"Macao Beach Near Singapore"

Ilustração da baía da Praia Grande da primeira metade do século 19 de origem inglesa (autor anónimo).Trata-se de um desenho de pequenas dimensões que muito provavelmente terá sido colorido à posteriori.

Para suporte de texto desta imagem selecionei excertos de uma carta de 5 de Fevereiro de 1856 refere o Jardim de Camões e o Antigo Cemitério Protestante.

"(...)The next morning, with a calm sea, we were more successful, and at three o clock pm reached our landing place on the Praya Grande, the celebrated promenade to the quaint old settlement of the early Portuguese kings, Macao.

Once the most important maritime port in Eastern Asia, one hundred and fifty two years ago the richest settlement in this part of the world even during the English war. Macao was the chief port of trade for the merchants of all nations.

Its present population will not exceed 30,000 about a sixth of which only are Portuguese, the others are half castes and natives of China. At present there are a few English and other officials in the town, Dr Parker among the rest but save these few the place to me was more cheerless than an Egyptian desert (...)

Long narrow alleys dark and gloomy cathedrals and public buildings dropping away, one old church, the front of which only was standing, was very beautiful, a noble relic of the architecture of earlier days. Forts, with bristling cannon on every side, that one war could blow in the air walks, parades, gardens, all under the corroding hand of time. (...)

The exiled poet's last home was my next resort, the banished scholar who made himself immortal in his banishment for who can read that beautiful composition the Luciad without being reminded of the romantic history of Cameons. (...) 

I have seen Macao but do not like it. It may be pleasant as a summer retreat for there is a fine bathing beach near the Parsee burial ground which looks towards the East. Save the native trade commerce has forsaken Macao and Hong Kong once so sickly is now the favorite settlement; and restless progress marks the one when old age in its slippery pantaloon sans wealth and life almost tells you of the other In the warm months all foreign China flock to Macao. As a summer retreat, many of the merchants have houses here, one of which, if in Wall or State street, would make a millionaire of the fortunate possessor; but here they are hollow sepulchral cheerless they are so large and cold rooms wider than a dancing hall with a solitary chair in the centre and walls so thin that the least whisper at one end rings throughout the house to the foreigner's grave yard but my stay was brief for it made me sad it looked so dreary and so cold. 

Fellow countrymen, old and young, were lying side by side, the moss grown marble telling of age, and death, and merit. Governors and subjects, the rich and the poor, all were there crowding each other for more room, for the burial ground is full.

I saw the grave of young Joseph H Adams, the descendant of a line of President's, a Lieutenant of the Powhattan who died in 1853 and many more from the same expedition buried by their comrades. (...)

in An American Merchant in Europe, Asia and Australia: A Series of Letters from Java, Singapore, China, etc... de George Francis Train, EUA, 1857.