十九世紀初澳門不列顛博物館的歷史意義——兼論英、印、中自然史資訊流通網絡的運作

A British Museum in Early Nineteenth-Century Macau and its Historical Significance: Natural History Information Network Flows among Britain, India, and China

十九世紀初旅居廣州、澳門的英人社群曾在澳門設置一個小型博物館，這個存在僅五年、久遭遺忘的博物館晚近在國際學界受到注意，但現有研究並未充分說明此博物館為何會在該時機點出現在該地，也未說明此博物館的基本特徵和意義。憑藉當時報刊文章、日記、遊記、書信中的零星資料，本文嘗試建立該博物館的基本人事時地物資訊，並進一步探索此個案所透露的歷史意義。由於孟加拉亞洲學會及其附屬博物館是這個澳門博物館推動者的主要參照對象，當時正逐漸形成的亞洲學會網絡因此是幫助我們瞭解此博物館的第一層脈絡。又由於博物館展品有許多屬於自然史類標本，當時英、印、中之間所形成的自然史資訊與物質的流通網絡遂為本文所強調的第二層脈絡。尤其是以加爾各答植物園為中心所構成的植物與種子交換網絡，亦可見到與澳門博物館有關的人員之參與。藉由梳理廣、澳與當時加爾各答、倫敦在自然史方面的往來關係，本文還原了澳門博物館在一個全球性流通網絡的重要節點地位。再以歷史縱深來看，澳門英人社群雖因規模過小而在當時無法成立一個亞洲學會，但其經驗多少促成後來移居香港、上海的英、美人社群的相關組織，本文結論部分因此連帶說明此澳門博物館的歷史遺緒。

In the early nineteenth century, British expatriates living in Canton and Macau established a small museum in Macau. Having existed for only five years from 1829 to 1834, the museum was all but forgotten until recent international academic studies revived interest in the institution. However, existing research does not fully explain why this museum emerged then and there, nor does it examine its basic characteristics and broader implications. Relying on fragments of evidence from news articles, diaries, travelogues, and written correspondence at the time, this article investigates the people, circumstances, times, places, and material objects related to the museum in order to further explore the case and reveal its historical significance. This article is structured into two main parts. The first part discusses the museum’s origins, location, and collections, as well as the individuals involved in its founding and operations. The second part explores the larger context, including relevant institutions and networks of exchanges among them. Because the Asiatic Society of Bengal and its affiliated museum were the primary models for this British museum in Macau, understanding the Royal Asiatic Society network that was gradually forming at the time can help to clarify the museum’s historical context. Moreover, this article emphasizes the natural history information and material flows among Britain, India, and China, since India’s involvement in this network has been particularly neglected in earlier research. Specifically, the Calcutta Botanic Garden constituted one of the hubs within this plant and seed exchange network, in which people related to this British museum in Macau participated. By sorting through natural history exchanges among relevant individuals then living in Canton, Macau, Calcutta, and London, this article restores this museum to its proper place in history as an important node in several global networks. In historical perspective, the British community in Macau was too small to establish a local branch of the Royal Asiatic Society as they had intended. However, as British and American expatriates moved to Hong Kong and Shanghai in later years, their experiences in Macau contributed to the establishment of similar societies. In light of those activities, it can be concluded that this British museum in Macau, despite its shortlived existence, had a lasting historical legacy.