1807.] 
theatre, we found the jugglers or legerde- 
maim-men ready to exhibit their chef 
d'wuvres. Vhe Chinese are noted for 
these deceptions, as well as the Indians 
and we were very much qgmused by their 
tricks, as they were all new to us, though 
many of them were perhaps not superior to 
those of Breslau, or many other deceptions 
shewn in England, and certainly not equal 
to some we afterwards saw in India. 
This terminated the night’s entertain-. 
ment; and we took leave of our kind Chi- 
nese host, with appetites and curiosities 
highly gratified. 
Our party having fitted out the ship’s 
launch with a week’s provision, and plen- 
ty of arms to guard us against the La- 
drones, we set off on an excursion to 
Macao. Itwas on our little voyage down 
to this settlement, that we had the satis- 
faction of sceing a whole convoy of Chi- 
nese small craft take the advantage of 
that protection which even the boat of a 
Buitish man of war could give them 
against the Ladrones, who infest their own 
rivers! 
On approaching the city of Macao it 
has a very handsome appearance from the 
sea, the houses and streets being well 
built, regular, and the former (as is the 
Portuguese custom) perfectly white. The 
land on each side is cragey, with forts, 
churches, and monasteries, erected on 
the different eminences. 
That part of the island of Macao where 
the Portuguese are allowed to reside, isa 
peninsula, separated from the main body 
of the island by a narrow isthmus, across 
the middle of which the Chinese have 
thrown a wall, called the Boundary. In 
the centre of this wall isa gate, a euard- 
house, and a party of Chinese soldiers, to 
prevent the smallest communication. 
The peninsula itself is composed of 
two rugged hills, joined together by alow 
neck of land, on which the city of Macao 
is built extending from shore to shore. 
Thus situated it is capable of being well 
defensled by the craggy heights on each 
side; but the Portuguese have taken tittle 
advantage of this circumstance ;, and in- 
deed so badly is it fortified, that it is sup- 
posed five or six hundred men, with a 
ship or two of war, would take the place 
with great ease. 
The city is very populous; but the Chi- 
hese far exceed the number of the Portu- 
uese inhabitants, who are here as in 
most of their [Indian settlements, a very 
degenerated race! marrying and blending 
with the natives, till the shade of dis- 
suction is completely obliterated! ‘This 
Fournal of a Voyage in the Indian Seas. 335 
is not the case with the English (except 
in a very trifling degree); who on that 
account preserve and support the supe- 
riority of their character, in the eyes of 
those nations of colour where they form 
establishments. 
Though this 1s called a Portuguse set- 
tlement, yet so much are they at the 
mercy, and under the controul, of the Chi- 
nese, that the latter will not permit them 
to have more than a few weeks provisions 
on the island at one time; nor could the 
Poriuguese procure the smaliest supply 
from any of the neighbouring isles, with- 
out leave from the viceroy of Canton! 
m fact, they are a little better than the 
vassals of the mandarins, who must be 
consulted on so trifling an occasion as that 
of sending off a few refreshments of fruits, 
to aship in the roads! Here the English 
super-cargoes reside from March till Oc- 
tober; during which interval we have no 
commerce going on at Canton. On the 
top of one of those craggy hills, and com- 
manding a very extensive picturesque 
view, is Camoen’s Cave, where they say 
that celebrated navigator and poet used 
to sit and meditate, when writing the 
Lusiad. Adjoining this, is the clief su- 
per-cargo’s garden; in which are several 
beautiful and romantic spots, well. worth 
Visiting, 
A tolerably good road is formed from 
the city round the western side of the pe- 
ninsula, by the Boundary, and back along 
the eastern to the opposite side of the 
city. 
This is a very pleasant ride mornings 
and evenings; the horses at Macao being 
small and sure-footed; but strangers 
ought to be very cautious as the Chinese 
guards at the Boundary always endeavour 
to iveigle Europeans inside the gate, 
when they instantly secure them, and 
make them pay enormous sums before 
they release them: and even then fre- 
quently bambooing them, by way of im~ 
pressing it on their memories! 
The Chinese seem to hold the Portu- 
guese character in very little estimation ; 
as the following circumstance which hap- 
pened some years since, will set in aclear 
point of view. 
Itis well known, that the “ lex tali- 
onis,” or the law of life for lite, prevails 
m China; and it unfortunately happen- 
ed that in an affray between some Por- 
tuguese and Chinese soldiers, one of 
the latter was killed. A dispatch being 
sent off to the viceroy of Canton, a 
council was held, and the circum- 
stances having been taken into consi- 
deration, 
eS ee ee ee 
