Wednesday 30 January 2019

The earliest maps naming Hong Kong as "Fan-chin-cheo" (1775-1788)

It seems to be:

1775 and 1778

1775: A Chart of the China Sea Inscribed to Monsr. d'Apres de Mannevillette the Ingenious Author of the Neptune Oriental: As a Tribute Due to his Labours for the Benefit of Navigation; and in acknowledgement of his many signal Favours to A. Dalrymple
Paris ; Brest, [France] : Chez Demonville, Imprimeur-Libraire de l'Academie Francoise ; Chez Malassis, Imprimeur-Libraire de la Marine, 1775.

There are a few copies on the internet: RareMaps.com, National Library Australia (gigantic file size: 1 Gb), Bibliothèque nationale de France (zoomable), David Rumsey Map Collection (1810 edition), Biblioteca Nacional de España (an earlier 1771? edition without "Fan-chin-cheo")

In 1771, in his Journal of the Schooner Cuddalore, Oct 1759. On the Coast of China. London: 
Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., 1771. (available on Google Book), Dalrymple, on 12th February, 1765, writes:

"The Wind favouring us kept under fail, and ran againft the flood till abreaft of the E. End of Lantao, when, the Ebb making, we drove with the Tide through what is called Cowbee Paffage. And at 5 PM were abreaft of the SW point of Chinfalo, when we haul'd to the ESE to go to the Northward of the Ifland Heong-Kong (a) and at 6 PM, the Tide being done, anchored in 6 Fath. mud, diftant Heong-kong about a mile, Lantao Peak bearing W 8°. S."


original footnote: "(a) What he calls Heong-Kong is Fanchin-chow"


Fanchin-chow is used more often than Heong-Kong in his another book published in the same year, i.e. 
Memoir of the Chart of Part of the Coast of China, and the Adjacent Islands near the Entrance of Canton River. Containing Observations in the Schooner Cuddalore in 1759 and 1760. And in the Ship London, 1764. With Several Views of the Lands. London: Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., 1771. (also available on Google Book)


1778: A Chart of the China Sea from the Island of Sanciam to Pedra Branca with the course of the river Tigris from Canton to MacaoLondon: Printed for Robert Sayer and John Bennett, No. 53, Fleet Street, 1778. Two later editions were printed in 1780 (see the reference below) and 1794.

Available in the National Library of Australia (very large file size: 214Mb). Later edition (1794) could be found on the internet.

It reads "Fan-Chin-Cheou or He-ong-kong"


Also reference: Henry D. Talbot, "A British maritime Chart of 1780 Showing Hong Kong," Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 10 (1970), pp.128-133. Available in the Map Library of the Department of Geography and Geology.

Monday 7 January 2019

Sydenham Moutrie in Yokohama [to be continued]

Before establishing his piano import business in Yokohama in 1890, Sydenham Moutrie, who had over 14 years' experience in Shanghai, announced his arrival in May 1889 in the Japan Gazette to provide musical instrument repairing service to customers. 





Source: The Japan Gazette, 10 May, 1889 (Friday), p. 8. 


モートリー商会, No. 59 Main Street, Yokohama 

additional sources about Moutrie in Yokohama: 
ピアノ製造と横浜華僑/伊藤泉美 「開港のひろば」 第51号 - 横浜開港資料館
大阪音楽大学音楽博物館東洋楽器関係索引補遺 - 漢字表記の楽器をどう扱うか
民間吹奏楽の創建秘史/池田辰五郎述 堀内敬三記(『音楽之友』 第2巻第6号 1942年06月 p.34-39)
周筱生がピアノ製造の技術を学んだのは、上海のモートリー商会であった
横浜中華街 開港当時、ここは西洋文化の入り口だった
明治期の横浜外国人居留地を通した洋楽受容