Watch tower letter (Letter)

Watch tower letter (Letter)

Watch Tower letter

Image Courtesy of: NAA: A1, 1935/7020, Hon Way to Heg Ning and Heg Joong, 3 June 1915.

Full Transcription (Original Chinese)

(Note: Text is read from right to left in vertical columns. Punctuation has been added for clarity. [...] indicates characters that are illegible or inferred from context.)

[Right Section: The Complaint] 吾兄得知： 昨本村為籌款建更樓一事，經已有信。而汝各人均未有信付來，未識[情形/條件]。 惟於金山各人，均視為不要緊之件。自思這事，若不成[功]，本村及外洋——花旗、呂宋、檀香山、亞灣——非枝葉之弟，均謂 金山 各人不熱心協力之故。 况且 [建] 更樓 益為永遠 保太平 之計，切莫視為等閑視之。

[Middle Section: The Justification & Details] 這事係成，勝過每人買 [?] 叁 [?] 鐘 [?]。一枝多矣，俱不堪 [?]。 况現有 [?] 到來認捐實數。 ... [Middle section contains specific cursive details about funds and arrangements] ... 另籌三人名 [?] [?] [?] 各 [?] 英金 ... [?] 知多少 亞灣 新安 ... [?] 知多少 檀香山 ... 枝葉三人每名 英金 重六元 ...

[Left Section: The Demand & Closing] 務須早日簽捐，付信報效，以免各人豫笑。 為好。 需人均在平安。切掛特字。 切嘱。 佃及弟 達 回 刻安 丙辰年四月初三

Full English Translation

[Opening & The Main Issue] "My Elder Brother, please be informed: Yesterday, regarding the matter of our village raising funds to build a Watchtower (建更樓), we had already sent a letter. However, none of you have sent a letter in reply, so we do not know the situation.

It seems that everyone in Gold Mountain (金山) regards this as an unimportant matter. Thinking about this—if this project does not succeed, the people in our village and those overseas in The United States (Flower Flag/花旗), Luzon (Philippines/呂宋), Honolulu (檀香山), and Havana (Cuba/亞灣)—our close brothers, not distant relatives—will all say it is because the people in Gold Mountain are not warm-hearted and failed to cooperate."

[The Necessity] "Moreover, building the Watchtower is a plan to guarantee eternal peace (保太平). You absolutely must not regard it as a trivial matter. If this matter is successful, it is better than everyone buying [luxuries/property?]... One branch is already too much, and we cannot bear it... Moreover, people are currently arriving to pledge actual donation amounts."

[The Specific Demand] "...Separately, we have planned for three people [names omitted]... each name to contribute British Gold (Pounds) valued at 6 Yuan... We do not know how much [from] Havana and Xin'an... We do not know how much [from] Honolulu..."

[Closing & Date] "You must sign the donation subscription and send a letter with your contribution at an early date, to avoid everyone mocking us. This is for the best. We hope everyone is at peace. We are deeply concerned and write this special note. Urgent instructions. Replies from [Younger Brothers] Dian and Da. Peace be with you immediately. Bing Chen Year (1916), 4th Month, 3rd Day."

Key Historical Points in the Text

Global Network: The letter explicitly lists the specific locations of the clan's diaspora: US (Flower Flag), Philippines (Luzon), Hawaii (Honolulu), and Cuba (Havana/Asian Bay). This shows the global reach of even a single village clan.

Gold Mountain (Jinshan): This term specifically refers to the wealthy destinations (often Australia or California). The letter singles them out as being "not warm-hearted" (stingy), highlighting the pressure placed on migrants to fund projects back home.

The "Gold Mountain" Tension: The letter confirms a common historical friction: the villagers back home assumed the migrants were rich and selfish, while the migrants (often struggling shopkeepers or labourers) likely felt overwhelmed by constant demands for money.

1916 Date: The date 1916 places this right at the start of the Warlord Era, confirming why the village suddenly felt unsafe and needed a watchtower immediately.
British Gold (英金): The request for "British Gold" (Pounds Sterling) indicates the preferred stable currency for international remittances at the time, common in Hong Kong and treaty ports.

更樓 (Watchtower) The Diaolou (fortified towers) of Kaiping and Taishan are famous UNESCO heritage sites today; this letter documents the painful fundraising process required to build them.

Security (保太平): The phrase "Guarantee Eternal Peace" links the watchtower directly to survival. In 1916, without a watchtower, a wealthy emigrant village was a prime target for kidnapping and looting.