"Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to China": 1ª parte

Os diários de bordo dos navios que sulcaram os mares do Sul da Ásia e que por norma faziam escala em Macau são uma fonte preciosa de informação em termos históricos.

Para o post de hoje seleccionei excertos de um desses diários, neste caso o de uma viagem ocorrida em 1827 entre Calcutá e a China. Tem como título "Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to China" e foi publicado na época no "The Quarterly Oriental Magazine, Review, and Register" (de Calcutá).

Entre outros detalhes, destaco a descrição da Gruta de Camões, os aposentos para viajantes na Praia Grande, a Porta do Cerco e o aviário do Sr. Beale que entre as dezenas de pássaros tinha um exemplar raro do Pássaro do Paraíso. São registos raros de como era Macau no primeiro quartel do século 19...

Alfândega chinesa de Macau. Ilustração incluída no livro Ou-Mun-Kei-Leok

"We passed the Islands of Linting and Lantow and anchored in the Macao roads about noon on the 20th September. A large party of us went on shore together carrying with us our baggage amounting in all to about a hundred packages. On our reaching the shallow water over which our boat was too large to proceed we were surrounded by a number of sampans, the common boats of the country. They were entirely manned, if it may be so said, by women. (...)

Upon landing our persons and baggage they lifted up their voices and cried 'Kumshaw', 'Kumshaw', which being interpreted signifies the same as our Indian phrase 'bukhshish' anglice largess. But our attention was drawn from the supplicating fair by a still greater clamour which arose from the wrangling of the Chinese and Portuguese authorities with respect to the right of squeezing us.

The Island of Macao belongs nominally to the Portuguese, but the power of the Mandarins is still very considerable. The latter had always been in the habit of imposing an arbitrary duty upon all women and bandboxes landed at the Chophouse stairs in consequence of which the Portuguese issued directions that all passengers and packages should on their arrival be sent to the Portuguese Custom house in the inner harbour so that all imposition on the part of the Chinese might be avoided. (...)

There are two taverns at Macao, one close to the place where we landed, and the other about three hundred yards to the right in a street leading to the Campo; the first was filled with shippies, skippers, mates & c of country Ships sundry Yankies and adventurers of all nations;  the other was fortunately unoccupied and was immediately taken possession of by our party. For myself I was fortunate in finding friends among the English Factory with whom I accordingly took up my quarters at the Albany as it is called.

The town of Macao is situated in a beautiful little Bay, which is said to be a miniature resemblance of the Bay of Naples; indeed in comparing pictures of the two it is not difficult to faney a likeness. Several hills which overlook the town in different directions are crowned with forts churches or convents adding greatly to the effect of the general view.

The houses are all constructed in the peculiar style of the Portuguese. The streets are paved and narrow and the churches are numerous, as in most catholic towns.

There are said indeed to be no less than sixteen of which the Franciscan situated at the extremity of the Bay is the handsomest and St Paul's the oldest.

In the first is a picture of St Francis Xavier apparently executed with a red hat and doubtless holy Poker; in the latter is a clock said to have been sent out by Louis the XIVth, as a present to the Jesuits.

Macao is not strictly speaking an Island of itself though generally termed so at least it is connected with another Island of a different name by a narrow gut of land or isthmus which is four or five hundred yards in length. At the futher extremity of it the Chinese have built a barrier wall beyond which if any adventurous Fauqui or foreign devil should dare to trespass he would scarcely escape without being well bruised with stones thumped with bamboos and probably robbed into the bargain.

This isthmus is the only level space within the limits of Macao, except the Cricket ground, which has been cut out on the side of a hill the rest of the Island for such we will still call it is a perpetual succession of hill and hollow so that there is little room for equestrian exercise though some of the residents are extravagant enough to keep horses for the name of the thing. The Island is about three miles long by one broad.

The hills, as I have before observed, are numerous rising to a considerable height and in many parts well wooded It is therefore an admirable place for pedestrians for the lovers of long walks and of scrambling up the precipices of Heaven kissing hill & c

The view from the summit of some of the hills is very beautiful. On one side the blue ocean spreads itself in tranquil majesty studded by a hundred isles rising at different distances in different forms and different sizes dotted by a hundred white sails gliding to and for over the smooth surface of the waters. On the other, you look down upon the town of Macao and all it's churches reposing in the vale beneath, backed by the dark and lofty mountains of the Leper isles. (...)

Macao boasts of but few lions, the principal one is the Cave of Camoens situated in some very pretty gardens attached to a house which is called par excellence The Casa. The cave, which is no cave, is situated on the summit of a small hill embosomed in a little wood and consists of three huge black rocks about fourteen feet square. One lays across on the top of the two others thus forming a sort of arch or passage about four feet wide. Passing through this you enter a small clear space surrounded with trees where there are stone seats erected for the romantically disposed.

On the summit of the rock which stands upon the two other blocks a small room or bungalow has been built which commands a view of nearly all parts of the Island. To this spot tradition relates that Camoens was wont to resort after the fatigues of business and relax his mind in the cultivation of his muse. In this spot he is said to have written a great part of the Lusiad and truly the seclusion of the place and the beauty of the view must have rendered it a scene well adapted for the accouchement of his laboring Fancy.

The admiration of the Portuguese for their poet has placed his bust in the passage or cave as it is termed abovementioned and the spot is held in that reverence and poetical sanctity (...)

The next lion worthy of remark is the Aviary of Mr Beale. It was there that I saw for the first and probably last time in my life a bird of Paradise alive and in full plumage_a sight as beautiful as rare and almost worthy of itself to be the sole object of a trip to China. Those who have only seen the stuffed bird can have but a faint conception of the beauty of the living original. The eye is beyond every thing rich and brilliant the peacock in full plumage is perhaps the handsomest and most graceful bird in creation but the bird of Paradise may be said to be the loveliest for it's peculiar features are extreme delicacy and softness. (...)

The Aviary is very extensive and contains an immense variety of beautiful birds. (...) In the garden Mr Beale has constructed a large wire or trellis work cage which encloses two or three small trees and a spring of water so that the birds have the advantage of fresh air and are at the same time protected from the sun by the shade of the branches and from thirst by the cool beverage of the well. The beautiful Chinese paintings of birds on rice paper which are exported for sale are portraits of the feathered originals of this collection.

There are two other lions in the neighbourhood of Macao which however I did not visit viz, a large rockingstone which being under the water is in perpetual motion and the tomb of St Francis Xavier, the Apostle of the Indies situated on of the contiguous Islands the very earth of which is held sacred by the Portuguese and believed to possess the miraculous power of healing alike the diseases of the mind and those of the body one.

The English Factory the batchelor portion at least live in a row of buildings facing the Sea which is called the Albany. They are very comfortable quarters and to the occupants possess the additional charm of there being no rent to pay for them.

The public rooms are about three or four hundred yards distant in the centre of the quay. They consist principally of a large dining room, a library, a chapel and billiard rooms The walls of these, as of all the other buildings on the beach, are built exceedingly thick to enable them to resist the violence of the Typhoons. In 1818 Macao was visited by a most formidable one the pave ment of the quay was torn up the houses unroofed and the stones tiles and mud were blown over into the town and it is said that the spray of the sea was carried thirty miles inland of the continent of course causing great injury to the trees and vegetation. (...)