Series 62: Papers concerning publicationof the account of Lord Macartney's Embassy to China, ca 1797

series

1002217

4 items of textual material

The first British Embassy to China, for the promotionof science and commerce, under the leadership of Lord Macartney,set sail form Spithead on 26 September 1792. Two years later,on 6 September 1794, they returned to England from China.

Sir George Staunton, Secretary to the Embassy, wascharged with producing the official account of the Embassy aftertheir return. Sir Joseph Banks was responsible for selecting andarranging engraving of the illustrations.

In July 1797, Banks received his copy of Staunton'sAn authentic account of an Embassy [sic] from the King of GreatBritain to the Emperor of China, taken chiefly from the Papersof the Earl of Macartney, Embassador [sic], and Sir E. Gower,Commander of the Expedition, London: George Nicol. 1797

Documents 1-3 in this series, previously locatedat DL MS Q158, were part of the personal library of Sir WilliamDixson which was bequeathed to the State Library of New SouthWales in 1952. Dixson's bequest was formally handed over whenthe Dixson Library was opened in 1959.

Document 4 in this series was previously locatedat ML A79-5. It was purchased in 1884 from Lord Brabourne by SirSaul Samuel, the Agent-General for New South Wales. It was transferredto the Mitchell Library in 1910 and was part of the accessionwhich became known as the Brabourne collection.