Excertos sobre Macau do livro da autoria de Edmund Roberts, "Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat during the years 1832,33, 34", publicado em Nova Iorque em 1837.
Alguns destaques do testemunho de Edmund Roberts: o hospital oftálmico, a visita ao templo da Barra (A-Ma), a existência de um museu, a avenida da Praia Grande (referida como "Pria") ainda sem árvores, na mesma baía um hotel (denominado Beach hotel), uma descrição detalhada das sampanas, breve resenha histórica e dados sobre o comércio e população.
Aqui fica um dos excertos traduzido:
"A cidade de Macau apresenta uma bela aparência desde a enseada. Uma espaçosa baía semicircular é cercada de colinas, coroada por fortes, conventos, igrejas e edifícios particulares: as casas mantidas bem caiadas de branco conferem à cidade uma aparência bastante elegante. As ruas são geralmente estreitas, mas são ainda mais estreitas na zona do bazar chinês, etc., não excedendo, talvez, seis ou oito pés. A maioria das casas é construídas ao estilo português; mas as casas chinesas são, com muito poucas exceções, escuras, sujas e desconfortáveis. Macau é a residência de verão dos mercadores estrangeiros de Cantão; e tem a fama de ser um dos lugares mais imorais do mundo."
I went over to Macao the next morning, passing through a fleet of sampans, (small boats,) navigated by damsels, that one might almost deem amphibious, in which dwell whole families, in a most miserable condition. I landed close to the quay, leading to the Beach Hotel, kept by Markwick, an Englishman, fronting on Pria* Grande, a public walk, without trees, facing the outer harbour and islands. The ship finally anchored at Linting, (Ling-ting,) which is eighteen miles from Macao, and twenty-five from the Bogue, or mouth of the river. This island was scarcely inhabited till 1814, when, in consequence of a dispute between the British and Chinese, the company’s ships remained here for some time. Population increasing, supplies of vegetables and beef became plentiful, and induced American and other ships to make it a place of rendezvous; but the importation of opium being prohibited, both at Canton and Macao, at this time, the vessels engaged in importing that article, repaired to this anchorage, when they found every facility through Chinese boats, to smuggle or to purchase it. This was the origin of the opium go-downs, as they are technically called, or receiving ships, for this and other articles for the Canton market.
There are now, in 1832, from seven to eight ships engaged in this illegal traffic. Among this number there is one American vessel, the Linting, and occasionally there are two. In the commencement of the northeast monsoon, in October, ships repair to this place, where they usually lie to the end of April; when the southwest monsoon commencing, they remove to the north end of the island, where they stay six weeks, and then remove to Cap-sin-moon, (Cap-shuy-moon,) a more secure, but less convenient anchorage. There are now six villages in Linting; in 1814, there were not more than sixty persons on the island; in 1821, not quite two thousand, and now, the estimate is upward of five thousand. (...)
After remaining nearly two months at Canton, I took passage in a fine cutter, under English colours, for Macao, via Linting, and anchored in about twenty-four hours, within half a mile of the landing, at Pria Grande. Immediately on our nearing the harbour, a race took place among the amphibious damsels that inhabit the numerous sampans, tanka or egg-boats, which always lie within a short distance of the shore. Whole families inhabit them, and they are extremely encumbered with children, and the various articles used by the family. Their length is from twelve to eighteen feet, and the breadth is about one half the length. They have oval sliding roofs, made of bamboo or mats, in two or three sections, which are extended occasionally the whole length of the boat. The occupants are extremely poor and miserable; they wear slight dresses, consisting of a long frock and trousers, of tan-coloured cotton. Except when heavy gales prevail, they rarely sleep on shore.
The town of Macao presents a pretty appearance from the roadstead. A spacious semi-circular bay is encompassed with hills, crowned with forts, convents, churches, and private buildings: the houses being kept well whitewashed, it gives the town quite a neat appearance. The streets are generally narrow, but they are exceedingly so through the Chinese bazar, &c., not exceeding, perhaps, six or eight feet. Most of the houses are built in the Portuguese style; but the Chinese houses are, with very few exceptions, dark, filthy, and uncomfortable. Macao is the summer residence of the foreign merchants of Canton; and it is reputed to be one of the most immoral places in the world.
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| Praia Grande na época num esboço de G. Chinnery (imagem não incluída no livro referido) |
It is a rocky peninsula, about eight English miles in circumference; its greatest length is about three, and its breadth less than one mile. It forms part of the island of Heong-shan-nne, and was renowned, long before the Portuguese were settled there, for its safe and commodious inner harbour, and a temple consecrated to Ama.
This settlement was formerly called Amangas, that is, the port of Ama; and first took the name of A-macao; but, in time, the first letter was suppressed, and the place has ever since been called Macao by the Portuguese, and Moon by the Chinese. The Portuguese had temporary abodes at this place, for about twenty years, by giving bribes to the authorities to erect huts, under the false pretext of drying damaged goods, until they were expelled by mal-conduct, in 1558, from Ningpa and Chinchew, when they induced the local officers of Macao, by their old system of bribery, to erect permanent dwellings.
The population from that time, rapidly increased; a temporary government was established, and a great influx of priests followed. In the year 1573, the wall across the isthmus was erected by the Chinese government, to prevent the kidnapping of children, as well as the sale of them by their wretched parents to over-zealous missionaries, who adopted every means, however infamous, to make converts to their religion, and to prevent the ingress of the[166] Chinese; but it has been long disregarded by the latter. The wall is now in a ruinous state near the bay, being partly broken down by the encroachment of the sea; but still no foreigners are allowed to cross it; and all provisions must come to the gate, where a market is still held at daybreak.
It was supposed by the world, that Portugal exercised sovereign authority over Macao, till 1802, when a British military detachment arrived and offered to defend it, in conjunction with the Portuguese, against an apprehended attack from the French; knowing if they obtained possession of it, the British commerce with Canton would be destroyed: the Portuguese governor could not accept of their assistance, because the Chinese authorities would not permit it. In 1808, although a British force obtained possession of three forts, by the connivance of the Macao government, the Chinese authorities ordered them to quit their territories, or they would put a stop to the British trade at Canton, and drive the Portuguese from Macao, for suffering foreign troops to land there, without first obtaining permission of the emperor. Macao, therefore, is still part of the Chinese empire. This is acknowledged by the Portuguese, who still pay an annual ground-rent, which has varied at different times, but is now limited to five hundred taels.
The Portuguese and Chinese are both governed by their respective laws and officers; but in case of collision between two persons of the different nations, the Chinese always dictate to the former in what way the affair must be settled. For fifty or sixty years, the Portuguese enjoyed the exclusive trade to China and Japan. In 1717, and again in 1732, the Chinese government offered to make Macao the emporium for all foreign trade, and to receive all duties on imports; but, by a strange infatuation, the Portuguese government refused, and its decline is dated from that period. In 1686, when all vessels of the Chinese empire were prohibited from navigating the southern sea, their shipping and commerce declined rapidly, till, in 1704, only two ships remained, which could neither be manned nor fitted out. This prohibition was, some time after, annulled. The vessels that belonged to the port in 1832, consisted of only fifteen, (being ten less than is allowed by the Chinese government;) their united tonnage being four thousand five hundred and sixty-nine tons. In 1833, the number had diminished to twelve.
These vessels are principally chartered for foreign ports by Chinese adventurers, the owners generally being destitute of means to load them. The whole income from the customs, in 1830, was only sixty-nine thousand one hundred and thirty-eight taels; and of this sum, thirty thousand one hundred and thirty-two taels were paid on one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three and a half chests of opium. The disbursements were: to the military, twenty-nine thousand six hundred and twenty-two; civil servants, twenty-four thousand four hundred and seventy; and to the church establishment, eight thousand seven hundred and thirty. The extraordinary expenses were forty-six thousand six hundred and twenty-nine, making a deficiency of about forty thousand eight hundred taels, which must be supplied from Goa.
The population of Macao was estimated, in 1830, at four thousand six hundred and twenty-eight, viz.: one thousand two hundred and two white men; two thousand one hundred and forty-nine white women; three hundred and fifty male slaves; seven hundred and seventy-nine female slaves; and thirty-nine men, and one hundred and eighteen women, of different castes, who are all Roman Catholics. The Chinese population is estimated at thirty thousand. The European Portuguese consist of only sixty-two persons.
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| Pintura início séc.19 - não incluída nas obras referidas - pertencente à chamada "escola chinesa" (autor anónimo). |
I visited a Budhist temple, facing the inner harbour, situated in the midst of a number of large rocks, trees being seen growing out of their crevices. It was really composed of a number of small temples, seated on terraces, communicating with each other by means of steps cut out of the rock. All the buildings, wall, and steps, leading to it, are of hewn granite, very neatly wrought, and having ornamental work, finished in a masterly manner. This temple is a place of great resort for mariners; and near the landing, are various offerings of anchors, ropes, and spars. The devo tees were constantly passing in and out from the temple to the priests’ houses, seated in a court. There were several priests in attendance, and others were lounging about the altars, with some old women, who appeared to be attached to the premises. This temple is called “Neang-ma-ho,” a temple of the “Queen of heaven.” The origin of it is said to be this: A number of Fokein fishermen were about sailing from that province, when a lady made her appearance, and told them they would all be lost in a storm, unless they deferred it for some days. They paid no heed to her advice, (excepting the crew of one boat,) and they were all lost in a “ta-fung-pao,” or “great tempest.” The lady embarked on board the remaining boat, when the storm had subsided, and safely landed near to the spot where the temple now is; from that moment she was never seen again. She is esteemed as holy, and is invoked as the protectress of all Chinese mariners.
O médico da missão também deixou um testemunho escrito da passagem por Macau.
* Praia
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