Main text]
式花樣瓶盖収貯馳禀
本縣以凴另差賫價来澳買繳
貢期逼近慎毋忽視大干未便切速飛速特諭
[Marginalia — left]
[Red circular stamp mark around characters “未便切速飛速”]
[Red ink brush stroke at bottom left, partially obscuring text]
{{PAGE:6}}
[Stamp — center]
[Red ink stamp: illegible characters, possibly Chinese or Japanese. Appears as vertical red smudges and partial strokes. Text is heavily degraded.] [Damage] [Paper shows extensive flaking and loss of surface material, particularly in upper half. White irregular patches indicate areas where ink or coating has peeled away.
{{PAGE:7}}
[Stamp — center]
[Red square seal with Chinese characters: 乾隆四十二年十月 初二日諭]
[Marginalia — right of stamp]
T47
[Main text]
乾隆四十二年十月
初二日諭
[translation]
{{PAGE:1}}
[Stamp — top centre]
Imperial Edict
[Marginalia — centre]
303
T47
A476
{{PAGE:2}}
[Stamp — top right]
[Red seal: Magistrate of Xiangshan County]
[Main text]
Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County,
hereby issues the following proclamation to the foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others:
Be it known that, pursuant to an official directive issued by the Provincial Administration Commissioner (fuxian), tobacco snuff (bīyān)—a commodity currently under provincial scrutiny—must be delivered to the county authorities no later than the first ten days of the tenth lunar month. This requirement was previously communicated to this office.
{{PAGE:3}}
[Main text]
It has now been a considerable time since the matter was formally and emphatically directed to be addressed; yet the foreign officials concerned have claimed—falsely—that their ‘Lesser Western Ocean’ vessel was wrecked by a storm and that no suitable anchorage or harbour was available, offering this as an excuse for their failure to take prompt and diligent measures to procure and supply the required items. Such conduct is manifestly negligent and derelict of duty.
[Marginalia — left]
Erroneous. Now ordered (i.e., correction issued).
[Stamp — centre right]
[Circular official seal: No. 6]
{{PAGE:4}}
The mandate is urgent and imperative; it is therefore reiterated once more that the said foreign superintendents must immediately take decisive measures to locate—through diligent and thorough inquiry—either opium stocks held over from the previous year or supplies recently brought in by alternative routes. They are expressly required to procure, without delay, no less than four hundred *catties* (approximately 240 kg) of authentic foreign opium, characterised by its sharp, pungent odour and pale yellow, fine-grained appearance.
{{PAGE:5}}
**Official Dispatch Concerning the Procurement of Decorative Bottle Caps for Storage and Transport**
The present county administration hereby instructs that a separate official envoy be despatched forthwith to Macau to purchase and deliver the requisite ornamental bottle caps.
As the tribute deadline approaches, utmost diligence is required: negligence in this matter would constitute a serious administrative breach and is therefore strictly prohibited. Immediate action is imperative. This directive is issued with urgent authority.
*
[Marginalia — left-hand margin]
*
[Red circular seal impression enclosing the characters *“wei bian qie su fei su”* (‘strictly prohibited; immediate action imperative’)]
[Red ink brushstroke at lower left, partially obscuring adjacent text]
{{PAGE:6}}
[Stamp — centred]
[Red ink stamp: illegible characters, likely Chinese or Japanese in origin; the impression is severely degraded, comprising vertical red smudges and fragmented brushstrokes. The stamp is indistinct and cannot be transcribed with certainty.]
[Physical damage]
[The paper exhibits extensive surface flaking and loss of substrate, particularly across the upper half of the sheet. Irregular white patches indicate areas where the original sizing, ink layer, or surface coating has detached or eroded.]
{{PAGE:7}}
[Stamp — centred]
[Red square seal bearing the Chinese characters: ‘2nd day of the 10th month, Qianlong 42’]
[Marginal note — right of stamp]
T47
[Main text]
Edict issued on the 2nd day of the 10th month in the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) |
| fulltext_transcription | {{PAGE:1}}
[Stamp — top center]
諭
[Marginalia — center]
303
T47
A476
{{PAGE:2}}
[Stamp — top right]
[Red seal: 香山縣正堂]
[Main text]
香山縣正堂楊
諭夷目唩囉哆等知悉照得
鼻烟一項現奉
撫憲諭催限於十月初旬繳送等因先經本縣
{{PAGE:3}}
[Main text]
剴切諭辦迄今日久該夷目均以小西洋船遭
風無姻塘塞並不留心上緊設法購辦殊屬玩
[Marginalia — left]
悞現奉
[Stamp — center right]
[Circular stamp: 6]
{{PAGE:4}}
[Main text]
憲催嚴切合再諭催諭到該夷目等立即設法
上緊確訪或有上年貯煙或有別路攜來務必
購覓味酸色黃而細真實洋煙四百餘觔并合
{{PAGE:5}}
[Main text]
式花樣瓶盖収貯馳禀
本縣以凴另差賫價来澳買繳
貢期逼近慎毋忽視大干未便切速飛速特諭
[Marginalia — left]
[Red circular stamp mark around characters “未便切速飛速”]
[Red ink brush stroke at bottom left, partially obscuring text]
{{PAGE:6}}
[Stamp — center]
[Red ink stamp: illegible characters, possibly Chinese or Japanese. Appears as vertical red smudges and partial strokes. Text is heavily degraded.] [Damage] [Paper shows extensive flaking and loss of surface material, particularly in upper half. White irregular patches indicate areas where ink or coating has peeled away.
{{PAGE:7}}
[Stamp — center]
[Red square seal with Chinese characters: 乾隆四十二年十月 初二日諭]
[Marginalia — right of stamp]
T47
[Main text]
乾隆四十二年十月
初二日諭 |
| fulltext_translation | {{PAGE:1}}
[Stamp — top centre]
Imperial Edict
[Marginalia — centre]
303
T47
A476
{{PAGE:2}}
[Stamp — top right]
[Red seal: Magistrate of Xiangshan County]
[Main text]
Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County,
hereby issues the following proclamation to the foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others:
Be it known that, pursuant to an official directive issued by the Provincial Administration Commissioner (fuxian), tobacco snuff (bīyān)—a commodity currently under provincial scrutiny—must be delivered to the county authorities no later than the first ten days of the tenth lunar month. This requirement was previously communicated to this office.
{{PAGE:3}}
[Main text]
It has now been a considerable time since the matter was formally and emphatically directed to be addressed; yet the foreign officials concerned have claimed—falsely—that their ‘Lesser Western Ocean’ vessel was wrecked by a storm and that no suitable anchorage or harbour was available, offering this as an excuse for their failure to take prompt and diligent measures to procure and supply the required items. Such conduct is manifestly negligent and derelict of duty.
[Marginalia — left]
Erroneous. Now ordered (i.e., correction issued).
[Stamp — centre right]
[Circular official seal: No. 6]
{{PAGE:4}}
The mandate is urgent and imperative; it is therefore reiterated once more that the said foreign superintendents must immediately take decisive measures to locate—through diligent and thorough inquiry—either opium stocks held over from the previous year or supplies recently brought in by alternative routes. They are expressly required to procure, without delay, no less than four hundred *catties* (approximately 240 kg) of authentic foreign opium, characterised by its sharp, pungent odour and pale yellow, fine-grained appearance.
{{PAGE:5}}
**Official Dispatch Concerning the Procurement of Decorative Bottle Caps for Storage and Transport**
The present county administration hereby instructs that a separate official envoy be despatched forthwith to Macau to purchase and deliver the requisite ornamental bottle caps.
As the tribute deadline approaches, utmost diligence is required: negligence in this matter would constitute a serious administrative breach and is therefore strictly prohibited. Immediate action is imperative. This directive is issued with urgent authority.
*
[Marginalia — left-hand margin]
*
[Red circular seal impression enclosing the characters *“wei bian qie su fei su”* (‘strictly prohibited; immediate action imperative’)]
[Red ink brushstroke at lower left, partially obscuring adjacent text]
{{PAGE:6}}
[Stamp — centred]
[Red ink stamp: illegible characters, likely Chinese or Japanese in origin; the impression is severely degraded, comprising vertical red smudges and fragmented brushstrokes. The stamp is indistinct and cannot be transcribed with certainty.]
[Physical damage]
[The paper exhibits extensive surface flaking and loss of substrate, particularly across the upper half of the sheet. Irregular white patches indicate areas where the original sizing, ink layer, or surface coating has detached or eroded.]
{{PAGE:7}}
[Stamp — centred]
[Red square seal bearing the Chinese characters: ‘2nd day of the 10th month, Qianlong 42’]
[Marginal note — right of stamp]
T47
[Main text]
Edict issued on the 2nd day of the 10th month in the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) |
| genre | Manuscripts |
| genre_facet | Manuscripts |
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| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-6E6PR22G zotero-coll-HDYWE267 zotero-coll-PAAL2UHW |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Chapas Sínicas Maço 1 Transcriptions |
| hierarchy_sequence | 0000 0000 0000 |
| hierarchy_top_id | zotero-coll-WX87PJHD zotero-coll-WX87PJHD zotero-coll-WX87PJHD |
| hierarchy_top_title | News News News |
| hierarchytype | Default |
| id | zotero-HG8E8ABW |
| institution | zotero_group |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-24T07:28:05Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-24T07:28:05Z |
| publishDate | 1776-11-13 |
| publishDateRange | 1776 |
| publishDateSort | 1776 |
| record_format | zotero |
| spelling | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé This abstract describes a Qing dynasty imperial edict issued on the 2nd day of the tenth lunar month in the forty-second year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) by Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County, addressed to foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others. The document mandates the procurement and delivery—within the first ten days of the tenth lunar month—of no less than four hundred catties (approximately 240 kg) of authentic foreign opium, characterised by its sharp, pungent odour and pale yellow, fine-grained appearance; it further directs the immediate despatch of an official envoy to Macau to purchase ornamental bottle caps for the storage and transport of this commodity. The edict references prior directives from the Provincial Administration Commissioner (fuxian) concerning tobacco snuff (bīyān) and rebukes foreign officials for allegedly false claims regarding vessel loss and lack of anchorage as excuses for non-compliance. Marginalia, multiple official seals—including one dated Qianlong 42 and another bearing the phrase ‘strictly prohibited; immediate action imperative’—and physical evidence of degradation (surface flaking, ink loss, indistinct stamps) are integral to the document’s material provenance. This edict constitutes a primary source for studying late eighteenth-century Sino-foreign commercial regulation, opium trade administration, local governance in Guangdong, and bureaucratic communication practices under the Qing dynasty. Manuscripts Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo PT/TT/DCHN/1/1/000047 1776-11-13 Guangdong bureaucratic governance Macau Trade Administration Official Seal Authentication Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict Xiangshan County magistrate Yimu community leaders authentic opium provenance foreign opium procurement lunar calendar compliance opium regulation ornamental bottle caps {{PAGE:1}} [Stamp — top center] 諭 [Marginalia — center] 303 T47 A476 {{PAGE:2}} [Stamp — top right] [Red seal: 香山縣正堂] [Main text] 香山縣正堂楊 諭夷目唩囉哆等知悉照得 鼻烟一項現奉 撫憲諭催限於十月初旬繳送等因先經本縣 {{PAGE:3}} [Main text] 剴切諭辦迄今日久該夷目均以小西洋船遭 風無姻塘塞並不留心上緊設法購辦殊屬玩 [Marginalia — left] 悞現奉 [Stamp — center right] [Circular stamp: 6] {{PAGE:4}} [Main text] 憲催嚴切合再諭催諭到該夷目等立即設法 上緊確訪或有上年貯煙或有別路攜來務必 購覓味酸色黃而細真實洋煙四百餘觔并合 {{PAGE:5}} [Main text] 式花樣瓶盖収貯馳禀 本縣以凴另差賫價来澳買繳 貢期逼近慎毋忽視大干未便切速飛速特諭 [Marginalia — left] [Red circular stamp mark around characters “未便切速飛速”] [Red ink brush stroke at bottom left, partially obscuring text] {{PAGE:6}} [Stamp — center] [Red ink stamp: illegible characters, possibly Chinese or Japanese. Appears as vertical red smudges and partial strokes. Text is heavily degraded.] [Damage] [Paper shows extensive flaking and loss of surface material, particularly in upper half. White irregular patches indicate areas where ink or coating has peeled away. {{PAGE:7}} [Stamp — center] [Red square seal with Chinese characters: 乾隆四十二年十月 初二日諭] [Marginalia — right of stamp] T47 [Main text] 乾隆四十二年十月 初二日諭 {{PAGE:1}} [Stamp — top centre] Imperial Edict [Marginalia — centre] 303 T47 A476 {{PAGE:2}} [Stamp — top right] [Red seal: Magistrate of Xiangshan County] [Main text] Yang, Magistrate of Xiangshan County, hereby issues the following proclamation to the foreign community leaders (yimu), including Vilaudo and others: Be it known that, pursuant to an official directive issued by the Provincial Administration Commissioner (fuxian), tobacco snuff (bīyān)—a commodity currently under provincial scrutiny—must be delivered to the county authorities no later than the first ten days of the tenth lunar month. This requirement was previously communicated to this office. {{PAGE:3}} [Main text] It has now been a considerable time since the matter was formally and emphatically directed to be addressed; yet the foreign officials concerned have claimed—falsely—that their ‘Lesser Western Ocean’ vessel was wrecked by a storm and that no suitable anchorage or harbour was available, offering this as an excuse for their failure to take prompt and diligent measures to procure and supply the required items. Such conduct is manifestly negligent and derelict of duty. [Marginalia — left] Erroneous. Now ordered (i.e., correction issued). [Stamp — centre right] [Circular official seal: No. 6] {{PAGE:4}} The mandate is urgent and imperative; it is therefore reiterated once more that the said foreign superintendents must immediately take decisive measures to locate—through diligent and thorough inquiry—either opium stocks held over from the previous year or supplies recently brought in by alternative routes. They are expressly required to procure, without delay, no less than four hundred *catties* (approximately 240 kg) of authentic foreign opium, characterised by its sharp, pungent odour and pale yellow, fine-grained appearance. {{PAGE:5}} **Official Dispatch Concerning the Procurement of Decorative Bottle Caps for Storage and Transport** The present county administration hereby instructs that a separate official envoy be despatched forthwith to Macau to purchase and deliver the requisite ornamental bottle caps. As the tribute deadline approaches, utmost diligence is required: negligence in this matter would constitute a serious administrative breach and is therefore strictly prohibited. Immediate action is imperative. This directive is issued with urgent authority. * [Marginalia — left-hand margin] * [Red circular seal impression enclosing the characters *“wei bian qie su fei su”* (‘strictly prohibited; immediate action imperative’)] [Red ink brushstroke at lower left, partially obscuring adjacent text] {{PAGE:6}} [Stamp — centred] [Red ink stamp: illegible characters, likely Chinese or Japanese in origin; the impression is severely degraded, comprising vertical red smudges and fragmented brushstrokes. The stamp is indistinct and cannot be transcribed with certainty.] [Physical damage] [The paper exhibits extensive surface flaking and loss of substrate, particularly across the upper half of the sheet. Irregular white patches indicate areas where the original sizing, ink layer, or surface coating has detached or eroded.] {{PAGE:7}} [Stamp — centred] [Red square seal bearing the Chinese characters: ‘2nd day of the 10th month, Qianlong 42’] [Marginal note — right of stamp] T47 [Main text] Edict issued on the 2nd day of the 10th month in the 42nd year of the Qianlong reign (1777 CE) |
| spellingShingle | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé Guangdong bureaucratic governance Macau Trade Administration Official Seal Authentication Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict Xiangshan County magistrate Yimu community leaders authentic opium provenance foreign opium procurement lunar calendar compliance opium regulation ornamental bottle caps |
| title | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_autocomplete | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_full | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_fullStr | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_short | Ofício do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, Yang, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| title_sort | ofício do magistrado do distrito de xiangshan, yang, ao procurador de macau, sobre a compra de rapé |
| topic | Guangdong bureaucratic governance Macau Trade Administration Official Seal Authentication Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict Xiangshan County magistrate Yimu community leaders authentic opium provenance foreign opium procurement lunar calendar compliance opium regulation ornamental bottle caps |
| topic_autocomplete | Guangdong bureaucratic governance Macau Trade Administration Official Seal Authentication Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict Xiangshan County magistrate Yimu community leaders authentic opium provenance foreign opium procurement lunar calendar compliance opium regulation ornamental bottle caps |
| topic_facet | Guangdong bureaucratic governance Macau Trade Administration Official Seal Authentication Qing Dynasty Imperial Edict Xiangshan County magistrate Yimu community leaders authentic opium provenance foreign opium procurement lunar calendar compliance opium regulation ornamental bottle caps |
| url | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/HG8E8ABW/viewer_HG8E8ABW.html |
| zotero_collection_key | 6E6PR22G HDYWE267 PAAL2UHW |