Macao and the British (1637–1842) – Prelude to Hong Kong

"Macao and the British" begins with a vivid description of the first British voyage to China, and details the development of Sino-British relations from 1637 to the 1840s. During this period, the Macao-Portuguese authorities skillfully and subtly navigated between the Qing government and the British colonizers. The book recounts the East India Company's regular trade beginning in 1770 (including the country trade between India and China, interspersed with details of early British missions to Beijing), and reveals the role, scale, and development of the opium trade in Sino-British commerce, as well as the struggles between China and Britain over the opium trade. This work also vividly tells the stories of business magnates Jardine and Matheson, missionary Robert Morrison, and artist George Chinnery.