The
Portuguese first visited China in 1517 when the Viceroy of Goa sent a
squadron of eight ships under Ferdinand Andrada* laden with merchandise
having on board Thomas Pereira an Ambassador from Emanuel King of
Portugal On their arrival at the entrance of the river of Canton the
fleet was stopped and only two permitted to pass up the river on board
of one was the Ambassador and the Commodore Andrada was a man of strict
honour so that he soon gained on the Chinese notwithstanding their
natural aversion to strangers.
By his exactness and probity he drew them to trade and brought them to have great confidence in him but what had the greatest efl ect and might have established the commerce of the Portuguese to the exclusion of all other nations was his giving notice a little before his departure that at such a time he meant to sail and that if any bad demands upon him or any of those belonging to him they might apply and receive satisfaction.
This was an instance of probity new to the Chinese but so agreeable that they made him great professions of friendship and assured him that they would willingly trade with his nation in hopes of meeting always with the like usage but so fair a prospect did not long continue and even the first had very near proved the last voyage of the Portuguese to China. The commandors of the shipsthat were left at that mouth of the river landed sw lbegan with the natives but presuming on their power in India treated the Chinese with great insolence iniquity. They brought on shore several pieces of cannon and then took what they pleased at their rates and treated with the pirates for such as they had taken prisoners of whom they made slaves Viceroy of the province quickly assembled a great naval force with which he surrounded the squadron and would infallibly have taken them if a storm had not arisen which scattered the Chinese and enabled the Portuguese to return to Malacca with more profit than honour.
The Ambassador proved the victim of this misconduct he was confined
in prison where he afterwards died It was many years before the Chinese
would admit the Portuguese to trade with them but length they allowed
them to send some ships to the Island of Sanciam where they were
permitted erect tents on shore for a short space of time in which they
disposed of their merchandise.
At towards the close of the sixteenth century a favourable opportunity offered not only of restoring commerce but of procuring a permanent establishment in China. The pirates committed great ravages the coast and having acquired a large force made themselves masters of the port of Macao and from not only blocked up the port of Canton but also besieged the city. The Mandarins in this distress recourse to the Portuguese whose ships were then at the Island of Sanciam. They readily offered assistance and not only forced the pirates to raise the siege but pursued them to Macao which took and where the Chief of the pirates was killed. The Viceroy having made a report to the of this extraordinary service be out of gratitude published an edict by which the Portuguese were have the Island of Macao with the power of forming a settlement which they gladly accepted.
They built a town and fortified it after the European manner but the Chinese have effectually for their own security by not allowing them any provisions but what they receive through their. The possession of this place has been not with standing extremely beneficial to the Portuguese for thence they carried on for very near a century a most beneficial commerce with Japan by which became one of the richest and most considerable places in their possession but since their expulsion Japan and the interference of other European nations in the commerce with Canton together with unsettled state of Siam Cochin China and Tonquin the place has fallen to decay. (...)
* leia-se Fernão Peres d' Andrade
By his exactness and probity he drew them to trade and brought them to have great confidence in him but what had the greatest efl ect and might have established the commerce of the Portuguese to the exclusion of all other nations was his giving notice a little before his departure that at such a time he meant to sail and that if any bad demands upon him or any of those belonging to him they might apply and receive satisfaction.
This was an instance of probity new to the Chinese but so agreeable that they made him great professions of friendship and assured him that they would willingly trade with his nation in hopes of meeting always with the like usage but so fair a prospect did not long continue and even the first had very near proved the last voyage of the Portuguese to China. The commandors of the shipsthat were left at that mouth of the river landed sw lbegan with the natives but presuming on their power in India treated the Chinese with great insolence iniquity. They brought on shore several pieces of cannon and then took what they pleased at their rates and treated with the pirates for such as they had taken prisoners of whom they made slaves Viceroy of the province quickly assembled a great naval force with which he surrounded the squadron and would infallibly have taken them if a storm had not arisen which scattered the Chinese and enabled the Portuguese to return to Malacca with more profit than honour.
At towards the close of the sixteenth century a favourable opportunity offered not only of restoring commerce but of procuring a permanent establishment in China. The pirates committed great ravages the coast and having acquired a large force made themselves masters of the port of Macao and from not only blocked up the port of Canton but also besieged the city. The Mandarins in this distress recourse to the Portuguese whose ships were then at the Island of Sanciam. They readily offered assistance and not only forced the pirates to raise the siege but pursued them to Macao which took and where the Chief of the pirates was killed. The Viceroy having made a report to the of this extraordinary service be out of gratitude published an edict by which the Portuguese were have the Island of Macao with the power of forming a settlement which they gladly accepted.
They built a town and fortified it after the European manner but the Chinese have effectually for their own security by not allowing them any provisions but what they receive through their. The possession of this place has been not with standing extremely beneficial to the Portuguese for thence they carried on for very near a century a most beneficial commerce with Japan by which became one of the richest and most considerable places in their possession but since their expulsion Japan and the interference of other European nations in the commerce with Canton together with unsettled state of Siam Cochin China and Tonquin the place has fallen to decay. (...)
* leia-se Fernão Peres d' Andrade
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