Letter of the Consul to the ministry of foreign affairs about arrival of the cruiser Vasco da Gama
This official diplomatic correspondence, dated 5 May 1904, originates from the General Consulate of Portugal in Shanghai and is addressed to a high-ranking Portuguese authority. Classified as a formal notification, the document records the arrival of the Portuguese cruiser "Vasco da Gama" in Shangha...
Saved in:
| Summary: | This official diplomatic correspondence, dated 5 May 1904, originates from the General Consulate of Portugal in Shanghai and is addressed to a high-ranking Portuguese authority. Classified as a formal notification, the document records the arrival of the Portuguese cruiser "Vasco da Gama" in Shanghai at approximately 16:00 on the same date. The vessel had sailed from Hong Kong under the command of Captain of Sea and War Manuel Lourenço Vasco de Carvalho, a senior naval officer in the Portuguese Navy. Sent under reference number 228 I A, the communication underscores the operational movements of Portuguese naval assets in East Asia during the early 20th century. The content reflects the administrative and strategic functions of Portugal’s consular presence in Shanghai, serving both diplomatic and maritime oversight roles within the context of European colonial and commercial interests in China. The mention of the ship’s name, a prominent figure in Portuguese maritime history, reinforces the symbolic and practical dimensions of naval deployment in maintaining national presence abroad. This document provides valuable insight into Portugal’s extraterritorial operations, naval logistics, and diplomatic protocols in treaty port China during the late Qing dynasty. It is a primary source relevant to studies of colonialism, maritime history, and international relations in East Asia during the imperial era. |
|---|