Plan and deals Section of a Sluice or Flood Gate on the Grand Canal of China (April 12, 1796)

This original black and white copper-engraving was published in Sir George Leonard Staunton's "An Authentic Account of An Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China...Taken chiefly from the papers of his excellency The Earl of Macartney, Embassador...Sir George Gower, commander of the expedition, and other gentlemen in the several departments of the embassy.", in 1796.

Around 1330 Ibn Batuta said of the Grand Canal, that it was 'the richest region on earth', The Grand Canal is as famous as the Great Wall, and their historical fates bear some resemblance. It was constructed under the Sui Dynasty in the 6th century AD, forty meters wide, with roads on either side. It was during restoration under the Ming Dynasty that the 15 locks were created in the hills of Shandong. In a country with 50 dialects and numerous regions, the canal allowed the centralization of the markets. Macartney's Embassy journeyed along the Imperial Way to Guangzhou, where they were marvelled by the Grand Canal and its flood gates.

The Macartney Embassy, also called the Macartney Mission, was a British embassy to China in 1793. The Mission ran from 1792 to 1794 and is named for the first envoy of Great Britain to China, George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney (14 May 1737 – 31 May 1806), who led the endeavour. The goal of the embassy was to convince Emperor Qianlong of China to ease restrictions on trade between Great Britain and China by allowing Great Britain to have a permanent embassy in deals Beijing, possession of "a small unfortified island near Chusan for the residence of British traders, storage of goods, and outfitting of ships," and reduced tariffs on traders in Canton (modern day Guangzhou). Overall the mission failed badly in its attempt to win the trust of the Chinese authorities. Emperor Qianlong's letter's continuing reference to all Europeans as "Barbarians", and his assumption of all nations of the earth as being tributary to China, and his final words commanding King George III to "...Tremblingly obey and show no negligence!" used the standard imperial sign off as if the king were a Chinese subject.

The Macartney Embassy is historically significant because it marked a missed opportunity by the Chinese to move toward some kind of accommodation with the West. It can also be considered as a massive failure by the Westerners in understanding the Chinese culture, customs and diplomacy. This failure would continue to plague the Qing Dynasty as it encountered increasing foreign pressures and internal unrest during the 19th century.

Sir George Staunton was charged with producing the official account of the expedition after their return. This multi-volume work was taken chiefly from the papers of Lord Macartney and from the papers of Sir Erasmus Gower, who was Commander of the expedition. Sir Joseph Banks was responsible for selecting and arranging engravings of the illustrations in this official record.

Published by G. Nicol in London, with engravings by Joseph Baker, and based on drawings by H. W. Parish.

Printed in London, April 12th, 1796

Measurements: 21 x 16½ in. (54 x 42 cm).

Conservation notes: Overall conservation rating of this piece is good, with some staining entering the plate mark, but not affecting the printed image (8/10).