Maggs Bros.

Account of the famous surveying expedition undertaken by Margary in 1874 with the aim of establishing a trade-route between Burma and Yunnan province (China). He was murdered several miles into Burmese territory on February 21st, 1875. Cordier 338. Margary (1846-1875) was an avid student of the Chinese language and due to his great ability he rose quickly in the administrative hierarchy. In August 1874 he received instructions from Pekin to proceed through the south-western provinces of China to the frontier of Yunnan, to await Colonel Horace Browne, who had been sent by the Indian government on a mission into Yunnan, from the Burmese side, in the hopes of opening up a trade with Western China. To this mission Margary was to act as interpreter and guide through China. On 4 Sept. 1874 he left Hankow on an overland journey to Mandalay. Passing the Tung-ting lake on the Yang-tse he ascended the Yuen river through Hoonan, and travelled by land through Kweichow and Yunnan, and on 17 Jan. 1875 joined Colonel Browne at Bhamô. He was the first Englishman who had traversed this route. On 19 Feb. 1875 he was sent forward to survey and report on the road from Burmah to Western China, but on 21 Feb. he was treacherously murdered at Manwein on the Chinese frontier.