"(...) Depois como os marinheiros dos navios portuguezes e os seus proprios escravos faziam repetidas correrias e insultos no territorio chinez, o que ja tinha dado logar a algumas desavenças, não se julgaram com força para reprimirem estes excessos e preferiram pedir aos mandarins chinezes que mandassem levantar uma muralha e barreira no isthmo o que elles fizeram de muito boa vontade em 1573 pois viram que por este modo voluntariamente cediamos do nosso direito a Ilha para além do mesmo isthmo. A esta muralha e barreira se poz o nome de Porta do Cerco. (...)"
José Maria de Sousa Monteiro in Diccionario geographico das provincias e possessões portuguezas no ultramar, 1850
"(...) Muitos escravos dos portugueses de Macau fugiam a seus donos e iam praticar roubos nas povoações da ilha de Hian chan. Este facto deu motivo em 1573 á construcção da muralha e barreira do isthmo a que os nossos ficaram chamando Porta do Cerco e os chinas Kuan cháp. (...)
António Marques Pereira in As Alfândegas Chinesa de Macau, 1870
" (...) A occupação portugueza comprehendeu sempre toda a peninsula de Macau até a barreira que foi erigida no isthmo em 1573, isto é, poucos annos depois do principio d`essa occupação. É prova d isto a inscripção que se poz sobre a porta da dita barreira em caracteres chinas e que ainda lá existia em 1849. Nesse anno por motivos que não são para repetir agora mandou o governo de Macau derrùbar aquella porta mas a occupação não ha passado dali.(...)"
in Negocios externos: Documentos apresentados ás Cortes na sessão de 1888, 1888
"(...) Na muralha havia uma porta que só devia abrir se uma vez por semana mas que se foi abrindo mais e mais até que chegou a abrir se todas as manhas. Esta porta ficou se chamando Porta do Cêrco ou do Limite Kuan chap em chinez. (...)"
in Macau, Bento da França, 1890
"(...)In 1573 the Chinese erected a barrier wall across the isthmus which separates Macao from the island of Heang shan. (...)"
John Francis Davies in The Chinese: a general description of China an its inhabitants, 1836
"(...) Macao is the extreme southern point of the Island of Heangshan and were it not for an isthmus which unites it to that island would itself form one about two miles in length. This isthmus or neck is threequarters of a mile in length and twenty rods broad. When the Portuguese were first allowed to settle on Macao a high party or barrier wall composed of stone and brick and extending into the sea on each side was erected by the Chinese across and nearly in the middle of this neck of land. In this wall is a gateway at which a Chinese guard is constantly kept to prevent the ingress of foreigners who are closely confined to the small spot of Macao but through this opening the Chinese themselves pass and repass the whole day it being the only means of getting to Macao on terra firma. (...)"
John Elliot Bingham in Narrative of the Expedition to China: From the Commencement of the War to its termination in 1842, Volume 1, 1843
"(...) Macao is a peninsula eight miles in circuit stretching out from a large island. The connecting piece of land is a narrow isthmus which in native topography is calle the stalk of a water lily. In 1840 a low wall stretched across this isthmus the foundation stones of which had been laid about three hundred years ago with the acknowledged object of limiting the movements of foreigners. This was the notorious barrier which during the Chinese war of 1840 was used to annoy the English. As large numbers of the peasantry had to pass the barrier gates with provisions for the mixed population at Macao, it was a frequent manœuvre with the Chinese authorities to stop the market supplies by closing the gate and setting over it a guard of half starved and ravenous soldiery. (...)"
Frederick Whymper in The Sea: Its Stirring Story of Adventure, Peril and Heroism, 1877
"(...) Across this isthmus, a wall was built from east to west from the outer bay to the head of the inner harbour and named the Barrier which marked the limit of the small territory granted to the use of the Portuguese. In the centre of this Barrier wall was a heavy gate closed in former times at night and thrown open in the morning that the Chinese could pass through in going to the city with provisions and returning by daylight but none of the Portuguese were permitted to go beyond it. On the top of the gate was a pavilion or look out and right and left the quarters of a Chinese guard. These have long since disappeared but the Barrier still stands and one may read on it the Chinese inscription cut on a stone let in the wall which states that it was built in the second year of the reign of the Emperor Wan Leih of Ta Ming or the great Ming dynasty, answering to the year 1573. (...)
William C. Hunter in Bits of Old China, 1885
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