"Macao looks well from the sea"

(...) We were on our way to Macao. Although approached through four miles of shallow and turbid water Macao looks well from the sea. A semicirale of large white houses glitters in the sunshine. Right and left , two hills crowned with forts and covered with foliage protect either horn of the crescent while from the dense city behind domes and cathedral towers rise. But it is the appearance of a past greatness. If we except the houses of the Praia, 'Fuit' is written upon every wall. This dwindling dying city has recently however shown some signs of life.

There are sixty vessels in the harbour the rice for famishing Canton comes this way. Some of the Cantonese merchants have established themselves here and every one of our commercial magnates of Hongkong has a bungalow within the protection of the Portuguese guard.

Round a point about four miles away lies the Raleigh sunk now to her upper deck. The Nankin has in getting the masts out of her In her yellow paint her dismasted state she looks like one of the hulls at have offered her for sale but the sum bid her 5,200 dollars was not worth the risk of keeping ship of war upon an unsafe station at the typhoon season and this precaution would be necessary to protect the purchaser.

The present idea is to blow her up. Macao is open to the sea breeze which Victoria is not. Macao possesses the grave of Camoens which may be important fact to some people. But I agree with American poet who has pencilled upon the tomb:

'I can t admire great Camoens with ease Because I can t speak Portuguese'

Macao also has shady gardens and pleasant walks and rides and is the only place where the poor Hongkongian can go to change his atmosphere There is a mandarin in the neighbourhood of this place who ought to be made to feel that England has a long arm. He has organized a system of coercion upon the Chinese of Hongkong. (...)

in "China, Being 'The Times' special correspondence from China in 1857-58", George Wingrove Cooke, Londres, 1858.

Nota: A pintura - óleo sobre tela - representa a baía da Praia Grande; de autor anónimo pertence à chama "escola chinesa". Mais imagens de Macau nessa época podem ser vistas aqui num artigo de imprensa.