The Chinese and English Instructor is a commercial vocabulary, dictionary and phrasebook. It consists of a 6-volume set stitched in original cover and bounded in a wooden case. Words are conveniently organised under topical categories for ease of use in commercial endeavors. For instance, ‘Atronomy’, ‘Ranks and Titles’ and sections on numbers, weights and measurements etc. It was likely used by Chinese merchants and traders to learn English, but also enabled foreigners to learn Chinese due to its dual translation. The phrasebooks tell the rich story of how Chinese merchants and compradors collaborated and dealt with the increasing presence of English-speaking foreigners in the Canton region in the mid-19th century. The phrasebooks were written by Tang Tingshu (T’ong Ting-kü, 1832–1892), an important comprador in Canton. Tang was an able linguist who compiled this six-volume set in response to the frequently asked questions that arose during his time as a commercial middleman in Canton.
