China, Reinier Vinkeles after William Alexander, 1800-1801

CHINA, FROM HANGZHOU TO GUANGZHOU

“Reis-Kaart van het Britsche Gezantschap van Hang-Choe-Foe naar Quang-Choe-Foe of Kanton in China.” [Travel Map of the British Embassy from Hang-Choe-Foe to Quang-Choe-Foe or Canton in China.] Copper engraving made by Reinier Vinkeles after a drawing by William Alexander (1767–1816), from “Reis van Lord Macartneij, naar China,” the Dutch translation of George Staunton‘s “An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China,“ published by Johannes Allard in Amsterdam, 1800–1801. Coloured by a later hand. Size: 43 × 31 cm.

This map shows the southern section of the return journey of the British embassy led by Lord George Macartney, which after its audience with Emperor Qianlong in 1793 traveled from Hangzhou (“Hang-Choe-Foe”) through the interior of China to Guangzhou (“Quang-Choe-Foe” / “Kanton”). The route follows the main waterways of southeastern China, with numerous indications of the rivers, lakes, mountain passes, and towns encountered along the way.

The map documents the final stage of the expedition, which passed through the provinces of Zhejiang (“Che-Chiang”), Jiangnan (“Kiang-Nan”), Jiangxi (“Kiang-Si”), and Guangdong (“Quang-Tung”). Along the route, the travelers’ own observations are recorded (in Dutch), such as:
“The surrounding land of this lake is all marsh, yet densely inhabited. Every small dry spot contains a village. The inhabitants live by fishing.”
“Many thousand acres of these mountains have recently been planted with pines.”
“This part of the country is very picturesque. The mountains are covered with shrubs called Camellia Sesanqua, whose nuts yield an oil much used by the Chinese.”
“This entire region is intersected by numerous rivers and produces great quantities of rice.”

The embassy departed Hangzhou in early November 1793 and reached Guangzhou in the first days of January 1794—a journey of more than 1,600 kilometers, largely by boat along the interconnected rivers and canals of southern China. There they boarded the British ship Hindostan, with which the envoys began their voyage back to Europe in March of that year.

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