Catalogue description Admiralty: China Station: Correspondence

The records have been arranged under the following headings: General (ADM 125/1-73), Naval Establishments, Bases and Stores, (ADM 125/74-91), British trade and relations with Chinese Governments (ADM 125/92-111), Sino-Japanese War (ADM 125/112-114), Japan (ADM 125/115-122), Chinese Rivers (ADM 125/123-128), Seal Fishing Patrol (ADM 125/ 129, 130), East Indies and Pacific (ADM 125/131-143) and Piracy (ADM 125/144-148). It should be borne in mind, however, that the General section contains correspondence relating to all the other subjects.

The China Station became a separate Command in 1865; hitherto it had been first, an integral part of the East Indies Station and then, the senior Division of a joint Command. Its sphere of operations at one time extended from India to Australasia and as far East as Pitcairn Island; its northern limits were the Behring Sea. The Station records relate to naval activities in this vast area as well as operations off the Chinese coast and there is a considerable amount of correspondence concerning Japan; some papers relating to ports in Northern Russia are also included. The reports and proceedings of the ubiquitous gunboats on the great Chinese rivers form an important section of this accumulation.