"Delightful walks within the limits of Macao"

Quando se reformou da Marinha dos EUA, Daniel Ammen (1820-1898) escreveu um livro "The Old Navy and the New" - publicado em 1891 - onde relata as suas memórias. Numa das viagens pelo Oriente passou por Macau. Aqui fica um excerto relativo à Primavera de 1846 a bordo do USS Vincennes, tendo como companhia o USS Columbus e onde o destaque são as constantes visitas dos membros das tripulações à gruta de Camões onde existia um busto do poeta.

"(...) Entretanto, os oficiais e tripulantes de Vincennes desfrutaram de agradáveis passeios em Macau e alguns de nós nunca se cansaram de visitar o túmulo de Camões (leia-se gruta, já que nunca existiu um túmulo), um português e um dos grandes poetas cujos nomes perdurarão enquanto o homem existir. A localização e vegetação tornam-no num local encantador. Os Lusíadas é um poema de eleição que regista um romance de viagem que dificilmente deixará de ser lido no futuro. (...)"

Aspecto da Gruta de Camões em Macau em 1846
A imagem não faz parte da obra referida

"(...) Early in March we dropped down to the Bogue and a few days later went to the roads off Macao. The water is shoal for miles out and the lower part of the Canton River or rather the archipelago into which it discharges is quite extended, lying between high and picturesque islands, those nearest the sea being more rocky and less green.

The outer islands have few inhabitants while the inner ones are thickly populated. At that time the island of Hong Kong had very few residents and the foreign population was quite small. Macao had been in possession of the Portuguese for more than two and a half centuries and was for many years the summer residence of the larger number of foreign merchants in Canton. Bordered by broad waters and peninsular in form, just on the edge of the tropics, it was an agreeable residence and many years ago, when the Chinese were more exclusive, it had a large trade, but in 1846 its commercial glory departed.

The very extensive ware houses were empty and pleasant residences for Europeans could be had at a nominal rental.

The Columbus left Macao on the 15th of March for Manila. She was ten days in making the voyage and after less than a week her crew began to die of cholera and she left for Macao, where she anchored on the 9th of April having lost twelve men. What is known as Manila cholera, is not the true Asiatic although the treatment is the same it is not at all infectious and on her return we went on board without fear of attack.

The true Asiatic cholera has visited Manila several times since then and between that disease, earthquakes and typhoons, the inhabitants have had within past years what is called a rough time. 

In the mean while the Vincennes officers and crew enjoyed the delightful walks within the limits of Macao and some of us never tired of visiting the grave of Camoëns, a Portuguese and one of the great poets whose names will live as long as man exists. The situation and trees make it a charming spot. The Lusiad is a choice poem recording a romance of travel that can hardly fail to be read in the future. (...)"