Red Band Envelope (Unstamped) With Letter To Crew Of HMS Astraea, Hong Kong 1900

Description: A letter dated 11 November 1900 from the grateful crew of a Chinese-crewed steam launch to the crew of a British gunboat (small Astraea class) for providing a tow line two days previously and towing them away from the Kowloon rocks in a typhoon and possibly saving their lives. I’ve done my best to translate the script on the red-band envelope but even my Cantonese friends just said, perhaps my great, great, great grandfather wrote like that, because they couldn’t decipher the script and their own smartphone scanning software couldn’t figure it out. If anybody knows what it says, I would love to know. The envelope doesn’t carry a stamp or franking mark (I figure it would have been hand-delivered with the cigars). The flap of the envelope where is has been torn open is missing. The envelope (and letter) are glued to a backing sheet (but not too strongly and could probably be removed by steaming. The letter reads: Hong Kong 11 November 1900 Sir, It is with feelings of the deepest gratitude that we, the undersigned, address you to return our hearty thanks for your noble, generous & devoted efforts by which the steam launch “Tung-li” lying on Yau Ma Tei, was rescued from a watery grave during the typhoon occurred since the 9th Inst. We feel certain that had not your merit in such a kindness as to stretch forth a long wire rope at that awful moment to fasten the launch we should not now be alive to draw these lines. Now the agent Chan Wing of our steam launch & (his) co joins us in these acknowledgements and begs respectfully to send you herewith 2 silver cups & 4 boxes of cigars which please accept as a small token of gift for we never forget your great benevolence of saving our lives and that every blessing may attend you is his prayer as well as that of: Your grateful & respectful servants Signed for: Agent: Chan Wing Coxswain & Sailor: A. Sam & Others of Steam Launch “Tung-li” To the Commander of the British Government gunboat “Astraea”, hong Kong. [I have correct a couple of obvious spelling mistakes such as Astraea instead of Astrea] _gsrx_vers_1664 (GS 9.8a5 (1664))

Price: 250 GBP

Location: Guildford

End Time: 2024-10-30T16:37:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: 16.21 GBP