Macau por John Webber

John Webber (1751-1793) foi um artista inglês (pintor e autor das imagens neste post) nomeado pelo Almirantado para acompanhar a 3ª expedição de James Cook que começou em 1776 e terminou em 1780.

Nesta aventura participaram as embarcações "HMS Resolution" comandada por James Cook e a "HMS Discovery" comandada pelo capitão Charles Clerke. Estiveram em Macau desde 1 de Dezembro de 1779 até 13 de Janeiro de 1780

John Webber was the official artist appointed by the Admiralty to accompany Captain James Cook’s third voyage of discovery to the Pacific, a journey which began in 1776 and ended in 1780.

The brief was that he should record the places, people, objects and events encountered along the way because, explained the Admiralty, pictures ‘would give a more perfect idea thereof than can be formed from written descriptions only’. Webber’s work would then be turned into illustrations to accompany the published account of the trip. Webber painted A View in Macao when the two ships, Resolution and Discovery, were on their return journey from North America. 

Cook had been killed in Hawaii in 1779 and the ships had stopped at the Portuguese colony in order to take on supplies. The picture shows the mountainous landscape of Macau and its subtitle refers the home of the 16th-century poet Luis de Camoens, who wrote a celebrated Homeric epic there. On Webber’s return to England he used the watercolour as the basis for one of 16 etchings, which were later gathered together in the volume Views from the South Seas (1808/09)

Vista de Macau por John Webber ca. 1779 com o título original: "View in Macao, including the residence of Camoens, when he wrote his Lusiad.” A obra pode ser vista no Captain Cook Memorial Museum em Inglaterra.

View of Macao near the Canton River/Coastal landscape in Macau

View in Macao

Excertos do livro The Voyages of Captain James Cook Round the World - Cap. IX(1813):

At nine o clock the tide beginning to ebb; we again came to anchor in six fathoms water; the town of Macao bearing north west three leagues distant and the island of Potoe south half west two leagues distant. This island lies two leagues to th north north west of the island marked Z in Mr Dairy m pie's chart which we at first took to be part of the Grand Ladrone. It is small and rocky and off the west end there is said to be foul ground though we passed near it without perceiving any In the forenoon of the 2d one of the Chinese contractors who are called compradors went on board the Resolution and sold to Captain Gore two hundred pounds weight of beef together with a considerable quantity of greens oranges and eggs. A proportionable share of these articles was sent to the Discovery and an agreement made with the man to furnish us with a daily supply for which however he insisted on being paid beforehand. Our pilot pretending he could carry the ships no farther Captain Gore was obliged to discharge him and we were left to our own guidance. At two in the afternoon the tide flowing we weighed and worked to windward and at seven anchored in three and a half fathoms of water Alacaw bearing west three miles distant. This situation was indeed very ineligible being exposed to the north east and having shoal water not more than two fathoms and a half deep to leeward but as no nautical description is given in Lord Anson's voyage of the harbour in which the Centurion anchored and Mr Dalrymple's general map which was the only one on board was on too small a scale to serve for our direction the ships were obliged to remain there all night.

In the evening Captain Gore sent me on shore to visit the Portugueze Governor and to request his assistance in procuring refreshments for pur crews which he thought might be done on more reasonable terms than the comprador would undertake to furnish them.

At the same time I took a list of the naval stores of which both vessels were greatly in want with an intention of proceeding immediately to Canton and applying to the servants of the East India Company who were at that time resident there. On my arrival at the citadel the fort major informed me that the governor was sick and not able to see company but that we might be assured of receiving every assistance in their power. This however I understood would be very inconsiderable as they were entirely dependent on the Chinese even for their daily subsistence Indeed the answer returned to the first request. 

I made gave me a sufficient proof of the fallen state of the Portugueze power for on my acquainting the major with my desire of proceeding immediately to Canton he told me that they could not venture to furnish me with a boat till leave was obtained from the Hoppo or officer of the customs and that the application for this purpose must be made to the Chinese government at Canton. The mortification I felt at meeting with this unexpected delay could only be equalled by the extreme impatience with which we had so long waited for an opportunity of receiving intelligence from Europe It often happens that in the eager pur suit of an object we overlook the easiest and most obvious means of attaining it. 

This was actually my case at present for I was returning under great dejection to the ship when the Portugueze officer who attended me asked ine if I did not mean to visit the English gentlemen at Macao. I need not add with what transport I received the information this question conveyed to me nor the anxious hopes and fears the conflict between curiosity and ap prehension which passed in my mind as we walked toward the house of one of our countrymen. (...)