Vue de Macao en Chine / View of Macao in China: 1ª parte

Esta é muito provavelmente a mais icónica representação de Macau no século 18: a baía da Praia Grande vista do terreiro/miradouro do convento de S. Francisco.

O desenho e a litografia da versão original (francesa)

Na imagem podem ver-se em 1º plano frades franciscanos; três parecem estar a falar  com uma mulher com uma saraça que lhe cobre a cabeça; um outro frade está junto a um  chinês que a julgar pelo que veste deveria ser abastado. Sentado podem ver-se duas freiras ou noviças tendo em frente, no chão, lajes de túmulos. Na escadaria do convento de S. Francisco estão representado dois chineses e mais à frente no areal outras figuras humanas. à direita pode ver-se o muro que cercava o convento de Santa Clara.

Do lado esquerdo é possível ver-se canhões. Pertenciam à fortaleza de S. Francisco, contígua ao convento (que também tinha uma igreja).

O panorama é dominado pela baía da Praia Grande - tendo ao centro o Fortim de S. Pedro -  tendo atrás várias colinas que, dada a dimensão exagerada, minimizam o edificado. Podem ainda ver-se a Fortaleza do Monte, o topo da fachada da igreja MaterDei/Madre de Deus, a igreja de São Domingos, a igreja de Santo Agostinho e no lado esquerdo, a colina da Penha e a ermida/capela com o mesmo nome.

O "Vue de Macao en China" foi publicado pela primeira vez no livro "Atlas du Voyage de la Perouse" editado em 1797. O desenho é da autoria de Gaspard Duche de Vancy. 

A tradução para inglês foi publicada em Londres em 1798 com o título "A voyage round the world performed in the years 1785, 1786, 1787 and 1788". Inclui uma ilustração muito parecida cuja autoria é atribuída a Sparrow. 

"View of Macao in China"  - é da autoria de Sparrow e foi incluída na versão inglesa do livro

Jean François de Galaup (1741-1788), conde de La Pérouse, fazia por ordem de Luís XVI uma viagem de exploração científica à volta do mundo, com as fragatas La Boussole e L' Astrolabe. Chegou a Macau a 3 de Janeiro de 1787 (há 237 anos), tendo ali permanecido até 5 de Fevereiro. Nesse período instalaram um ponto de observação no convento de Santo Agostinho tendo registado as marés. Toda a tripulação desapareceu, provavelmente num naufrágio em Vanikoro, em 1788. Anos depois uma outra expedição francesa teve como objectivo, entre outros, tentar encontrar os dois navios. Reza a lenda que pouco antes de morrer em 1793, o rei Luis XIV terá perguntado se havia notícias de La Pérouse...

Nota: A edição da obra referida - três volumes com 67 gravuras de página inteira, 31 mapas, 29 desenhos e 7 esboços de espécies de fauna - só foi possível porque ao longo da expedição La Pérouse ia enviando para França o material produzido. Caso contrário, ter-se-ia perdido tudo no naufrágio...

Excerto sobre Macau (versão inglesa):

The weather, which was very cloudy, had prevented us from perceiving the town; at noon it cleared up, and we made it from the west a degree south about three leagues. I sent a boat on shore, commanded by M. Boutin, to advertise the governor of our arrival, and to acquaint him, that we intended to make some stay in the road, for the purpose of resting and refreshing our ships companies. M. Bernardo Alexis de Lemos, governor of Macao, received this officer in the most obliging manner; he made us an offer of every assistance in his power, and immediately sent a Malay pilot on board, to conduct us to the anchorage of Typa; at day break the next day we got under way, and at eight o'clock in the morning we brought up in three fathoms and a half, muddy ground, the town of Macao bearing north-west five miles.

We came to an anchor alongside of a French flute, commanded by M. de Richery, ensign in the navy; she came from Manilla, destined, by Messrs. d'Entrecasteaux and Cossigny, to cruize on the eastern coasts, and there to protect our commerce. We had then at length, at the end of eighteen months, the pleasure of meeting not only with our countrymen, but even comrades and acquaintances. M. de Richery had the night before accompanied the Malay pilot, and had brought us a very considerable quantity of fruits, pulse, fresh meat, and in general every thing which he could imagine might be agreeable to navigators after a long voyage. Our apparent good state of health seemed to surprise him. He informed us of the political state of Europe, the situation of which was exactly the same as at our departure from France; but all his researches at Macao to find out some one who had been charged with our packets were in vain; it was more than probable, that no letter addressed to us had arrived in China, and we experienced the melancholy idea of having been forgotten by our friends and families. Sorrowful situations make men unjust; these letters, which we so forcibly regretted, might have been entrusted to the company's ship which had lost its passage; her consort alone had arrived this year, and information was received from the captain, that the greater part of the money; and all the letters, had been sent by the other ship. We were perhaps more afflicted than the merchants by the unfavourable weather which had prevented the arrival of this ship, and it was impossible for us not to remark, that out of twenty-nine English ships, five Dutch, two Danes, one Swede, two Americans, and two French, the only one which had lost its passage was of our nation. 

As the English never trust the command of their ships except to thorough-bred seamen, a similar event is what rarely happens to them; and when, arriving too late in the Chinese Seas, they find the north-east monsoon set in, they struggle with obstinacy against this impediment; they frequently penetrate to the eastward of the Philippines, and standing to the northward in this sea, much more extensive and less exposed to currents, they re-enter by the south of the Bashee Islands, make the land of Piedra Blanca, and, as we did, pass to the northward of the Great Lamma. We were witnesses of the arrival of an English vessel, which, after having followed this track, anchored in Macao Road ten days after us, and immediately afterwards went up to Canton.

My first care, after the ship's being moored, was to go on shore with M. de Langle, in order to thank the governor for the obliging reception he had given to M. Boutin, and to ask his permission to have an establishment on shore, for the purpose of erecting an observatory, and giving rest to M. Dagelet, who was very much fatigued with our voyage, as well as M. Rollin, our surgeon major, who after having, by his care and advice, warded off the scurvy and all other diseases from us, would himself have been obliged to yield to the fatigues of our long voyage, had our arrival been retarded a week longer.

M. de Lemos received us as countrymen; every favour we had asked was granted, with a politeness to which no language can do justice. He made us an offer of his house, and, as he did not speak French, his wife, a young Portuguese from Lisbon, officiated as his interpreter. To the answers of her husband she added amiableness and grace peculiar to herself, and such as travellers can rarely flatter themselves with meeting in the first cities of Europe.

Dona Maria de Saldagna had twelve years ago married M. de Lemos at Goa, and very soon after the marriage I happened to be in that city, commander of the flute la Seine; she was so kind as to remind me of this event, which was very strongly impressed on my memory, and obligingly to add, that I was an old acquaintance; after which, calling all her children, she told me that she always thus presented herself to her friends; that their education was the object of all her cares; that she was proud of being their mother, which pride we must have the goodness to pardon, as she was determined to introduce herself to our acquaintance with all her faults. (...)

Detalhe da litografia 'francesa': destaque para o areal plano na ponta de S. Francisco da baía da Praia Grande; à direita Convento Santa Clara (em baixo) e no topo a Fortaleza do Monte com a igreja Mter Dei ao lado.

Detalhe da litografia 'francesa': colina da Penha e ermida do lado esquerdo em cima; em baixo a Fortaleza do bom Parto; ao longo da Praia Grande entre os edifícios representados destaco as igrejas

continua...