Guia fort with its lighthouse

Macao, a Portuguese settlement is situated on the western side of Tahsi shuitao, close eastward of Lappa island and on a peninsula at the south eastern end of Macao island. The peninsula is connected with the island by a low narrow sandy isthmus. Guia fort with its lighthouse Lat 22 12 N Long 113 33 E occupies the summit.

The population in 1948 was about 222,000. Macao harbour which is entered between Ko ho point and a point on Macao island about 6 miles northward is constructed on the south eastern side of the peninsula and there is an inner port between the peninsula and Lappa island There are three radio masts on a hill about half a mile north eastward of Guia fort. (...)

The harbour is enclosed by moles on its eastern southern and western sides. There are several mooring buoys in the harbour for vessels not exceeding 3,000 tons and 400 feet (121m) long. A channel in a north westerly direction has been dredged to the entrance to the harbour. An extension from the southern end of the eastern mole about one mile long lies on the north eastern side of this channel and a detached mole about half a mile long lies on the south western side.

In 1946 the channel had silted and there was a depth only about 1 feet (0,5m). Close southward of the entrance to the harbour and connected with the inner end of the above mentioned dredged channel; another channel Canal Norte da Rada has been dredged in a west south westerly direction towards the entrance of the inner port. The depth in this channel was reported in 1935 to be 6 feet (1m). The inner port is entered between Barra fort situated nearly 1 miles south westward of Guia fort and the south eastern end of Lappa island about half a mile westward .The western side of the inner port is encumbered with sandbanks but in 1948 there was a depth of 12 feet (3m) close off the town. Dredging is constantly in progress to maintain the depths in the inner harbour and the main channel. There is a small Naval yard about 1 3/4 cables northward of Barra fort with a tidal basin, and close northward of the Naval yard there is a pier. There are three wharves with T heads, about 6 cables above the Naval yard. (...)

Excerto de Africa Pilot - Volume 1. Great Britain. Hydrographic Dept, 1951