The China Pilot - together with - Large Folio Atlas of 25 Admiralty Charts - Captain Richard Collinson, Robert Loney

1855 - Published by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, Printed for the Hydrographic Office - First Edition, Charts as Detailed
The China Pilot contains sailing directions for the East Coast of China from Hong Kong to Shanghai, including the Meiaco-sima, Loochoo, and the islands to the north-east of them. The work was originally drawn up by Captain Collinson, C.B. from surveys of that coast made by himself, Captain Kellett, C.B. and Lieutenants Bate and Gordon, R.N., between the years 1841-5, and the appendix from surveys of Captain F.W. Beechey, Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., Rear Admiral Cecille, and the officers of the French Corvette La Sabine, and the United States Japanese Expedition, 1851-3.

Together with a large finely bound folio atlas containing 25 charts (ten are double page), published between 1840 and 1860. Of which 22 are British Admiralty charts including those of the First Survey of the China Coast by Collinson and Kellett. The remaining three are French Charts.
 
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Price HK$ 220,000



1857 to 1858
The original 320 page hand-written journal of Captain Robert Jenkins, during his time as Commander of HMS Actaeon for the year 1857 and HMS Comus in 1857, both ships active off the coast of China, mostly around Canton. Included is a hand drawn and water coloured sketch of Chinese villagers being forced to kowtow to the Union Jack. Finely bound in contemporary black calf and brass locks.

HMS Actaeon was commissioned in 1857 to serve as a survey vessel off the coast of China, under the command of Captain William Thornton Bate. She was present at the bombardment of Canton in 1857,where Bate was shot and killed on 29th. December. Captain Robert Jenkins took over the command of the ship and his journal refers to the bombardment of Canton, surveying factories, disputes over land between British and Chinese merchants. It also covers skirmishes with armed junks and defence of the Barrier. Locations include Hong Kong ,Canton, Macao and Amoy.

According to the Journal it appears that Jenkins was wounded seriously on June 30th 1858, and on September 16th ‘Joined Commander J Ward, [vice?] Captain R Jenkins discharged to Half Pay’, September 18th ‘I went to Shanghai with Commander Ward’, from whence Jenkins travelled to Hong Kong, Singapore, Penang, Galli, Aden, Alexandria, Malta, Gibralter, Falmouth, arriving in Southampton 19th November, one month after leaving Shanghai.

Journal Size 29 x 23.5 cm. pp. [4] [144 (1st January to 31st December 1857 as Commander of HMS Comus)] [9 (Summary of year 1857 as Commander of HMS Comus)] [1]; [7(January 1-19th, last days as Commander of HMS Comus)] [1] [92 (January 20th to 19th November as Commander of HMS Actaeon)] [4] [8 (Summary of year 1857 as Commander of HMS Actaeon)] [50]. Paper watermarked ‘1852’ ‘Fellows’.
 
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Price HK$ 130,000



Borneo and the Indian Archipelago. With Drawings of Costume and Scenery - Frank S. Marryat

1848 - Longman, London - First Edition
A superbly illustrated work on Indonesia, and Rajah Brooke, with additional detail on Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

Illustrations include the marvellous illustrated title page, chromolithographed colour frontispiece, twenty tinted lithographic plates, and thirty-seven woodcuts. Many of Marryat’s expertly lithographed drawings represent the earliest ethnographical records of life in Borneo and the Indian Archipelago.

Frank Marryat served as a Midshipman on board the H.M.S. Samarang on a surveying expedition to the Indian Archipelago, 1843-1846, cut short in consequence, as Mr. Marryat infers, of the ill-conditioned behaviour and unpopularity of her captain, Sir Edward Belcher.
 
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Price HK$ 18,000



Sketches of Chinese Life & Character - William R. Snow

1860 - Dickinson Bros., 114
A rare large folio of 17 hand-coloured lithographic plates by M. & N. Hanhart from sketches by William R. Snow. Some plates heightened with gum-arabic. Originally sold in three parts, probably loose for ease of framing, and housed in wrappers. It may be assumed that the plate of ‘The Game of Shuttlecock’ was used for that purpose as it is not included here. The three sets of original wrappers have been bound in, and the plate titles are as follows:

Part I.
Going to a Picnic, Mode of Travelling A Long Journey in China.
Rival Caravans, The Desert of To Day.
A Clean Shave.
A Slap on the Back, More Pleasant Than it Looks.
How This Little Pig Went to Market.
Ye Civil Force.

Part II.
Costermongers - Victoria Street, Hong Kong (named as ‘Canton’ in the Plate List).
Chinese funeral - Mode of Carrying the Coffin.
Musicians and Flag Bearers in Advance of a Funeral.
Sketch from the Wall on the Morning after the Grand Attack.
Dinner Hour of a Chinese Family on Board a Chop on the Canton River.

Part III.
On the Wall, Canton.
A Group of Coolies at a Portable Soup Kitchen.
Military Train Coolies Going Home.
Sketch of a Mandarin, Grand Stand Canton.
Astonishment of Ye Natives at Red Hair.
A Group of Coolies on the Road at Dinner.
 
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Price HK$ 140,000