The signing of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 after the end of the First Opium War (1839-1842) resulted in the opening of more treaty ports for foreign trade in addition to Canton. The most important of these new ports was Shanghai. British, French and American began to settle in the city. The Shanghai International Settlement was established in 1863 as a result of the merger of the British and American enclaves. Later, nationals from Germany, Italy, Japan, etc. also arrived. Besides privileges in trade, the treaty powers also enjoyed extraterritoriality and jurisdiction. Though under Chinese sovereignty, the International Settlement was self-governed under the management of the Shanghai Municipal Council 上海公共租界工部局 (SMC), which was formed in 1854 and ended in 1943. The council was dominated by the British. Chinese members were allowed to join the council only until 1928. The council regulated construction of roads, policing, post office, prison, transportation, power supply, taxation, etc.
The receipt above was a refund issued by the Electricity Department of the SMC. On the receipt, a word that stood out from the rest was compradore. The word is of Portuguese origin – comprar ‘to buy’ and a comprador(e) is a buyer. The functions and duties of compradores changed over time. In the Old Canton days, a compradore was a native Chinese who oversaw various matters related to his foreign employer. Since compradores worked for foreigners, some knowledge of English was an essential requirement. In 1857, the E-Sing bread poisoning incident shocked many foreign residents in Hong Kong as it happened during the Second Opium War. Augustine Heard, founder of Augustine Heard and Co., enquired about the safety of the bread at his house and the compradore replied in pidgin English,
“Me no savey. Talkee that blead got spilum. My savey this hous blead all light.”. (I don’t know. People talked about the bread being spoiled. I know that the bread in this house is all right.)
Some characteristic features of Chinese Pidgin English can be seen from these sentences. The letter ‘r’ was often replaced by ‘l’ in many written sources, for example blead and light. As Cantonese does not have the /r/ sound, the spelling suggested that speakers used the /l/ as substitution. English words ending in certain sounds such as /k/ in talkee and /l/ in spilum had addition syllables at the end. Savey was derived from Portuguese saber ‘to know’. The word spelt in various forms can be found in many pidgins and creoles as the Portuguese and Spanish (saber ‘to know’) were the first Europeans to establish settlements in Africa, Asia, and Americas.
The responsibilities of the compradores were heavy; however, they had extensive social and business connections. William C. Hunter described their duties in detail.
“The most important Chinese within the Factory* was Compradore. He was secured by a Hong merchant in all that related to good conduct generally, honesty and capability. All Chinese employed in any factory, whether as his own ‘pursers’ or in the capacity of servants, cooks, or coolies, were the Compradore’s ‘own people;’ they rendered to him every ‘allegiance,’ and he ‘secured’ them as regards good behaviour and honesty. This was another feature that contribute to the admirable order and safety which characterised life at Canton. The Compradore also exercised a general surveillance over everything that relate to the internal economy of the ‘house’ as well as over outside shopmen, mechanics, or tradespeople employed by it. With the aid of his assistants, the house and private accounts of the members were kept. He was the purveyor for the table, and generally of personal wants of the ‘Tai-pans’ and pursers.” (The ‘Fan Kwae’ at Canton Before Treaty Days 1825-1844, pp. 53-54)
In the 20th century, the compradore was also an important position in many foreign companies. Many compradores became successful businesspeople and entrepreneurs and made significant contribution to Chinese communities.
Three other words on the receipt of SMC are also of interest – tael, mace, and cand(areen). All three are derived from Malay: tael 兩 from tahil, mace 錢 from mas, and candareen 分 from kĕndĕri. They are still used as units of weight measurement today. In the past, they were also currency denominations.
*Factory referred to the premises that foreigners occupied as dwelling and office.