No carriages of any kind except palanquins are used here and horses only by a few of the foreign residents. To this and the indefatigable labours of the Chinese scavengers who collect the filth for manure the cleanliness of the streets may be attributed Camoens Cave. This celebrated little spot is situated in the large garden grounds of the house called the Casa at the northern extremity of the town and forms one of the interesting sights of Macao from the historical recollections connected with it and the intrinsic beauty of the locality.
Travellers in their narratives have described this as a cave but in reality it is simply a narrow passage between two masses of rock covered at the top by a deep layer of soil surmounted by a pretty summer house of modern date and encircled by a thick growth of trees. A modern Vandal has caused a place to be cut in the rock for a seat on the spot where the exiled poet is said to have reposed and added a most dazzling coat of whitewash to the tablet and bust which is placed against one side of the interior. From the summer house the view is very beautiful and embraces a large portion of the most striking points of scenery in the neighbourhood.
A walk which leads to the highest part of the grounds overhangs the inner harbour and the view from thence extends further up the river. The house has been lately rented to an English gentleman with a proviso that no proper application to visit the cave and grounds should be refused. No difficulty is experienced when permission is requested in proper form and those who have been disappointed will thank their own carelessness for the mortification. Much good taste is exhibited in the disposition of the grounds and in laying out the walks which were arranged in the English style by a former occupant Large snakes and some of them very venomous are said to have been repeatedly killed in the garden but no mischief has happened in consequence of their being there except the destruction of the poultry. (...)
The wall by which the town is surrounded is composed of stone covered with a thick coat of coarse mortar furnished with a parapet and having square bastionsatintervals. (...)
Temple at Macao / Templo de A-Ma
(As imagens acima são trabalhos de G. Chinnery e não fazem parte da obra referida)
There is at Macao a temple which faces the inner harbour which in addition to its very picturesque situation possesses an interest as the object of a singular superstition. It consists of several edifices of various dimensions built on points the very abrupt and elevated rock surrounded by trees which conceal them in a great measure from sight. The naked roots cover the rock in many places penetrating the crevices to seek nourishment from the small accumulations of soil which they contain.
Stairs cut in the rock lead in various directions winding round the large masses to terminate at the entrance of these shrines Large inscriptions are deeply cut in the rocks and filled with vermilion. The superstition which has rendered this temple celebrated is as follows. A fleet of boats being about to sail from Füh Kèën a lady appeared in one of them and advised the fishermen to defer their sailing for that in spite of the favourable appearance of the weather a storm was certainly approaching.
Regardless of the warning all the boats composing the feet sailed with the exception of a single one all save this one were lost and every one on board perished. The boat on board of which this lady made her appearance sailed when the tempest had subsided and with her safely reached Macao where on landing she immediately disappeared. This temple is built on the spot where the lady vanished and is called neang ma ko a temple of the queen of heaven.
She is esteemed the protectress of mariners who invoke her in distress crying a ma oh mother.
At the landing place are constantly to be seen fragments of vessels anchors spars & which have been left there in grateful recollection by sailors who have escaped danger by her supposed assistance. On returning from sea it is customary for sailors to repair to this temple return thanks and make an offering of odoriferous matches gilt paper & c which is burnt before one of the altars.
The whole neighbourhood is inhabited by the lowest classes of the Macao Chinese whose collections of houses are the most dirty and offensive that can be imagined. The houses being very small and the inhabitants in most cases very numerous the army of fowls pigs and children which appertains to each is little conducive to cleanliness or quiet.
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