Evening in the Praya Grande. 405 



among the Eiu'opean population of Macao. The Insecurity of 

 life and property increased daily. No one could venture to 

 go a mile or two beyond the city. Even a beautiful pic-nic 

 house, erected by the foreigners on '' Green Island," close by 

 the town, whither during peaceful times frequent excursions 

 were made by European residents with their families, had 

 been for months empty and gutted. 



The Praya Grande, or rather the shady promenade, at its 

 eastern extremity serves as a rendezvous for the gay world, 

 and on Sundays, when a band of music plays here, one can 

 scarcely pass through the crowd. 



The Portuguese, who] even in their native country are not 

 a handsome race, lose still more in their physical qualities by 

 the unscrupulous manner in which they cross with the native 

 races. This circumstance makes the contrast still more 

 apparent of simple, graceful, pale ladies of the Anglo-Saxon 

 race, who now and then appear between the ugly dark 

 natives. In the evening, towards sunset, these lovely crea- 

 tures make their appearance in their sedan or other chairs 

 in the Campo San Francisco, there to enjoy the cool even- 

 ing sea-breezes. A great number of sedan porters halt here 

 with their precious burdens, and elegantly-attired cavaliers 

 saunter about, striving by amiable phrases and flattering 

 remarks to elicit a smile. AYliile these vehicles form the 

 commonest mode of conveyance, we also saw there but few 

 saddle-horses, and only one single carriage, the property of 

 a rich brownish native, baronized for the amount of 40,000 



