A rare separately issued hand-coloured engraved map of eastern China published during the First Opium War (1839-1842). James Wyld (1812-1887) was the son of James Wyld who had been an apprentice to William Faden, became Geographer to His Majesty George IV and later William IV. He was a founder member of the Royal Geographic Society. He introduced lithography into mapmaking in 1812. His son of the same name became geographer to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He specialised in producing accurate maps of areas of conflict. This one illustrates the First Opium War (1839-42) which resulted famously in British possession of Hong Kong.

The demand for Chinese goods in Europe, particularly silk, porcelain and tea, was such that their developed a large trade imbalance. In searching for something the Chinese would buy from her they found Opium. It was exported from India and sold through the port of Canton in south China. This despite the fact that the drug had been banned since 1729. In 1839 the Chinese Emperor ordered the seizure of 20,000 chests of Opium (about 1,210 tons) and ordered a blockade of foreign trade in Canton. The Royal Navy was despatched which inflicted decisive defeats on the Chinese. The term ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’ was born. The war concluded with a decisive British victory; having suffered only 69 killed, the British killed or wounded some 18,000-20,000 Chinese. The Treaty of Nanking signed on 29 August 1842 ended the conflict. It granted five treaty ports to foreign merchants and ceded Hong Kong to Britain.

The map includes several insets: ‘Attack of Canton under the command of Sir Hugh Gough KCB 25th May 1841’, ‘Attack on the Forts in the Canton River’, ‘The Harbour & Island of Amoy’, ‘Plan of the City of Pe-Kin’ and ‘Plan of the City of Ting-Hai in Chusan’. Chang, Min-min. (2003). ‘China in European Maps’ no. 69.