O "Hoppo" da "Praya Pequena" e o da "Praya Grande"

Hoppo

This is a tribunal that has in charge the collecting of imperial dues on navigation and trade and remitting the amount to the Grand hoppo at Canton. Its local situation is on Praya pequena. The chief officers of this custom house owes his appointment to the Grand hoppo at Canton; at Macao the Portuguese designate him by the epithet Grand hoppo, in contradistinction to another seated on Praya grande of this we shall say a few words hereafter.

To the Grand hoppo of Macao the Procurator on the arrival in port of a vessel transmits a manifest it ought to be genuine of the cargo; a similar one to the Tso tang and to the Mandarin of Casa Branca. Of the ship's departure, the Hoppo is informed. No regular Hoppo was for nearly one hundred and fifty years established; but two years after Kang-he had declared the ports of China to be open to foreign nations, or in 1597, Hoppo guards chased a boat loaded with goods. In 1688 a Dutch ship directed her course to the inner harbor of Macao but the Bar fort prevented it by firing on her. Informed of this act of hostility the Hoppo chief sent for the Procurador and asked by whose authority dared the Portuguese elude the commands of the Emperor declaring that strangers coming to trade shall enter the port any where they please. Spanish vessels came in 1698 and 1700. A French vessel from the north west coast of America being chased (1793) by an English armed vessel in the roads of Macao run into the harbor. The Senate intended to make her a good prize; for Portugal was at war with France: the Mandarin of Heang shan having reported the case to the higher authorities an order was intimated that Macao should restore to the owner back ship and cargo: 'if you do other wise you shall not be allowed to remain in the place on the same footing as before'.

The Grand hoppo collects the amount of measurement from Macao, and foreign ships, and the duties on goods, sent to or coming, from Canton.

Excerto de "An Historical Sketch of the Portuguese Settlements in China And of the Roman Catholic Church and Mission in China", de Anders Ljungstedt, 1836.

"Vista de Praya Pequena de Macao". Pintura séc. 18. Não incluída na obra referida

Era no Porto Interior que estava localizada a principal alfândega de Macau (o Hoppo/hopu) da Praia Pequena, já que era por ali que passava a maioria das embarcações que se dirigiam a Cantão, por oposição à alfândega mais pequena, a da Praia Grande no porto exterior, já muito perto da fortaleza de S. Francisco. Estes postos alfandegários só seriam desactivados pelo governador Ferreira do Amaral em meados do século 19.