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{{War|name=Macao Expedition |dates=1809 |image= |location=Macau[[Macao]], China |combatant1=East India Company: Bengal |combatant2=The "French" |result=Withdrawal |medal=| category=[[:Category:Napoleonic War|Napoleonic War]] |link1= }}
==Summary==
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Minto Lord Minto] sent the 1809 expedition with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_O'Bryen_Drury Rear Admiral Drury] to defend Portuguese colonial interests at [[Macao]] (Macau)<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TNY2AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=defend+the+Portuguese+at+Macao+against+the+French&source=bl&ots=MtXdrdLUek&sig=MkGUYPDu-RhFW5BQy9xe96kCrm0&hl=en&ei=qH6qS5egOYegsgPp6tThBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=defend%20the%20Portuguese%20at%20Macao%20against%20the%20French&f=false Macau Expedition] in ''The History of India'' Vol 2, John Clark Marshman (1867)</ref> against the French after Napoleon occupied Portugal.
Seeing it as disrespectful, the Chinese objected and stopped trading with the [[East India Company]]. With no credible French threat to Macau, and not wishing to upset relations with China, the British withdrew and returned to India.
The East India Company's tea exports from Canton - up river from Macau - were economically too valuable to lose (at this time the only tea came from China).
Major Thomas Mathias Weguelin<ref>[http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofindi00buckuoft#page/444/mode/2up/search/weguelin ''Dictionary Of Indian Biography''] C. E. Buckland, 1906 </ref> of the Bengal European Regiment led the expedition, a local rank of Colonel was awarded to him for the expedition, to ensure rank seniority to any Portugese troops encountered. Then Colonel Weguelin, he participated in the [[Battle of Mauritius]] 1810-12 - the defence of another Portugese interest, serving as the [[Commissariat General]].
