Macanese Chronicle

SAMUEL SHAW: THE FIRST AMERICAN CONSUL IN MACAO

Manuel Teixeira*

[INTRODUCTION]

Major Shaw fought for eight years during the American War of Independence thus spending his youth fighting for his country. He ended his military service in 1783.

If it were not for his military service, Shaw could have become a rich man. However, he was happy with what he had done for his country. The following confession of his to friend proves this: "The time I could have utilized for making a fortune, I spent in the army for the service of my country and the result of it may be poverty, but the very thought of my military service to my country is a true source of satisfaction for me."

During the War, Samuel Shaw received praises from George Washington and his aide-decamp, General Know. Shaw was the first American to open way for trade with China. He was also responsible for obtaining the signature of the American President and the Secretary of the American Congress on the letter forwarded to the Chinese rulers through Captain Green. As a result of his tact and intelligence, he gained for himself and his country the friendship of the traders in Guangzhou.

§ 1. VOYAGE TO CHINA

In December 1783, Shaw was offered a place as an additional hand on the Empress of China. With him went his assistant, Thomas Randall, who was also his intimate friend and comrade-in-arms. Both of them were to receive one tenth of the profits of the voyage.

The three hundred-and-sixty tonnage ship, under the command of Captain John Gree, left New York on the 22nd of February 1784, on the birthday of George Washington. While in the Straits of Sunda, they came across two French ships: one of them was the Triton. The master of this vessel was Captain Ordelin. Sometime back Captain Ordelin had been honoured by the Americans with the Order of the American Society of Cincinnati. At that time, Shaw happened to be the Secretary of the American Society of Cincinnati.

Because of Shaw's connection, the French received the Empress of China well and guided it continuously through the Straits of Sunda which is full of dangerous rocks, and then helped it to proceed to the China Sea by giving signals day and night.

The ship reached Macao on the 24th of August, leaving for Guangzhou on the 27th of the same month. Shaw arranged to sell the cargo from his ship, whilst at the same time replacing it with silk, porcelain and tea. During this time an incident took place between the British and the Chinese. While the English ship Lady Hughes was firing salvos, a Chinese was accidentally killed. The Chinese authorities demanded the handing-over of the person who had fired the fatal shot. When the British refused, the Chinese seized the goods, withdrew all the Chinese servants from foreign firms and ships and put out an order that paralyzed the entire trade. However, Shaw sided with the British and suggested unity of all foreigners to fight against the Chinese demand. However, the French, Danes and Dutch refused to become involved, and the British finally had to hand over the artilleryman to the Chinese, who then strangled him.

The Chinese were satisfied with what had happened. For them, the foreigners had lost face over the incident, discouraging them from future trade on Chinese soil.

Just before his departure from Guangzhou, Shaw, in partnership with Thomas Randall, hired the ship Pallas and filled it with tea valuing fifty thousand dollars, bound for Baltimore. To serve as ballast, he bought a big quantity of blue-and-white porcelain, some decorated with the coat-of-arms of Cincinnati and forwarded with the other cargo on the ship. George Washington acquired three hundredand-two pieces of porcelain brought as ballast on the Pallas.

On the 23rd of December 1784, Shaw left Guangzhou.

Shaw wrote an account of his visit to China, which he forwarded to the Secretary of Foreign Trade, John Jay, pointing out to him "[...] the establishment of a link between us and the far end of the globe [...]", and at the same time dispatching him two pieces of silk. Jay replied to Shaw, revealing that "[...] the members of Congress feel a special satisfaction for the success of the first attempt by American citizens in establishing direct trade with China."

Shaw became a promoter of commerce with China. He also submitted to a New York newspaper an account of the reception of the ship Empress of China, in China. He also praised the good service the French offered to them on their way to China. On the whole, he informed the American public of their contact with the Chinese and how happy the Chinese were to see new people, who were interested in building commercial relations with their vast empire.

Meanwhile, the death of his father and his elder brother prevented Shaw from returning to China in that season, as he had planned. For this purpose, he was contracted by Robert Morris, the proprietor of the Empress of China. However, he forwarded his own goods and kept in touch with Robert Morris and Isaac Sears and other traders of New York. He had made his plans to go on the Hope under the command of Captain James Magee.

§2. THE SHIP HOPE COMES TO CHINA

In February 1796, before sailing, Shaw was nominated as first American Consul in China with the sanction of the Congress under the suggestion of the Secretary of State, John Jay, who revealed him thus: "Although neither salary nor other conditions are being annexed to this position, however, by bestowing upon you a degree of responsibility to act in a foreign land in the name of the United States, is the full proof of trust in you and the esteem in which you are being held."

On the 4th of February 1786, the Hope left New York and after touching Macao, reached Whampoa on the 15th of August and there met four American ships: the Experiment under Captain Steward Dean, the Empress of China under Captain John Green (of New York), the Canton under Captain Thomas Truxtun (of Philadelphia), and the Grand Turk under Captain Ebezener West (of Salem).

In a letter to Henry Knox, Secretary of War, Shaw confided that the reception on the part of Europeans towards them had not been as cordial as it was the first time. He wrote: "It is not difficult to find out the reason of this difference — at first we went with only one ship and it was a surprise visit. They were also unaware of our arrival, but being sensible people, received us well. But now we have six ships [...] such competition has almost alarmed them, creating a sort of resentment towards us which is not easy to conceal. Despite their personal politeness towards each one of us, and some real examples of individual friendship, on the whole, I believe that they wish hell upon us."

In Guangzhou, Shaw came in conflict with John Gree for the slander he had uttered against him. In fact, he also severed relations with him, and defended himself from his attacks by writing a long account, which he handed to every European in Guangzhou. For his friend John Jay he wrote thus of the situation in Guangzhou: "Little can be known of China for the people are confined to tight limits, with the foreigners doing business here. However, we saw sufficient as proof to have a bad impression of the Chinese government. It can be said that the laws are good but the governing is defective. You will be shocked to know of the misery that exists here; and what excites the imagination of all foreigners is that the misery being so much, the magistrates who can help to alleviate it, will not do anything. This is not an example that speaks contrary to the idea generally accepted of the Chinese administration. For that matter, this is one of the causes for much unrest that prevails today throughout the empire."

He decided to return to America at the end of the next trading season. However there was much time at his disposal and on the 18th of January 1788 he made a surprise trip to Bengal to learn about business conditions there, and returned to Guangzhou in September of the same year. In January 1789, he left for America, reaching Newport Harbour on the 5th of July that same year.

§3. THIRD VOYAGE TO CHINA

In America, Shaw ordered the construction a big eight hundred-and-twenty tonnage ship, naming it Massachusetts, hoping for big profits in trade, but American businessmen withdrew their support to him. It was also not possible for him to arrange partners or goods to trade. Therefore, he and Randall had to pay all expenses. At that same time, he had to pay seventy thousand dollars for the ship. However, on the way he decided to sell the ship in Batavia or in China.

Regarding this, Shaw complained to a friend: "I am going to China for the third time without having received a single dollar for the services I have rendered since the first time.

Before embarking on his voyage to China, he requested Washington to restore his commission as Consul in Guangzhou. At the same time, he asked his friend Knox to help him extend his consular jurisdiction, in addition to China, to include some countries in the East.

On the 10th of February 1790, Shaw was once again nominated Consul but was disappointed when he learned that the new commission was not much different from the previous one. However, on the 28th of March 1790 he embarked for China in his own ship, the Massachusetts, commanded by Captain Job Prince. Later on he sold the ship to a Danish company for sixty thousand dollars. "I have lost ten thousand dollars on the deal — he confessed — but I have saved my credit."

He invested this money in Chinese goods, and forwarded them on other ships for the European market. He reached America in 1792 and on the 21st of August married Hanna Phillips.

§4. THE FOURTH VOYAGE

Shaw once again sailed to China in February 1793. However, on reaching Bombay, he became ill with a serious liver complaint. On arriving in Guangzhou he became so weak that he was unable to leave the house. As the sickness resisted all medical treatment, he had to sail back to America on the 17th of March 1794, but never arrived for he died on the way near the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th of May of the same year. He was only forty years old (°1754-†1794).

* Historian and researcher of the Portuguese Expansion and the Christian Church in the Orient. Author of numerous articles and publications on elated topics. Member of the Academia Portuguesa de História (Portuguese Academy of History), the International Association of Historians of Asia and other Institutions.

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