CHINA THROUGH WESTERN EYES
Manuscript Records of Traders, Travellers, Missionaries & Diplomats, 1792-1942

Parts 1 & 2: Sources from the William R Perkins Library, Duke University
Part 3: The Papers of J A Thomas, c1905-1923, from the William R Perkins Library, Duke University

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This project runs in parallel to Japan Through Western Eyes and offers the diaries, journals, letters, photographs and scrapbooks of a host of American and British businessmen, tourists, missionaries, journalists and diplomats from the first British mission to China, 1792-94, to the onset of World War II some 150 years later.

There are first hand records of events such as the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the Foochow Rebellion of 1911. There is a History of Mission work in China and many manuscript accounts of individual missions. There are accounts of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and other Eastern religions.

There is much on trade, from the observations of members of the Macartney (1792-1794), Amherst (1816-1817) and Elgin (1844-1864) trade and diplomatic missions to China, as well as the records of individuals doing business in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

There is also a great deal concerning cultural and social history - from the selling of Chinese girls into slavery and the Coolie Trade, to observations of local life and customs and the role of ceremony.

Chinese-Japanese relations, politics and diplomacy are well documented and a number of scrapbooks and photographic albums offer a rich visual resource for this period.

Parts 1-3 are based on the holdings of Duke University and were facilitated by the appearance in 1993 of Kirsten Fischer - East Asia: A Selected Bibliography of Sources in the Special Collections Library of Duke University. All of the sources are in English and are published here for the first time. This guide is largely based on the entries in Fischer's bibliography and on descriptive hand-lists held at the Perkins Library.
Parts 1 & 2 cover 23 individual collections of papers ranging from the seven volume diary of an American missionary in Shanghai, to the letters of Britain's first ambassador to China. They include;

Papers of John Backhouse, chief clerk at Britain's new consulate in Canton, covering the period 1844-1855. Backhouse went to China in 1843 and after serving in Canton he became vice consul at Amoy (from 1847 through the mid 1850's). His letters give personal observations and descriptions of events.

Papers of James Julius Bandinel, merchant and consular official, and family covering the period 1763-1940, including descriptions of the Chinese-Japanese War of 1894-95, the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, and the Russian-Japanese War in 1904.

Papers of Sir John Bowring, British consul and diplomat in China, 1850-57, and commander-in-chief of Hong Kong in 1854. Sir John Bowring's letters provide useful insights into Anglo-Chinese relations in this period and cover topics such as commerce, emigration, the evasion of British customs, and the seizure of Shanghai by Chinese rebels in 1853.

The dispatches of Sir Frederick William Adolphus Bruce, British diplomat, for 1860. Bruce served as colonial secretary in Hong Kong from 1844 to 1864, was principal secretary of his brother's (Lord Elgin's) mission to China in 1857-58, was named envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Emperor of China in 1858 and became chief superintendent of British trade in China in 1859. His draft and final dispatches to Lord Russell, British Foreign Secretary, are bound together in a single volume and cover the negotiations of the Treaty of Tianjian, Chinese government and political personalities, foreign relations between China, Britain and other European nations, the coolie trade, the Taiping Rebellion, missionaries, Chinese commerce, European military operations in China, shipwrecks and piracy.

Scrapbook of Arthur Johnson Danyell, British soldier, c1860-62. Danyell served with the British army in China (at some point he was a lieutenant in the 31st Regiment). He was with the allied invasion force at Peking in 1860 and was later garrisoned in the Taku forts near Tientsin. The Scrapbook contains observations on his experiences in China and detailed descriptions of the Taku forts and their surroundings. There is a 20-page account of his journey from Tientsin northward to the Great Wall, then to Peking and the coast; and a one page account of an 1862 expedition surveying the country around Shanghai.

Correspondence, 1837-1945, of the Fairbank family. These are the letters of a remarkable American missionary family who were largely active in India and Ceylon, but whose papers provide many insights into Western attitudes to, and interactions with, Asian cultures. Yearly letters from a missionary friend in Foochow describe the turbulent events and political climate there between 1911-1931, including the Foochow Rebellion of 1911.

The diaries and papers of Martha E (Foster) Crawford, American missionary, covering 1846-1881. Born in Alabama, Crawford went to China as a missionary in 1851, working in Shanghai and Tung Chow. Her diaries describe her experiences, and there is also a manuscript history of missions in China written by Crawford.

Papers of Arthur Gallimore, American missionary, c1933. These papers describe the work of the South China Mission of the Southern Baptist Convention among the Hakkas in Wai Chow.

Papers of Richard H Gregory, businessman for the British-American Tobacco Company, covering the period 1905-1910. Gregory travelled to China on behalf of the company in 1905-6 and kept diaries concerning his experiences. He also collected many interesting photos of people and places in China including the business of tobacco growing.

Letters of J Edwards Hartshorn, American customs official in China, for the period 1904-1925. Hartshorn wrote to his parents in Virginia from various locations throughout China. He discusses American and Chinese politics, World War I, the people and towns he saw in China, and his work as a customs official.

Diaries of Henry Hayne, British diplomat, for the period 1797-1828. Hayne served as secretary to the Amherst Embassy to China, 1816-1817. In his diaries he describes his travels through China, diplomacy and commerce and provides a map of the route taken. Journal of M S Hooper, American businessman, for the period 1840-1842. Hooper was involved in the sugar refining business and shipping cargoes to Britain and China. His journal concerns trade with East Asia and includes reports on the Opium War.

Letters of Catherine Ella Jones, American missionary, for the period 1852-1863. Jones worked for the Episcopal Church mission in Shanghai for c10 years until she died of smallpox in 1863.

Letters of Eliza H Jones, American missionary, c1848. Her letters describe a baptist mission in Shanghai.

Letters of George Macartney (1st Earl Macartney), British diplomat, for the period 1779-1798. Macartney was chosen to be Britain's first ambassador to China. His trade and diplomatic mission of 1792-94 was not a great success, but it did a great deal to heighten British interest in China. Letters dated 13 August 1792, 10 Oct 1795, 9 March, 29 June, & 25 July 1796 concern Anglo-Chinese relations.

Papers of Sir Edward Malet, British diplomat, for 1872-1873. Malet was secretary of legation in Peking in 1872. His letters describe his voyage to Peking via India, Singapore and Hong Kong, a holiday at Cheefoo with the American minister, various Chinese cities, Buddhist temples and religious processions. A few letters are from Japan. There is a report on the opium trade in 1873.

Papers of Nina Cordelia Mitchell. These include letters of her cousin Gertrude C Gilman, about her missionary work at Boone University in Wuchang, where her husband was the president. Gilman discusses international politics, the Chinese Civil War, natural disasters there, the deportation of Chinese missionaries, the opium trade, the selling of Chinese girls into slavery, and the need for a rescue home for Chinese girls.

Papers of Thomas A Nicholson, American physician, for the period 1857-1905. Nicholson sailed to East Asia as commodore's secretary. He comments on social customs and Christianity in Japan and China, describes a wealthy plantation in China and the embassy in Japan. His "Journal of a cruise, 1857-1860" includes a watercolour of the Battle of the Pei-Ho, 25 June 1859, and a Map of Beijing. The scrapbook of Lee Parker, employee of the British-American Tobacco Company in China, covering the period 1916-1921. Contains c625 pictures of places and people Parker saw in China.

Scrapbooks of Sir James George Scott, British diplomat, colonial administrator and journalist in China and Southeast Asia, for the period 1888-1897. The scrapbooks include material on many topics including Chinese-Japanese relations and boundary disputes between China and neighbouring countries.

Letters of Lyman Greenleafe Spalding, U S naval officer, for the period 1861-1889. Spalding joined the Asiatic Squadron for a three year cruise in 1872 and his letters home include detailed descriptions of ports in Hong Kong, China and Japan. He comments on the people, customs, politics, and scenery of these places.

Papers of Sir George Leonard and George Thomas Staunton, 1743-1885. Sir George Leonard Staunton was secretary (second in command to Macartney) of the first British mission to China (the Macartney Embassy) in 1792-1794. Amongst the items featured here is an item dated 21 February 1792 regarding the selection of Chinese missionaries as tutors or interpreters. His 11 year old son, George Thomas Staunton, also accompanied him on the trip and was the only Briton of the 700 who set sail who could read and write Chinese. This precocious boy's two-volume diary records his impressions of the palace, the official ceremonies and an inland journey. During 1798-1817 George Thomas Staunton was chief of the East India Company's factory at Canton, and in 1816-1817 he was a ranking member of Britain's second mission to China (the Amherst Embassy). He lived in China 1800-1801, 1805-1807, 1810-1811, and 1814 and during these years he wrote home to his parents. Approximately 120 such letters from China are in this collection. These letters contain details about disputes between East India Company representatives and Chinese officials, disagreements over trade duties, Chinese attempts to assert jurisdiction over British subjects, and Chinese protests against the presence of British warships. The miscellaneous journal from 1831-1837 includes George Thomas Staunton's opinions on Anglo-Chinese relations. As a Member of Parliament in 1840, he was at the forefront of those urging Palmerston to launch into the first Opium War against China.

Military Intelligence Report of Captain Parker G Tenney of the U S Field Artillery, and a zoological collector for the National Geographic Central China Expedition of 1924. This typescript Report describes his travels in French Indo-China and the Chinese provinces of Kweichow and Yunnan. There are many photographs and matters of scientific and military interest as well as two maps. Filmed in its entirety.

Wherever possible we have filmed the papers of these individuals in their entirety. In a few instances, where the original archive for an individual is huge and only a small section relates to China, we have chosen to select just the relevant boxes or folders in question. If so, any folder filmed is filmed in its entirety. The Contents of Reels explains where such choices have been made and gives a brief account of the larger archive.

There is some overlap between regions covered. All of the individuals covered here include significant materials relating to China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. However, they may also include materials relating to Ceylon, India, Japan, Korea and other areas. Similarly, the papers of individuals covered in our companion project Japan Through Western Eyes may also include materials relating to China. However, there is no duplication of materials in these two projects.

Because the material is in English and the script is clear it will be possible to set students project assignments to look at the experiences of individuals living in or visiting China; and to make comparisons between those in different time periods, of different professions, or of different genders.

None of the collections included in this project have been published before. They provide an untapped resource for social, political, business and diplomatic historians exploring such topics as:

the interaction between western industrialised countries and the 'ancient wisdom' of China
the craze of Orientalism
life at the Imperial court contrasted with life in the provinces
rivalry between America, Britain, France and Japan in China
the development of schools and hospitals by missionaries and the clash between different religions and styles of medicine
the difficulties faced by western entrepreneurs in establishing trade with a culture disimilar and resistant to their own.

Part 3 of this project is entirely devoted to the Papers of J A Thomas (1862-1940) tobacco entrepreneur, philanthropist and sinologist. We offer complete coverage of his correspondence, c1905-December 1923. This covers the entire period in which Thomas resided in China. Important topics covered by the papers are:

the marketing of tobacco in Asia and Australasia
the American court in Shanghai
the British-American Tobacco Company
the Asiatic Institute
the partnership between Standard Oil and the Chinese government
the work of the Navy YMCA in China
the Boxer Rebellion in 1900
the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905
foreign troops guarding the Peking-Mukden Railroad
the Chinese Rebellion in 1911
Fred McCormick and the China Monuments Society
Sino-Japanese relations in 1915, including the Twenty-One Demands and a proposed railroad from Chungking to Ichong
Anson Burlingame
the Panama Pacific Exposition and trade opportunities in China
the Japanese occupation of Korea
Chinese boycott of Japanese goods
the presidency of Yuan Shih-k'ai
the visit of the Chinese Trade Commission to the United States
Wellington Koo, Chinese minister to Mexico, and relations between the United States and Mexico, 1914
the changing status of women in China
purchase of indigo paste in China by the Erwin Cotton Mills, Durham
Willard Straight
Orientalism
the Chinese American Bank; banking and currency in China
the Second Consortium in China and the work of Thomas Lamont
the China Trade Act
missionary schools in China
the Harvard Medical College of China in Shanghai
the Washington Conference on the limitation of armaments, 1921-22
the conflict between Chang Tso-lin and Wu P'ei-fu
Sun Yat-sen and his power in China
the Nine-Power Open Door Treaty
James Augustus Thomas was born in Lawsonville, Rockingham County, North Carolina, on 6 March 1862. He was the son of Henry Evans Thomas and Cornelia Carolina (Jones) Thomas. He attended the Eastman National Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York, and graduated in 1881. He married Anna, daughter of William Branson of Durham, North Carolina, on 27 April 1918. Unfortunately she died in November 1918. J A Thomas remarried on 21 November 1922 to Dorothy Quincy Hancock, daughter of Sheridan Pitt Read. They had two children: James Augustus Thomas jr and Eleanor Lansing Thomas.

Thomas was director of the British-American Tobacco Company Ltd and the British Cigarette Company, and was chairman of Mustard and Company Ltd from 1905 until his retirement in 1922. Between 1888 and 1923 he pioneered the introduction of American cigarettes into Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, India, Japan, China and other Asian countries.

Thomas spent a significant part of his life in China. Initially his interest in China was mainly commercial. However, he soon became involved in a number of projects which broadened his interest and influence in China. For instance, he organised the Chinese-American Bank of Commerce, founded two schools for the Chinese, and played an active role in the Chinese Red Cross. He was also Chairman of China Child Welfare Inc; Treasurer of China Famine Relief USA Inc; Director of the China Society of America; and an Executive Committee Member of the American Asiatic Society. He was the author of A Pioneer Tobacco Merchant in the Orient (1928) and Trailing Trade a Million Miles (1931). In recognition for his services to China he was made a Crystal Button Mandarin by the Empress Dowager of China in 1905, and was decorated with the 6th and 3rd classes Order of the Golden Harvest and with the Order of the Jade, Red Cravat with White & Blue Borders (China) in 1937. He was also decorated by the Dalai Lama. He died on 10 September 1940.

The Papers of J A Thomas are an important source for scholars exploring American, British and Chinese relations from 1900 to 1923. They provide a mine of information concerning business, education, agriculture, legal systems, medicine and cultural affairs in China. There is also much information on Japan, Korea and Taiwan.