Visit of the Hong Kong volunteer Corps to Macao: 1865

Entre os dias 19 e 21 de Novembro de 1864 o Corpo de Voluntários de Hong Kong visitou Macau a convite do governador e o território praticamente parou para assistir ao evento amplamente noticiado na imprensa local e até no estrangeiro.

"The Portuguese town of Macao, at the mouth of the Canton River, in China, is distant about forty from the Island of Hong Kong ,and the Governor, Senhor J. R. Coelho do Amaral, by a letter to Admiral Sir Hercules Robinson, Governor of Bong Kong invited the volunteer corps of English settlement to visit Macao as his guests. (...)"

No jornal Hong Kong Evening Mail pode ler-se:

The corps having landed with their guns were marched on to the Praya and formed there under a hot sun. Before the Palace they saluted the Governor and having formed to the right of the Governor's Fort the salute of nine guns given by the San Francisco Fort was answered by 21. Three cheers were then given on either side and the corps was dismissed at the Royal Hotel the Macao band the while playing God save the Queen. Here Mr Reed had prepared every comfort and general cordiality smoothed any little hitch that might have occurred in the generalobustle. In the evening while the Macao band played, a promenade took place in the Praya Grande which always attractive was now enhanced in beauty by the illuminations at the Governor's and the Royal Hotel which latter boasted among other adornments of 2,300 lamps.

At head quarters the dinner was served in relays Colonel Brine presiding over one mess accompanied by the British Consular Agent Mr Lanca. After dinner Colonel Brine proposed The King of Portugal. The toast was drunk with all honours and the national air played by the band Mr Lanca replied and proposed Queen Victoria which was also drunk amid great cheering and God save the Queen by the band.

The Commandant again rose and referring to the pleasure unexpected six months ago of dining at Macao with their own band said he hoped to be able to repay the compliment proposed The Governor and people of Macao. (...)

"Vivão os visitantes" pode ler-se no estandarte incluído na ilustração publicada no jornal The Illustrated London News de 21 Janeiro de 1865. 

Legenda: Visita do Corpo de Voluntários de Hong Kong a Macau: parada frente ao pavilhão

Visit of the Hong-Kong volunteer corps to Macao: the parade in front of the pavilion. 

O Boletim do Governo na edição de 21 de Novembro de 1864 também deu conta do evento dedicando-lhe mais de uma página. Seguem-se alguns excertos: