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Article ID: CBB114804734

The British East India Company and the Hydrography of the South China Sea (2015)

Yu, Po-ching (Author)

Ziran Kexueshi Yanjiu (Studies in the History of Natural Sciences)
Volume: 34
Issue: 1
Pages: 61-73

URI: http://caod.oriprobe.com/articles/45069412/The_British_East_India_Company_and_the_Hydrography.htm

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Oceanography Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence Sea travel East Asia, civilization and culture Hydrography South China Sea Great Britain China India

The British East India Company( hereafter the Company) established the first hydrography department in UK history in 1779. Personnel,capital,ships and equipment were invested and new measuring instruments and technology were used continuously to collect ocean hydrographic information about the Company’s major trading regions. The South China Sea was an important nautical zone vital for the ships travelling to and fro between China and India,and around this time,the Anglo-Chinese trade dominated by the Company grew rapidly.This article will discuss the roles played by the vessels of the Company’s Bombay Marine,the East Indiamen and Chinese sailors,and compare and analyze the differences in the publications of the Company’s successive hydrographers. Through these aspects,this article try to reconstruct the actual progress in knowledge about the South China sea,including the confirmation of the layout of the main islands,shoals and reefs,and the investigation of currents and tides in specific areas. In addition,the article demonstrates the advantages gained from the surveys for the Company,and explains the relationship between scientific research and commercial patronage. These advantages included a decrease of the navigation risks,a reduction in sailing times,and greater flexibility in route options.

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