Yuxia ji (Record of the Jade Casket)

Bound Chinese manuscript (dated around 1825 CE), with inscription on front: "Chinese Almanac titled: “The blessings come from doing good deeds”: The Thousand Character Classic 1825 CE" but actually contains Yuxia ji (Record of the Jade Casket), chapters four to six.

From Nanking [Nanjing], collected by Captain George Alexander Waters in 1842 while serving with HMS VIXEN. On the inside of the front cover, is scribed "This book was taken from a Joss House 3 or 4 miles below Nanking 26th August 1842, signed by GA Waters HMS Vixen." On the first page Captain Waters also notes: "This Book was taken from the island of Kim Shan in the Yang Tse Kiang 40 miles below Nakin[g], G Waters, HMS Vixen". Contains content such as: the listing of Buddhist festivals, many references to the sea e.g. prayers regarding the sea and talismans to bring good fortune, as well as details of important dates for farming and other activities.

Conservation note: This item is fragile and must be handled with care.
Related Material: See item at Ref: WAT/1.
Language: Chinese script
Index term: Opium Wars

[Acknowledgement: Catalogue translations provided by history students studying "H382 Opium and Empires: Eastern Asia's Narcotic Trade and Culture in Global Context", from SOAS, University of London - with special thanks to Helen Liu, October 2023; and additional catalogue translation provided by Ilay Golan, 29/04/2026].