Fate brought together in the Macanese Chronicle of this RC issue the contributions of two eminent twentieth century personalities in the cultural life of Macao: Túlio Tomás and Luís Gonzaga Gomes. The (un)fortunate circumstance which motivated this was the recent death of Dr. Túlio Tomás, for many years a resident of Macao, as schoolmaster and pedagogue, Rector of the Government's Secondary School, Director of the Government's Education Department, and a prolific writer and columnist. A regular columnist to several of the major newspapers in the Territory, he was popularly known for being a critic and commentator of sharp insight, penetrating remarks and cutting irony.
His short article, now published in this RC issue, was his last contribution to this periodical, and a genuine testimony of his deep friendship with Luís Gonzaga Gomes. RC publishes it as a humble homage to the deceased author.
Túlio Tomás's contribution is a preface to a lengthier text by Luís Gonzaga Gomes on the Algumas noções sobre a história de Macau (Some Notions on the History of Macao) — which follows — already intended by the author to act as a modest curatorial presentation to the last essay written by his old friend. In fact, Luís Gonzaga Gomes's resumé of the History of Macao, requested of him by the Governor of Macao, Garcia Leandro, equally was to be the final literary contribution of this great historian and intellectual, completed three months before he died in Macao, on the 20th of March 1976.
In rememberance of these two distinguished figures RC posthumously registers for posterity their learned contributions to culture.
THE EDITOR
Túlio Tomás.
Cenaculum "Luís Gonzaga Gomes".
Photograph taken on the 26th of January 1992.
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