Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/218

210 Company, Berlin; the Germanischer Lloyd, Berlin; the Bremen underwriters; the Royal Fire and Life Insurance Company, Liverpool; the United Swiss Marine Insurance Company, Manchester; the Basler Transport Versicherungs Gesellschaft, Basel; Allgemeine Versicherungs Gesellschaft "Helvetia"; the Transport Versicherungs Gesellschaft "Schweiz"; the Internationale Lloyd Versicherungs Actien Gesellschaft; the Assurance Company, "Mercur"; Societé d'Entrepôts de Transports; and La Aseguradora Espanola. In the absence of Mr. J. Bandow, Mr. G. Friesland is the manager of the Company's business at Hongkong, and his assistants include Messrs. A. Lamperski (who signs per pro.). C. Ahrendt, H. Warnsloh, R. Reutter, E. Jesnitzer, O. Meyer, H. Korten, and F. Steinhoff. The manager of the branch at Canton is Mr. P. Suedhaus. 



 JARDINE, MATHESON & CO. founder of this, the premier British mercantile house in the Far East, was Dr. William Jardine, at one time an officer in the service of the Honourable East India Company. Associated with him from its earliest days were Messrs. James Matheson (afterwards Sir James Matheson, Bart., of the Lews) and Hollingworth Magniac.

Dr. Jardine was a southern Scot, whose forbears for many generations had resided in Annandale, Dumfriesshire. Mr. James Matheson hailed from the west coast of Rossshire, where his family had long been established, and owned property. Mr. Magniac was the descendant of a Swiss merchant who had settled at Macao towards the close of the eighteenth century, obtaining employment there from an old-established firm named Beale &amp; Reid, in which concern he became a partner, the firm's name being then changed to Beale &amp; Magniac, and later to Magniac &amp; Co.

In the early days of this business connection, Dr. Jardine made trading voyages between India and China, Mr. James Matheson remaining in India to attend to the disposal of produce brought by his friend, Dr. Jardine, from the Far East, whilst in Macao and Canton Mr. Magniac acted as agent for the sale of goods imported by the doctor from India and the Straits. As time went on the business carried on by these gentlemen increased so considerably that in 1827 Dr. Jardine and Mr. Matheson found it necessary to take up residence permanently in Macao, moving up to Canton in the season, as was the custom in those early days, and there conducting their business through the medium of the "licensed" house of Magniac &amp; Co., in which both became interested.

In 1832, the trading monopoly of the East India Company came to an end, the firm of Magniac &amp; Co. was dissolved, and business thereafter was carried on by the three above-named gentlemen under the style of Jardine, Matheson &amp; Co.

Dr. Jardine left China in 1838, the business initiated by him having by this time assumed vast proportions. His commercial operations were conducted throughout with sagacity and judgment, and he was a man of great strength of character and of unbounded generosity.