ILLUSTRIOUS WOMEN OF MACAO

-I- MOTHER LEONOR DE SÃO FRANCISCO

Mother Leonor de São Francisco, the founder of Convento de Santa Clara (Convent of St. Clare) in Macao, was of Spanish origin. In his Vergel de Plantas e Flores (Plants and Flowers Orchard), Friar Jacinto da Madre de Deus, O. F. M. [minorite], states: "Mother Leonor learned about reformation at the Convent of Toledo, in the company of Mother Jerónima Asunción. She founded this Convent to show her devotion to The Conception of the Virgin Mother of God, in utmost poverty, without possessions, in a spirit of great reformation and through much prayer, practising rigorous abstinence and strict discipline. No servants are admitted into the cloister because the ladies cook for themselves. They display the greatest humility, say matins at midnight, pray two-and-a-half hours a day, and do other rigorous exercises appropriate to Capuchin nuns of the first Order, who our seraphic Father gave to the very enlightened virgin St. Clare, who are subject to the Capuchin Province, and whose spirit of reformation is equal to ours at Madre de Deus (Holy Mother of God)."

The preliminary negotiations for sending the Clarisses to Macao began in 1626, and the instrument God used for this purpose was António Fialho Ferreira, a capitalist shipowner. Extremely devoted to St. Francis, he took it upon himself to obtain the necessary licences.

The Abbess of the Convent of the Clarisses in Manila wrote to Friar António da Conceição, the Provincial of the Madre de Deus (Holy Mother of God) Franciscans in Goa, to ask permission to found the Convent in Macao. The latter immediately approved the mission, much to the satisfaction of the Viceroy of the Portuguese State of India, DomMiguel de Noronha, Count of Linhares (1629-1635).

António Fialho Ferreira went to Manila in 1630 and obtained the permission of the Provincial of the Province of St. Gregory of Manila, 1 but he met with considerable opposition, as he mentioned in a letter to the Provincial of Goa, written in Macao on the 18th of November1635: "I went to Manila three times and always met with opposition, but, inspired by the words of the Holy Mother Jerónima (who founded the Convent in Manila), I persevered, overcoming the torrent of difficulties that continuously presented themselves, and managed to accomplish what I wanted. The religious under the guidance of the seraphic Fr. São Francisco posed the greatest obstacle; they impugned this mission in previous years, but this year they declared themselves warmly in favour of it."

The Superiors of Manila met five times. The first four, they opposed the mission, but they gave in the fifth time around. Then it was the Governor's turn to oppose the Sisters' leave; however, as Ferreira observed, "[...] diligence conquers all and money facilitates matters, [...]" so he prevailed. The Parish Administrators and the Judiciary then joined forces to oppose the mission, but Ferreira overcame that obstacle also: "In short, I took the Sisters aboard my flagship; they were placed in my care and were not to be entrusted to anyone else."

In a letter to the Provincial of Goa dated the 1st of January 1634, Mother Leonor wrote: "We arrived here in Macao on Thursday, the 4th of November of last year, and were warmly received with a great display of love, which the people have for the holy religion of our seraphic Fr. Sao Francisco."

The construction of the Convento de Sta Clara began, and the Sisters moved in on the 30th of April 1634. That day, Sunday of the Good Shepherd, Fr. Francisco de Sena, O. P., celebrated mass, and the Governor of the bishopric, Fr. Jerónimo, O. F. M., who came from Manila to serve as confessor to the Sisters, delivered the sermon.

One of the first to enter the Convent was Leogarda, the daughter of António Fialho Ferreira, who was "[...] so endowed with beauty and grace that everyone's eyes were upon her, including those of the Divine Spouse."

Mother Leonor de São Francisco died in Macao in the odour of sanctity.

-II- MARIA NUNES

Maria Nunes and her husband, Alexandre Taveira, lived in Macao in the early seventeenth century. They died here and were buried in the Chapel of Jesus in the Church of the Madre de Deus (Holy Mother of God), commonly known as St. Paul's.

Jesuit documents dating from that time overflow with praise for their generosity. TheTítulo dos benfeitores principais deste Colégio de Macau (List of the main benefactors of this College of Macao) mentions that the couple, particularly Maria, were great benefactors of St. Paul's Church and College.

Their house was like those of the East India Company; everyone was well received and well treated there. It was an inexhaustible store; they sent food to the staff of the College on a regular basis, and even more to the patients in the infirmary. The deliveries were made by the couple's numerous slaves. On many occasions, they also lent money to the College free of interest.

Alexandre contributed three-hundred taéis 2 to the construction of St. Paul's (1602-1603) and supplied the olive oil for its lamps. He also gave the church various carpets, some linen cloth and fifty taéis for a frontal for the altar of Our Lady. To the College he gave eighty pardaus 3towards its expenses, and seventy pardaus on another occasion. When he died, he left one-hundred-and-fifty taéis to the Jesuits and ten cruzados4 to each of the Confraternities of Jesus and St. Ursula for the purchase of wax.

Maria Nunes, who was even more generous than her husband, gave the following: six-hundred taéis for the construction of St. Paul's Church, four-hundred taéis for the construction of the Chapel of Jesus, fifty taéis for the manufacturing of the Church's main organs, fifty taéis for a black velvet cloak and five-hundred xerafims 5 for a brocade ornament. She also provided wax, towels, veils, curtains and other items for the Church.

When Maria died, she left one-hundred cruzados for an ornament of Jesus and its altar, a large carpet and some silver cruets made in Portugal, as well as the rest of her inheritance for the completion of the Chapel of Jesus. She also made other donations to the College.

Alexandre had a sister, Maria Taveira, who rivalled her brother in generosity. She and her husband, António Álvares Torres, donated seven-hundred taéis for the construction of the chancel in St. Paul's, one-hundred-and-ninety-nine taéis worth of silk for the Church, four carpets for the chancel valued at one-hundred-and-thirty pardaus, two-hundred-and-thirty-three pardaus for the statue of St. Ignatius and curtains. António assumed the risk of the maritime transport of Church funds, and. it was with these funds that he helped build the Church. Upon his death, he bequeathed two-hundred taéis and other items valued at twenty-one taéis to the Church. He also left St. Paul's Church the rest of his inheritance.

It is interesting to note that organs and statues were manufactured in Macao at the time, which is no longer the case. Naturally, the artists were Chinese, or perhaps the Japanese who were expulsed from their country.

Men and women of this calibre helped build churches in the centuries of Faith. And because they have disappeared, it has not been possible to rebuild St. Paul's, whose ruins attest to the fervour, Faith and generosity of the Portuguese of yesteryear.

-III- ISABEL REIGOTA

Persecuted in Japan because she was Catholic, Isabel Reigota (or Regouta/Rugota) was expulsed to Macao. Here she married Francisco Rombo de Carvalho, a native of Lisbon, with whom she had a son, Manuel. The latter married Maria de Vasconcelos, a native of Macao and the daughter of Domingos Craveiro da Rosa and Maria de Vasconcelos, both natives of Macao.

Manuel and Maria had three children: Francisco, baptized on the 11th of February 1669, who was ordained a priest in June of 1713; a daughter, who married Francisco de Moura e Bastos; and another daughter, who married Francisco Leite Pereira.

Isabel Reigota and her husband founded a Jesuit residence in China, and she paid for its construction herself. The Título dos benfeitores principais deste Colégio de Macau lists what she gave to [St. Paul's Church and College of] the Society of Jesus: "Isabel Rugota gave the Visitor Fr. António Rubino and his companions who went to Japan one-thousand-two-hundred taéis; to another priest she gave seven-hundred taéis for the completion of his embassy in Cambodia; for (this College) five-hundred taéis, and another five-hundred for the China and Tonkin mission; as well as being with her husband, Francisco Rombo, now deceased, the founder of a residence in China - all this after the end of the trade [...] with Japan. She also left miscellaneous items that over a period of ten years amounted to another two-hundred taéis." It should be noted that Fr. Rubino, Visitor from the 15th of October 1639 until 1643 [sic], stole away to Japan in 1642 and was martyred there on the 22nd of March 1643.

Isabel Reigota died on the 21 st of January 1697 and was buried in St. Paul' Church, near the column in front of the pulpit. Her story shows that lay people were the ones who supported the missions in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan, by founding residences and paying the travel expenses of the missionaries.

-IV- MARIA DE MOURA VASCONCELOS

§1. [INTRODUCTION]

Maria de Moura Vasconcelos was born in 1699. She was the daughter of merchant Francisco de Moura e Bastos and Isabel de Vasconcelos, and the granddaughter of Manuel Rombo de Carvalho and Maria Vasconcelos.

Francisco Bastos died around 1702, leaving his five-year-old daughter. His wife must have died shortly after because the young Maria was entrusted to her grandmother, Maria de Moura.

Manuel da Silva Mendes mentions Maria de Moura Vasconcelos in a historical work about Macau antigo (old Macao), but he gets his facts mixed up and weaves a romantic plot that is pure fantasy:

"The Claristas, mute preachers, taught young girls, and all rich young Macanese girls went there to partake of their wisdom. Latin, rhetoric and the most difficult part of the trivium (except music) were taught by the Franciscans who lived nearby.

The Convent's chronicles contain no record of the young girls educated there, but they do mention one who stood out and was much talked about. I have already mentioned her name: Maria de Moura Vasconcelos. This young girl was the daughter of Vicente de Moura Vasconcelos, who made his fortune in trade. Her mother's name is not known; what is known is that she was a loving mother and that she died when Maria was very young, leaving the girl in the care of her mother-in-law, a virtuous woman who was advanced in years.

Vincent started from nothing and became one of the richest men in Macao. He was honoured for his work and occupied prominent positions, which the wealthy were usually entitled to at the time, and still are. However, his plebeianism troubled him, especially when he found himself among fidalgos who could trace their lineages to Charlemagne or to illustrious Roman patricians.

Moura knew full well that such lineages were embellished, but he was still envious. Friar Pedro de Jesus Manteles noticed this and one day told him in a grave tone:

- "To be descended from a Saint, in my estimation, and to be well regarded by everyone is much more important than being a great greatgrandson of Charles Martel or a Roman patrician; and on your father's side, Mr. Vicente de Moura, you are..."

- "What? What am I?"

- "Also a great great-grandson, but of a Saint." answered the friar.""6

That is what happens when journalists try to play historian - they become mere charlatans. There is not a shade of truth in the above excerpt by Silva Mendes. The Clarisses (and not Claristas) belonged to a strict cloistered contemplative Order and could not even show their face to anyone. As a result, they never had a School, nor could they have one. For three centuries, there was not a single School for girls in Macao because girls did not usually learn to read. And there was never a trivium or a quadrivium at the Convento de São Francisco (Convent of St. Francis), only at the Jesuit Colégio da Madre de Deus (College of the Mother of God) or St. Paul's.

The chronicles of the Clarisses have not survived, but, even if they had, they would not contain the name of any students because there were none. Maria de Moura was not, and could not have been, educated there.

Maria's father was not Vicente de Moura e Vasconcelos but rather Vicente de Moura e Bastos, Maria de Moura's uncle. Moreover, no Pedro de Jesus Manteles ever existed at the Convento de São Francisco. Everything the author says about Vicente de Moura is pure fantasy and not based on fact.

This excerpt from Silva Mendes is the continuation of various chapters on the history of Macao. That is why I want to warn readers that there is not a grain of truth in it.

§2. ROMANTIC DRAMA

In 1706, infantry Captain António de Albuquerque Coelho arrived in Macao on the frigate Nossa Senhora das Neves. He immediately fell in love with Maria de Moura, a seven-year-old orphan who was very wealthy. Maria, however, had another suitor, fidalgo Dom Henrique de Noronha, who was determined to eliminate his rival.

Coelho returned to Goa on the same ship and from there increasingly besieged the girl by sending letters to the Jesuits and her guardian. Back in Macao in 1708, he continued assailing Maria, who was then nine, supported by her guardian, the Jesuits and Bishop Dom João de Casal. The girl's grandmother; the 'Juiz dos Órfãos' (the Magistrate responsible for orphans) Manuel Vicente Rosa; Judge João Carneiro Zuzarte and the girl's family did not approve of the match.

In those days, such issues were settled with gunfire, and that is exactly what happened. As Albuquerque Coelho rode his horse to São Francisco, a kaffir, who was waiting in Campo de São Francisco, fired at him with a blunderbuss but missed. Coelho chased the man as far as Rua Formosa (Formosa Street) but did not catch him. On the way back, Dom Henrique de Noronha fired at him from the window of a house (now the location of the Catholic Centre) and hit him in the right arm, above the elbow.

Coelho sought shelter at the Convento de São Francisco, and as he reached the steps, another kaffir fired at him but missed. When he got to the main entrance, he was unable to dismount and had to be assisted. At the Convent, he was treated by Macao's surgeon, António da Silva, and by a kaffir who was the surgeon of the frigate Nossa Senhora das Neves.

Nineteen days later, a British ship arrived in Macao with a surgeon on board. He was called to examine the patient and, confirming that gangrene had set in, said that the arm had to be amputated to save Coelho's life. Coelho sent someone to ask Maria if she would marry him if he lost his arm. She answered that she would, even if he lost both legs. The arm was immediately amputated and Coelho recovered.

The Governor, Diogo de Pinho Teixeira, issued orders for the arrest of Dom Henrique de Noronha, but the latter took refuge in the house of the Patriarch of Antioch, Charles Thomas Maillard de Toumon, in the Barra area, and managed to get away.

There is a traditional Macanese song about this incident:

"Não he tão formosa

Nem tão bem parecida

Que por seu dinheiro

Maria arma tanta briga"7

("It is not because of her beauty

Or her good looks,

But because of her money,

That Maria causes so many fights.")

§3. MARRIAGE

Coelho and Maria were betrothed on the 30th of June 1709. That day, the girl was taken from her grandmother's house and placed in the home of Dona Maria Catarina de Noronha.

The marriage is recorded as follows in A Collecção de vários factos (A Collection of several facts) [sic]: "The 22nd of August 1770. On this day, in the evening, António d'Albuquerque Coelho married Maria de Moura, daugther of Vicente de Moura, in a house in Campo de São Francisco [a house that now belongs to Francisco José de Paiva] by order of the Government, who judged it a safe place. The wedding was attended by the infantry of the frigate from Goa and its Captain. Francisco Leite thought the marriage was to take place in [the Church of] Santo António, so he waited there for the groom in order to kill him, but he was tricked."7

It should be noted that Maria's father was Francisco de Moura, not Vicente. Francisco Leite Pereira was a friend of Dom Henrique de Noronha, who lived in his house.

§4. MOURNING

On the 5th of March 1712, António Coelho and Maria de Moura lost their daughter, Inês. She was seven days old and was buried the following day in the church of the Convent of São Francisco. The funeral was attended by many people and soldiers, who fired three volleys as the casket was lowered into the grave. A nine-gun salute was also fired from Fortaleza de São Paulo [or Fortaleza do Monte] (St. Paul's Fortress [or Mount Fort]).

On the 20th of July 1714, Maria de Moura gave birth to a son. Three days later there were comedies, horse races and other entertainment. The baptism, held in Igreja de Santo António (St. Anthony's Church) on the 27th of July, was attended by the Governor, António Sequeira de Noronha, and two companies of soldiers. As the family entered the Church, a seven-gun salute was fired from St. Paul's Fortress, and as they left, there was an eleven-gun salute.

On the 30th of July Maria de Moura died. The following is recorded in A Colecção de vários factos: 8

"Que o que de manhã foi mimo

He ja lastima de tarde."

("That which was a gift in the morning Became misfortune in the afternoon.").

Many people attended the solemn mass, as the bells tolled for Maria. She was buried in the church of the Convento of São Francisco in the same grave as her daughter, which also contained her husband's arm.

Coelho de Albuquerque returned to Goa and was subsequently appointed Governor of Macao.He arrived here on 29th of May 1718 and governed until the 9th of September 1719, when he was succeeded by António da Silva Telo de Meneses, brother of the Count of Aveiras. Upon his return to Goa, he was appointed Governor of Timor and passed through Macao. In 1725, when he returned from Timor, he had a solemn mass celebrated in memory of his wife. The bells tolled, and a salute was fired from the fortress. He had Maria's grave opened and the bones collected in an urn, which is kept in the Igreja de Santo Agostinho (St. Augustine's Church), where it is still encased in the right wall of the chancel. The following epitaph appears on the memorial stone:

"Nesta urna estão os ossos de D. Maria de Moura Vasconcelos e sua filha D. Ignes e os do braço direito de seu marido Antonio de Albuquerque Coelho que aqui fez depositar vindo de Governadore Capitão Geral das Ilhas de Solor e Timor no ano 1725."

("In this urn are the bones of Dona Maria de Moura e Vasconcelos and her daughter Inês, and those of the right arm of her husband, António de Albuquerque Coelho, who had it deposited here at the end of his term as Governor and Commander of the Islands of Solor and Timor in 1725.")

What became of António Coelho? In a letter to the King dated the 25th of January 1746, the Marquis of Castelo Novo, who was then Viceroy of the Portuguese State of India, wrote the following:"António de Albuquerque Coelho, son of António de Albuquerque Coelho, who governed Angola and Minas, 9 aged sixty and a widower without succession. He occupied various posts with a good reputation and merit. With the rank of General he governed Timor, Macao and Paté (Mombasa, near the Island of Zanzibar) prudently and wisely. He recently became General of Bardez but withdrew from this position to retire to the Franciscan Monastery in the Province of Madre de Deus, where he leads a blissful life. He has great understanding, integrity and sincerity." He died at the Monastery a few years later.

Some fifty years ago, a nhonha from Macao talked about this love story in the local patoá (Macanese Dialect): "Amor de antigo san amor divera, nunca san comi di hoje." [And ended with...] "Amor nunca san brinco - olá, pegá, largá." ("Love is not a game - look, take, leave.")

-V- MARTHA DA SILVA MEROP

§1. [INTRODUCTION]

Martha da Silva Merop is the protagonist of City of Broken Promises10,a novel by Austin Coates that is set in Macao. The Prologue to this so-called historical romance reads:

"[...] the city of Macao. This is, I am sure, a city like no other in the world, for though situated in China, and though infested - by day, at least - by Chinamen of every quality, it is of itself a part of Europe, a down-at-heel part it may be said, subdued by Roman Catholics superstitions, yet all the same it is Europe and I rejoiced at this.

Macao stands on a narrow peninsula at the mouth of the river leading to Canton. The outflow of mud from the river causes its waters to be shallow, but for craft of moderate size it has two well-sheltered harbours. One of these, which I observed only from a distance, lies on a stretch of water which by riverine channels reaches Canton, but is used only by the Portuguese and the small vessels. We approached by the more spacious harbour facing the Pearl River, which is the main channel to Canton. This harbour is a majestic bay, as regular in form as a crescent moon, its shore lined with houses of great dignity, all of them painted in bright colours (by order of the Portuguese), behind which rises a gentle slope covered with gracious buildings, including numerous churches and walled gardens planted with many trees. Each hilltop, of which there are three, is crowned by a fort, the use of which would appear to be ceremonial.

Macao is a Portuguese possession - or so claim the Portuguese. Their claim would seem to be believed by the fact that, according to Mr. Cuming, they pay an annual ground rent for the use of the place. They do, however, exercise a certain jurisdiction, having some soldiers and a watch force. But then, it is said, the Chinese too have a watch force, the two forces taking care about their courses in the streets of the city, lest they collide."11

The story grips the reader, but, apart from the fact that the heroine actually existed, there is no truth in what Coates says about her. Moreover, Martha was the legitimate wife of Thomas van Mierop, not her lover.

§2. GREAT BENEFACTRESS

Martha declared in her will that she married Mierop, an Englishman, in the Church. When he became gravely ill, he went to London, where he died.

An extremely wealthy man, Mierop left large sums of money to his sisters, two of his cousins and Mr. Rous, the administrator of his will. In the will, Mierop determined that: "To my beloved wife, Martha da Silva, I leave the sum of ten thousand pounds, together with my house in Rua do Hospital, and all the furniture in it. If she will give up her wish to spend all her life in Macao, and will come to Europe, she is to receive a further three thousand pounds."12

Martha never changed her mind; she spent her whole life in Macao. She died on the 8th of March1828 in her home and was buried in the chancel of the church of the Convento de S. Francisco (Convent of St. Francis). In her will, sealed on the 3rd of March that same year, she stated: "I declare that I am a citizen and a native of this City of the Holy Name of God in China, and born of heathen parents. I also declare that I was married to Thomas Merop, now deceased, in faciethe Holy Mother Church. I also declare that I had no children from that marriage."

Martha left the following:

$1,000 for one-thousand masses in her memory,

$400 for solemn masses,

$1,400 for the poor,

$400 for the homeless,

$900 for a deposit, the interest of which was to be used to pay for annual celebrations at the Sé (Cathedral), as she always did while alive,

$20,000 for the Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Holy House of Misericordy),

$5,000 for the Convento de Santa Clara (Convent of St. Clare),

$5,000 for the Convento de São Francisco (Convent of St. Francis), and

$20,000 for the pupils [young girls] of the Recolhimento de Santa Rosa de Lima (Asylum of St. Rose of Lima), who were to receive another $200 each when they married.

She also left various sums to her numerous god-daughters and slaves, who were to be freed upon her death.

Martha Merop loved her homeland of Macao, to which she bequeathed her entire fortune, but she also loved Portugal. When a subscription was raised to help the Portuguese Government on the 18th of October 1805, the Governor of Macao contributed five-hundred Patacas, whereas Martha gave one-thousand.

To show its perpetual gratitude to this distinguished benefactress, the Misericórdia commissioned a full-length portrait of Martha, which occupies a place of honour in the meeting room. The Recolhimento de Santa Rosa de Lima should do the same.

In a letter to the board of directors of the Misericórdia, José Tomás de Aquino apologizes for the fact that the portraits of Francisco Xavier Roquete, who bequeathed sixty-two thousand patacas to the institution, and Martha da Silva Merop were delayed. He explains that they were executed by the Chinese portraitist Vo Qua, but under his guidance and direction.

Martha da Silva Merop, one the wealthiest women in the history of Macao, was undoubtedly its most generous benefactress. To this day, the Misericórdia and the Recolhimento de Sta. Rosa de Lima benefit from her generosity. She deserves to have a street named after her, as was done for Francisco Xavier Roquete (Travessa do Roquete). Unfortunately, all we know about her pious and honest life is what is found in her will and that of her husband. [...].

-VI- HARRIET LOW

Harriet Low was born on the 24th of May 1809 in Salem, Massachusetts, U. S. A. She arrived in Macao aboard the Sumatra (which was under the command of Captain Roundy) in September 1829, after four or five months at sea. She stayed here until January of 1834, when she returned to her native land aboard the Waterloo.

While in Macao, she lived in her uncle's house, located at 22 Pátio da Sé (Cathedral's Yard), at the top of the Calçada de São João (Path of St. John). The house is still there, and two descendants of the famous writer who recently visited Macao - Susan, aged twenty-seven, and Linda, twenty-three, who are sisters - were extremely moved when they visited it, taking innumerable photographs of the exterior and interior from every possible angle. They left feeling extremely sad, however, because the tenants informe them that the house was to be demolished.

We are told that part of the original wall of the Recolhimento de Sta Rosa de Lima (Asylum of St. Rose of Lima), built in 1634, will also be demolished to make way for a road. With so many historical relics being demolished, it is hard to imagine what Macao will have to offer tourists and historians in the future.

Susan and Linda expressed a great desire to have a few floor tiles from the condemned house. Susan is assistant to the Director of Communications at the White House Press Office, and in 1969 she participated in the election campaign that saw Nixon become President. Linda is a painter. They were both enchanted by Macao.

Harriet's uncle was William Henry Low, who at the time was head of Russel & Co., a Company formed in 1824 through the association of two trading firms, Perkins and Co. and Samuel Russel. Thomas H. Perkins, a native of Boston, founded his firm in China, in 1803. Samuel Russel came to China in 1818 as the representative of Hoppin Brothers, of Providence, Rhode Island.

The association of the two firms was a gigantic step in the expansion of U. S. trade in China. Russel & Co. represented Baring Brothers and Co., based in London, and Jamsetjee, Jejebhoy and Sons, based in Calcutta. William C. Hunter, who came to China in 1825, became a partner in the Company (1837-1842) and wrote two books on the life and activities of the foreign merchants in Macao and Guangzhou. Today the books, The Fan Kwae at Canton and Bits of Old China, are very rare and greatly appreciated.

When the British established themselves in Hong Kong, Russel & Co. moved there. In 1846, it opened a branch in Shanghai and became the most important trading firm there. Right up until 1891, Russel & Co. was one of the most influential companies in the Far East.

During her stay in Macao, Harriet Low kept a journal, which comprises seven volumes and can be found, unedited, at the Library of Congress in Washington. In 1900, her daughter, Catherine Hillard, published excerpts from it in Boston, under the title My mother's journal: a young lady's diary from 1829-1834. 13Here is how Harriet described the Russel & Co. mansion, in which she was living:

"Macao seen from the sea is charming, with some very romantic spots. We arrived at ten, and were taken in sedan chairs to the house, which we liked very much. In Macao the streets are narrow and tortuous, but we have a garden from which I expect to derive much pleasure. In fact we have two gardens, one above and another below. All the verandahs are of polished stone as shiny as the floors of the house. Going up five flights of steps we reach an outlook from where we can enjoy a delightful view of the [Praia Grande] Bay and the [Inner] Port as well as a panorama of the whole city. Surrounding the outlook there is a verandah with beautiful plants. With this little spot and some birds I shall pass the days very pleasantly. I never dreamed that I would find here such a wonderful spot; I only wished I could share it with someone."14

On the 2nd of April 1830, she wrote in her journal:

"After dinner, looking out of the window, I noticed one of the [East India] Company's ships with the sun glowing above its puffed-up sails.

I wished I were a talented painter like Mr. Chinnery, to have been able to draw the beautiful view I had before me, with the large and elegant church [of the Convent of St. Francis], white as milk, with its splendid stone staircase surrounded by trees and a shrubbery. Beyond it I could see the fortress [of St. Francis] and the continuing bay. Further in the distance little boats drifted on the river..

Far away I could just spot two hilly islands and a beautiful ship, vanishing under full sail towards its cherished motherland. And even further away a small European vessel sailed full amongst several Chinese boats.

You cannot imagine the wonderful view we enjoy from our verandah."15

On the 23rd she described the typhoon that hit the city:

"A typhoon threatens this morning. The wind is blowing a gale. Oh, dear suds! What a stormy day! The wind increased till about two, when the tide coming in made. the sea quite tremendous.

We could see it from our windows washing over the tops of the houses on the quay. It has completely destroyed the Praya Grande, rooted up ten foot pieces of granite and thrown them into the halls of the houses [...]."16

And [the day after,] on the 24th of September 1831:

"Nothing but a scene of destruction this morning. Our verandah is quite unroofed, our mats all gone. Where is the quay? Gone, completely demolished! [...] I am afraid we shall hear of much more damage."17

On the 18th of May 1833, she wrote:

"My twenty-fourth birthday. How shocking! Well, it cannot be helped, can it? I see I am looking much older than I did. [...] Went to Chinnery's (the portrait painter) with Uncle, as he was to have his last sitting [...]. At seven [...] we went to the opera. It was called 'The Italians in Algiers'; the dresses were rich, and most of the characters well supported. It was very amusing [...]."18

And on the 30th of May:

"[...]went to the opera at eight. The house was very full. 'All the beauty and fashion' of Macao was there.

We were, however, very much scandalised at seeing a certain lady enter (with whom no decent woman would associate, and no gentleman would have sent there) covered with diamonds, head, neck and ears, and looking as impudent as possible, with her servant behind her [...]."19

-VII- MARIA ANA JOSEFA PEREIRA MARQUES

Maria Ana Josefa Pereira Marques was born in Macao on the 21st of April 1825 and died here on the 23rd of August 1901. She was the daughter of Councillor Manuel Pereira and Antónia Vicência Cortela Pereira.

Councillor Pereira, the son of Manuel Pereira and Maria Guimarães, was born in Portugal. He came to Macao and married three times, his wives being:

1. Ana Pereira Viana, daughter of Nicolau Pires Viana and Mariana Pereira da Cunha,

2. Esmeralda Laurência Baptista Cortela (born on the 3rd of August 1790; deceased on the 31 st of March 1807), daughter of Inácio Baptista Cortela) and Mariana da Silva Faria, whose paternal grandparents were Lourenço Baptista Cortela and Esmeralda Soares, and whose maternal grandparents were José da Silva Faria and Joana de Amaral, and

3. His sister-in-law, Antónia Vicência Baptista Cortela, Esmeralda's sister (born on the 28th of March 1789; deceased on thellth of November 1872).

Councillor Pereira had only one child from his third marriage, Maria Ana Josefa. On the 7th of August1838, she married her cousin, Lourenço Caetano Marques (bom on the 7th of August 1811; deceased on the 15th of December 1902), son of Comendador (Commander) Domingos Pio Marques (born on the 6th of May 1783) and Iácia Francisca Baptista Cortela (born in the 13th of June 1784). His paternal grandparents were Domingos Marques (deceased on the 12th of July 1787) and Maria Francisca dos Anjos Ribeiro Guimarães, and his maternal grandparents were Inácio Baptista Cortela and Mariana da Silva Faria. A rua (street) and a travessa (lane) that starts at Rua de São Lourenço (Street of St. Lawrence), have been named after Inácio Baptista. Lourenço [Caetano] Marques also had a street named after him; it starts at Travessa do Cais (Pier's Lane) and ends at Rua da Prainha (Street of the Little Beach).

Lourenço and Maria Ana Josefa had ten children, five sons and five daughters, none of whom married:

1. Élia Pulquéria (born on the 7th of July 1839; deceased on the 22nd of August 1896),

2. Ernesto José (baptized on the 7th of November 1840),

3. Leonilda (born on the 4th of January 1842),

4. Maria das Dores (born on the 12th of January 1845),

5. Francisco de Sales, (born on the 3rd of November 1850),

6. Lourenço Maria, a doctor (born on the 27th of September 1852; deceased the 5th of March 1911),

7. Francisco Maria (born on the 12th of October 1853; deceased on the 12th of Septemberl914),

8. Teresa de Jesus (born on the 19th of January 1855),

9. António Maria (born on the 1st of May 1859; deceased on the 21st of July 1904), and

10. Maria Antónia (born on the 10th of May 1863).

The oldest daughter, Marica [hypocorism of Maria Antónia], died young. The second one [sic], Élia Pulquéria, lived to a ripe old age, and the third lived past the age of thirty. The oldest son [sic], Dr. Lourenço Pereira Marques (a physician and surgeon), and the youngest one, António Pereira Marques, studied under the Jesuits in Campolide, Lisbon, Portugal. They were both very intelligent and erudite. Lourenço Maria also studied in Dublin, Ireland, and upon his return worked for the British Government in Hong Kong and in St. Mary's Hospital, as a physician and surgeon. António Maria returned to Macao after completing his studies and lived with his parents. Both served humanity well, one as a doctor and the other as a private teacher. Their brother, Francisco Maria, who also lived with his parents, spent his whole life in Macao and became a sinologist, but he worked only briefly for the Government.

Comendador Lourenço Caetano Marques was President of the Leal Senado, of the Confraria de Nosso Senhor dos Passos (Confraternity of Our Lord of Passos) and of the Council of the Recolhimento de Sta Rosa de Lima (Asylum of St. Rose of Lima). He lived to the age of ninety-two, and always worked for the public good. A good Catholic and a very charitable man, he was respected and well regarded by all. People flocked to his home, where everyone was well received and welcome to stay for meals, regardless of whether they were rich or poor. He was affectionately called 'uncle Lourenço', and the Chinese gave him the epithet 'Pakapung' ('the pigeon man') because he lived in the house by Camões Grotto, which was shaped like a pigeon house [long demolished]. The house was well frequented by the foreigners who visited the Grotto, which he owned and lived in until the property was sold to the Portuguese Government for a modest sum.

Comendador Lourenço Caetano Marques was fluent in Portuguese, French and English, and took considerable interest in the history of Macao. He taught Montalto de Jesus, telling the latter about past events and everything that happened when he worked for the Civil Administration.

Mariquita [hypocorism of Maria Ana Josefa] was a distinguished and highly educated woman. At the age of thirteen, she studied Portuguese under José Baptista de Miranda e Lima and English with an English teacher. She spoke French, German and Italian well, and wrote correctly. She also knew music and applied herself to literature. Well trained in religious studies, she was always a very good Catholic. She was President of the zeladoras (zealots) of the Apostolado da Oração (Apostolate of Prayer), established in the Igreja de Sto António (St. Anthony's Church), the Parish to which the Marques family belonged.

Mariquita was a great benefactress and supported all charities. She became a great admirer of the Salesians, founded by Don Bosco, after reading (very attentively and with great pleasure) the first book on the life of this great saint and apostle. The book was lent to her by Rev. Mother Teresa Lucian, Superior of the Casa de Beneficência (House of Beneficence), who Mariquita helped by all means possible, giving donations and writing letters to her contacts overseas, as well as to the Government of Macao, to solicit funds for the Asilo da Santa Infância (Holy Infancy Asylum). Mariquita also sent donations to the Salesians in Turin and corresponded with their chief Rector. She came to the aid of Macao's poor by assisting families and protecting the widows and orphans. She also looked after the Igreja de Sto António and supplied the necessary ornaments.

Mariquita went to church every day and attended the festivities and celebrations held at other churches. She was known as Macao's foremost benefactress. The religious who came to Macao from different countries found her to be a friendly and dedicated person. She was one of the true missionaries of her time.

At home, she set an example of great piety. Dignified and humble, she won the hearts of all her guests with benevolence and patience. She showed great compassion towards the poor and those who suffered in any way. Mariquita died the 18th of August 1900 [sic /trans. note: see line 2 of this section], at the age of seventy-four. Her funeral was a veritable triumph; it resembled a procession, and a multitude of people accompanied the casket.

Two priests she knew well were Fr. Rôndina, S. J., and Fr. d'Afonseca Matos, S. J., both of whom arrived in Macao in 1862. The latter was editor-in-chief of the "Messageiro do Coração de Jesus" ("The Messager of the Heart of Jesus"), published in Braga, Portugal.

Mariquita corresponded with Fr. Rôndina after he returned to Italy, where he lived in the Civitàvecchia. She really missed the good Jesuit Fathers, who did so much to help the sons and daughters of Macao. In her final years, her confessor was Rev. Fr. João Gonçalves, S. J., the Rector of the Seminário de São José (St. Joseph's Seminary). She knew all the Jesuit priests who were here at the time, especially Fr. Sebastião Aparício da Silva and Fr. António M. Alves, who was the Director of the zealots of the Apostolado da Oração.

-VIII- MOTHER TERESA LUCIAN

§1. VOCATION

One day, at a College in Bassano del Grappa, Northern Italy, a Canossian Sister was vividly describing to a young, and very silent, audience the misery experienced by Chinese children. That silence was suddenly broken by the sound of tears. At the back of the room, a young pupil was following the painful description with great interest. Deeply touched by what she heard - a candid soul that was as white as the Trentino Alps [Dolomites] - she wanted to run, fly even, through the space that separated her native Italy from China, in order to rescue those unfortunate children. Would she be able to realize this ideal? Could she leave her mother and father, her brothers and sisters, and her native land? Overcome by emotion and conflicting feelings, she cried convulsively, not knowing what to do.

Who was that profoundly sensitive and Christian young girl with such a fervent soul? The one and only Teresa Lucian, who was born in Primeiro, near Trento, on the 6th of September 1845, became Macao's first regular Superior, and spent thirty-three years of her life in this City, until her death on the 27th of August 1909.

§2. MISSIONARY WORK

Ten years later, the young girl, then a Canossian nun, found herself in a mission environment, surrounded by numerous children. Having realized her golden dream, she felt like the happiest person on earth. The fact that she was offered a rustic chair instead of a cathedra did not matter; what mattered was that she was surrounded by her young Chinese girls. Her heart beat for them, even when she was still very far away in Italy, the land that served as her cradle.

She first went to Hong Kong, where she stayed seven years, studying languages while looking after the day School and the Orphanage for Portuguese girls. In 1876 she arrived in Macao, and three years later was designated Superior of her community. The more she kept her activities to herself, the more God exalted her - a star of blessing over Macao and the surrounding areas - and extended her activities over Oceania and Malaysia.

In 1895, the terrible cholera morbus took its toll in the community of Portuguese and Chinese orphans, which was dispersed as a prophylactic measure. Macao admired Mother Lucian's quiet resignation and the heroism of her genuine charity when faced with God's will. The staff was reduced, and she was given the task of reopening the College, and opening a Catechumenate, an Asylum for youth in danger and the Orfanato da Santa Infância (Holy Infancy Orphanage) for abandoned children. She lacked the means to do it, but, putting her trust in God, as she always did, she had no difficulty. She obeyed and moved on.

Once, in the middle of the night, she was awakened by a scream:

- "Come quickly, Mother, she's dying."

Realizing what was happening, she responded immediately. A poor elderly woman who was still a heathen was lying on the street near the Chinese hospital. A horrendous cancer was transforming her body into a horrifying and fetid wound. The good Mother hugged her and, holding her, led her to the house, where she instructed her, and the woman consciously received baptism. Such generosity was quickly rewarded.

Mother Lucian was ill for fifteen years and endured considerable pain because her efforts exceeded her strength. Soon after, death took away so much generosity and as much abnegation. However, before Heaven transplanted her, she left a trail of light, despite her fragile health.

The persecution by the Boxers cast a shadow of death over China. A family from Guangzhou, a woman with four sons and a daughter - the father stayed behind - fled the barbarian persecution and ended up at Mother Lucian's door, seeking refuge. What could she do? Deny hospitality to those who suffered because of their faith? The Superior of the Canossians of Macao could not conceive of such a thing and immediately had a hut built in the courtyard of the House of Beneficence, where she lodged the unfortunate fugitives.

Two of the four boys became priests: Fr. Filipe Lau, who died in Shanghai in 1926, and Canon Jacob Lau, who became Chaplain of the House of Beneficence when he was ordained, a position he held almost without interruption until his death on the 26th of May 1951. The latter was always grateful to his devoted benefactress, whose praises he sung on various occasions.

One day, Mother Lucian was on her way to Coloane. The trans-shipment was dangerous so, despite the help of another sister who was younger and capable, she fell into the sea and disappeared. A moment of anguish followed. Shortly after, she resurfaced, and some Chinese men grabbed her ample habit and managed to save her. One of the passengers, a pagan man, approached her and exclaimed:

- "Ah, you must be something great; you must have done much good to escape from such great danger."

Not even the eyes of the world could remain blind to such worthiness. For this reason, on the 30th of July 1897, by order of His Majesty the King of Portugal, Mother Lucian received a silver medal in recognition of the exceptional services she provided, with the help of her fellow Sisters, especially during the great epidemics that ravaged this City.

Mother Lucian maintained six communities in Macao and in the surrounding areas, but her zeal was not limited to this City. As Superior of the House of Beneficence, from which emerged evangelical workers for the whole Diocese, she sent Sisters to Timor (where they opened three Houses), Singapore (one House), Malacca (one House) and the Island of Hainan (three Houses). During her long term as Superior of the Canossians of Macao, the number of girls and women she looked after were roughly as follows:

Add to this long list, that in itself attests to Mother Lucian's maternal and Christian charity, over fifteen-thousand baptisms that she administered herself, regenerating for heaven so many other 'little angels' who will certainly form a splendid crown of glory that will adorn the brow of her illustrious apostolate.

Although Mother Lucian wanted so much for Macao, her wish was to die very far away to avoid funeral honours that were, in fact, a triumph that consecrated her sublime virtues. Since these good works served the Glory of God better, the Lord wanted to be honoured in his humble servant, so she died in Macao. Her funeral was a true glorification of one who knew so well how to dedicate herself to the good of others and the greater Glory of God. Nothing illustrious, of the best Macao had to offer, was lacking in that final display of affection and esteem. And a great void was left to be filled.

The apostolate of Mother Teresa Lucian consecrated the Instituto das Filhas da Caridade Canossianas (Institute of the Canossian Daughters of Charity), and Macao is honoured and will be honoured because she lived here. On the 20th of October 1934, the Leal Senado paid tribute to Mother Lucian by naming a street after her, the Rua da Madre Terezinha (Street of Mother 'Sweet' Teresa).

-IX- LAURA MARIA NOLASCO GUIMARÃES LOBATO

§1. GENEALOGY

Laura Maria Nolasco Guimarães Lobato (born on the 25th of January 1880, in Macao) was the daughter of Pedro Nolasco da Silva and Edite Maria Angier.

Pedro Nolasco (born on 6th of May 1842, in Macao) was the son of Pedro Nolasco da Silva (bom on the 31st of January 1803) and Severina Angélica Baptista (married on the 23rd of November 1831). His paternal grandparents were Joaquim José da Silva and Antónia Maria da Silva Aires (married on the 23rd of January 1794), and his maternal grandparents were Vicente Francisco Baptista and Mariana da Silva.

António and Laura Maria Nolasco da Silva married on the 29th of November 1901, in Macao, with the alferes de infantaria (Infantry Second-Lieutenant) António Júlio Guimarães Lobato (born on the 3rd of August 1869, in Vila Real, Province of Trás-os-Montes, Portugal, deceased the 2nd of September 1933, in Macao), son of Sebastião Candido Lobato and Maria das Dores Guimarães Lobato. He had the patent of Lieutenant-Colonel when he died.

They had five children:

1. Pedro (born September 2, 1902), who became a lawyer, married on the 6th of April 1940 with Maria Helena Meneses Ribeiro (born on the 22nd of October 1915, in Lisbon), daughter of Naval Officer Alberto Teófilo Ribeiro and Maria Celeste Meneses Ribeiro. Pedro and Maria were divorced in October of 1950,

2. Maria Adelaide (born December 29,1903), deceased,

3. Laura Maria (born on the 9th of August 1905), married on the 12th of April 1931 with Artillery Captain Alexandre dos Santos Majer, a widower (born on the 20th of June 1894, in the Parish of São Pedro, Municipality of Torres Vedras, Portugal), son of Carlos Majer and Teodolinda dos Santos Majer. When he died, he held the rank of Colonel. Laura and Alexandre had a daughter, Maria do Carmo (born on the 13th of December 1935), who married Major Fernando Baptista,

4. António Maria (born on the 29th of June 1909; deceased on the 14th of July 1910),

5. Luis Maria (born on the 13th of May 1915), a civil engineer, married on the 19th of November1949 with Maria Teresa Palma Leal, daughter of Dr. Manuel Tavares da Silva Leal and Maria Emília Palma Leal.

§2. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Laura Maria Nolasco da Silva perpetuated the religious traditions of her ancestors. When she was young, she attended the Colégio da Imaculada Conceição (College of the Immaculate Conception), which was administered by the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres (St. Paul of Chartres), a French Religious Order. Laura was one of the first pupils of the College, which opened in 1894 in what used to be Convento de Santo Agostinho (St. Augustine's Convent). While there, she acquired a solid knowledge of French, a subject she taught for many years, with great competence, at the Escola Comercial (a Technical High School), of which she was Director.

When the College closed because of the narrow-minded shortsightedness of the so-called liberals, the Sisters went to Hong Kong to pursue their educational work. There they founded the College of St. Paul of Chartres, a School that the British always supported and from which they still benefit.

In 1894, when the Liceu (Public Secondary School) was inaugurated in the extinct Convento de Santo Agostinho (St. Augustine's Convent), Laura was amongst its first students.

§3. MARRIAGE

António Júlio Guimarães Lobato fell in love with Laura Maria. Macao being such a backward place, gossip invaded the halls of the Clube de Macau (Macao Club) and reached the general public through the so-called liberal press.

- "No, an Officer of the Metropolitan Army should not marry a Macanese woman [...]." people argued, as they cited cases of similar marriages that had failed. Today, as we read such words in the papers of the time, we cannot help but feel nauseated. The liberals - always rising up against the liberty of others.

Laura Lobato always showed herself to be the 'strong woman' mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. While her husband was alive, she was always an exemplary wife and mother, giving her children an excellent education, especially in the area of religion.

§3. ON TAIPA

Joaquim Paço d' Arcos, who was in Macao from 1919 to 1922, writes: "The most influential family in the Portuguese community was the Nolasco family, into which married an Officer from Trás-os-Montes, Major Guimarães Lobato, who rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel during our time (1919-1922), and who was the Administrator and Military Commander of the Islands of Taipa and Coloane."20

Colonel Lobato lived in the Fortaleza da Taipa (Taipa Fort) with his family. His wife, Laura, a very sociable and pleasant woman, liked to invite their acquaintances and their families for lunch at her house. Once she invited, among others, the families of Governor Paço d' Arcos and Admiral Luís de Magãlhaes Correia, the chief of naval services. In reference to the Admiral's family, Joaquim Paço d’ Arcos writes:

"It was in the Spring of 1920 - in early April, I believe - that I met his wife and daughters, on board a gasolina (a motor boat) that was transporting a large group of guests of the Lobato family to Taipa for a lunch at the Fort, the Official Residence of the Military Commander of Taipa and Coloane.

Their youngest daughter, Maria Cândida, was about to turn eleven. I was turning twelve in two months' time. The two of us had been nursed by the same mercenary amah as a result of the friendship that bound our parents, although we did not realize it when we met. But on that day, the moment we first set eyes on each other, an extraordinary mutual attraction brought us together.

As fantastical as it may seem, the fate of the child I met on that outing, of the girl whose soul was as beautiful as she was, of the lovely woman she turned into, was from that moment inextricably linked to mine, until she left for the place from where there is no return, twenty-one years later, in the prime of her life."21

Joaquim Paço d’ Arcos married Maria Cândida on the 8th of December 1932, and she died on the 14th of August 1945. A love story that began because of a picnic on Taipa, upon the invitation of the Lobato family.

§4. IN SAO LOURENÇO

António Júlio Guimarães Lobato died in Macao on the 2nd of September 1933. At the time of his death he held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. After her husband died, Laura Lobato devoted herself entirely to apostolic work. In 1934, she took on the responsibility of cleaning and decorating the Igreja de Sao Lourenço (St. Lawrence's Church). Every Saturday Laura, her sister Angelina and her daughter Maria could be found sweeping the church, placing fresh flowers on the altars, polishing the candlesticks, and so on.

Since the parish priest (the author of these words) accepted only natural flowers, Laura had the thicket that surrounded the Church cleared, the area around the Church cemented, fencing installed, the sexton's house built, the palm trees (that today rise gracefully above the Church) planted and everything landscaped. She was assisted in this work by the man who most loved plants and flowers in Macao, and who transformed the Jardim da Flora (Flora Garden) into a dream park, the late Alfredo de Almeida, whose passion for floriculture he took to the grave. Laura was thrilled by it all: that was her garden, her Church, her work.

Laura's activities were not limited to São Lourenço, however. One day, José da Costa Nunes, the Bishop of Macao, visited her and mentioned that he wanted to set up a Catholic Library. With true youthful enthusiasm, Laura got to work. The Biblioteca Católica (Catholic Library) was established on the 19th of September 1937, in the Sé (Cathedral) Parish, on the ground floor adhjacent to the Residence of the Parish priest, a central location where so many people gathered for services. Every Sunday some of the most distinguished women in Macao were there serving the public, with Laura at the helm: Joana Temudo, wife of Brigadier Temudo, manager of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (whose death remains a mystery); Amália Pacheco Jorge; Maria Luísa Garcia; and Vera Temudo, daughter of the Brigadier.

Bishop Costa Nunes donated the first collection of books to the Library. Other benefactors followed: Governor Tamagnini Barbosa donated $200; Dr. Pedro Lobo donated $500; Fu Tak Yam $100; a recital raised $400, etc. When he left for Goa, Bishop Costa Nunes donated another one-thousand Patacas for books. The Library occupied the Chapter House next to the Residence of the Parish priest. Hundreds of books circulated each week among the people of Macao, especially the youth: from September 1937 to December 1939, four-thousand-seven-hundred-and-sixty-four books were borrowed from the Library.

Since our things do not last long, the Library was closed down, and the books were divided among the headquarters of the Youth Congregations, in São Domingos (St. Dominic), and the Libraries of the Seminário de São José (St. Joseph's Seminary) and its day school. It was a pity because the Library was in a central location and many people who attended Sunday mass at the Cathedral went there. This was Laura's great project and the apple of her eye.

§5. MACAO IN FATIMA

Laura Lobato also devoted considerable energy to the Acção Católica (Catholic Action), both as a member and as president of the Liga Independente Católica Feminina (Independent League of Catholic Women). During World War II, refugees poured into Macao, which faced the threat of a Japanese invasion. The Portuguese chapter of Acção Católica, especially the Liga Independente Católica Feminina, of which Laura was President, appealed to Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Our Lady of Fatima) for help.

The Chinese chapter of Acção Católica was achieving spectacular results at the time: hundreds of adults were baptized several times a year. The Portuguese chapter worked in the Portuguese community and had a more limited sphere of activity: baptisms, catechism classes, visits to the sick, family campaigns, activities in preparation for Easter, distribution of clothing to the poor, etc.

Laura was also at the heart of a successful Acção Católica initiative. During the War in the Pacific, it was proposed that a pilgrimage to Fatima be organized and that a silver candelabra be offered to the Basilica de Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary). The Portuguese and Chinese chapters of Acção Católica raised $30,000, but the candelabra cost $150,000. The architect of the Basilica in Fatima suggested that Macao offer a Chapel instead, but the funds were insufficient. In the end, it was decided that the $30,000 should be given to the Bishop of Leiria for the Capela da Agonia do Senhor (Chapel of the Agony of Our Lord) in the Basilica de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, in Fatima.

On the 13th of May 1949, Colonel Eduardo José Teixeira Bastos de Abreu went to Fatima, accompanied by the venerable octogenarian Fr. Manuel Fernandes Ferreira, S. J., former editor-in-chief of the Macanese periodical "Religião e Pátria", in order to present the gift to the Bishop of Leiria, who was extremely moved. The Chapel's altar was built, and an inscription next to it indicates that it was a gift from the Catholic people of Macao.

Laura Lobato was at the heart of the fundraising in Macao, but, if it were not for Colonel Abreu the initiative would not have materialized. He was the one who took the money to Portugal, contacted the architect of the Basilica and the Bishop of Leiria, and saw the project to completion when everyone, or almost everyone, had lost interest in the idea.

§6. PIETY

In 1963, when I went to Portugal on leave, I spent four months in Lisbon, where Laura Lobato was living (and where she died). Bedridden and suffering tremendously from an affliction of the mouth, she could not go to mass, so I took a taxi from the Basílica da Estrela (Basilica of the Star) to Avenida António José de Almeida, where she lived, to give her communion. For this she paid fifty Escudos in taxi fare. Such was her piety - in life and in death.

-XI- MARIA ANA ACCIAIOLI TAMAGNINI BARBOSA

§1. HER HUSBAND

When writing about Maria Ana Acciaioli Tamagnini Barbosa, a much loved and distinguished poetess, it seems logical to start by introducing her husband; it is because of him that the name of this enchanting lady is strongly associated with Macao. Maria Ana was married to Artur Tamagnini de Sousa Barbosa (born on the 31st of August 1881 in Lisbon), son of Councillor Artur Tamagnini Barbosa and Fátima Carolina Correia de Sousa. He arrived in Macao with his family on the 21st of January 1882 aboard the ship África. After attending the Seminary and the High School, he returned to Portugal at the age of seventeen to begin his University studies.

Artur began his career as a public servant in the Ministério das Colónias (Department of Colonial Affairs). As his father's secretary, he accompanied the latter to the African Colonies to conduct an inspection. He subsequently held positions in the Finance, Personnel and Political Affairs divisions of the department, as well as in the divisions responsible for India, Macao and Timor. At the time of his death, he held the position of Director General of Political and Civil Administration but had been temporarily replaced in order to return to Macao for his third term as Governor of this Colony. His first term was from June 1918 to July 1919; the second from December 1926 to 1929, which he interrupted to go and second the Director General of the Ministério das Colónias; and the third from the 12th of December 1936 to the 10th of July 1940, when he died as a result of illness, at the age of fifty-nine. He was the only non-military Governor to die in office here, and Macao is greatly indebted to him.

Artur Tamagnini Barbosa's first wife died. He had one daughter from that marriage, Maria Amália, who accompanied him to Macao during his second term, where she met her husband, Naval Officer Joaquim Maria Pereira da Fonseca (who recently died an Admiral). Today Maria Amália da Fonseca is a popular writer and novelist.

Maria Ana de Magalhães Colaço Acciaioli was Tamagnini Barbosa's second wife. She was the daughter of Judge Manuel de Barros da Fonseca Acciaioli Coutinho, a native of Portalegre, and Lia de Magalhães Colaço, a native of Lisbon. Five sons were born from this second marriage:

1. Artur Manuel,

2. Mariano Alberto,

3. Miguel Angelo,

4. Marco António, and

5. Alberto Manuel.

Maria Ana, a gentle and loving mother, died prematurely and tragically giving birth to her fifth son, on the 5th of July 1933, a few days before her thirty-third birthday.

§2. THE POETESS

A poetess unknown to many but of great value, Maria Ana had a fine artistic sensitivity, a natural intuition, and an emotionality that enabled her to find inspiration in everything. As she herself wrote: "Art is not so rare a flower that it cannot be found on our path, and even within us, if God grants us the sensitivity to discover it. But, being a flower, it needs to be cared for and cultivated!"

And that was what she did. Once in Macao, her artistic qualities immediately won her much prestige and affection, in European circles as well as in the Chinese community, which she sought and cherished. An extremely affable person, she radiated a natural kindness, and her fine manners made everyone feel at ease with her.

Endowed with valuable humanistic culture and an enlightened intelligence, Maria Ana strove to ease her husband's load, contributing enchantment to the social atmosphere that surrounded the Governor's Residence [Santa Sancha], and made her discreet charity felt among the most disadvantaged. For this reason, the City attributed her name to the Asilo de Mendicidade (Mendicancy Asylum). The Asylum has been demolished, which leads us to ask that a similar Institution be named after this illustrious lady, who patronized and promoted so many charity events, for which she composed poems and gave the best of her kind heart. She was assisted in these Christian tasks by the Grupo de Artistas Amadores de Teatro e Música (Theatre and Music Amateur Artists Group), who were invited to the Santa Sancha Residence so that she could attend rehearsals and encourage them, in her untiring mission as protector of the arts and letters. The Asilo da Santa Infância (Holy Infancy Asylum) was greatly indebted to her. She composed an inspired poem about the Institution (which appears at the end of this article) and recited it herself at the Dom Pedro V Theatre.

Maria Ana contributed works of prose and verse to many newspapers and periodicals. It still hurts to think of what she might have accomplished with her artistic talent and quintessential poetic inspiration, had her life not been cut short.

When Artur Tamagnini Barbosa returned to Macao for his third term as Governor, after Maria Ana had died, the void that she left in his family life was all too evident, and she was also greatly missed in official circles. Without his wife's dedicated and kind help, Governor Tamagnini Barbosa soon passed away also, due to the fatigue and sleeplessness associated with the difficult hours Macao had to face in those critical times when the history of humanity was decided in Europe and throughout the Orient.

Lin-Tchi-Fá: Flor de Lótus (Lin-Tchi-Fá: Lotus Flower) is the title of a book of poetry by Maria Ana Acciaioli Tamagnini published in Lisbon in 1925. 22 The copy of this book that we possess was given to us, with a lovely dedication, by Governor Tamagnini Barbosa. Maria Ana's feminine soul is echoed on each page and in each thought, exalting the mysterious Orient, which she sings about, on the lakes where lotuses grow and the moon is reflected, in the tea, music and poetry houses, the melancholy of orange sunsets, the resignation of its Buddhist fatalism, the golden dreams of the opium smokers, the monotonous 'tam-tam' of the gongs, the rhythmic and serpentine movements of the dragon, and the symbolism of its jades, of its dances, of its gardens and its art.

Here is how Maria Ana described the atmosphere in the opium dens:

CASAS DE ÓPIO

"Nos kakimonos de papel pintado,

Os dragões saltam, riem as carrancas,

E entre as nuvems dofundo acobreado,

Os deuses montam em cegonhas brancas.

Sobre as lacas polidas, luzidias,

Há figuras, marfim de alto relevo,

Finas silhuetas de mulheres esguias,

Sorrindo aos deuses num prof undo enlevo.

Na sua luz mortiça, vão ardendo

As lamparinas clássicas, chinesas,

Nos cachimbos o ópio vai fervendo

Ao contacto das lâmpadas, acesas.

[...]"23

OPIUM DENS

("On the painted paper kakemonos,

Dragons jump, mascarons laugh,

And in the coppery background, the gods >

Astride white storks, rise from the clouds.

On polished, glistening lacquerware,

Are ivory figures in high relief,

Fine silhouettes of slender women,

In ecstasy, smiling at the gods.

In the dim light, burn

The classic Chinese lamps,

As the opium boils in the pipes

On contact with the flames.").

Those who have seen a dragon procession in the streets of Macao, of the long human serpent with the enormous mouth that tries to devour a ball, symbolizing the moon, cannot but admire the realism of Ao som do gongo (At the Beat of the Gong):

AO SOM DO GONGO

"[...]

Há! Eclipse de Lua, pelos sábios

Previsto para o fim desta semana.

Sinto voltar o meu sorriso aos lábios,

Compreendo agora: E a serpente humana.

Coberta do seu pano avermelhado,

Que se coleia e alonga pela rua,

A simular esse dragão irado,

Que tenta á força devorar a lua;

Enquanto esta, pequenina bola,

Entregue a um china ágil, saltitante,

Nas suas mãos esguias, brilha, rola,

Sem que a consiga esse dragão gigante.

E, ai de nós, se esse monstro do inferno

A conseguisse um dia devorar...

O eclipse seria eterno, eterno,

Nunca mais uma noite de luar!"24

AT THE BEAT OF THE GONG

("[...]

Ah! Wise men say there will be a lunar eclipse

At the end of the week,

I feel a smile returning to my lips,

Now I understand: the human serpent.

Covered in its reddish cloth,

That slithers and slides through the streets.

Imitating that fierce dragon,

That fiercely tries to devour the moon;

A small ball, that shines

As an agile, dancing Chinaman,

Rolls it in his slender hands,

But the moon eludes the giant dragon.

God help us if this infernal monster

Manages to devour it one day...

The eclipse would be eternal, eternal, And put an end to moonlit nights!").

The book ends with a real gem Lin-Tchi-Fá, evoking the lotus flowers of the lakes.

FLOR DE LÓTUS

"Lótus! Flores de noite, flores sagradas

De folhas verdes, longas espalmadas.

Flores brancas e rosadas, flores de lago,

Que a lua beija e despe num afago.

À tona de água, pelas noites cálidas,

Lembrais-me virgens sonhadoras, pálidas.

Noivas à espera do seu bem-amado...

Envoltas no véu branco de noivado.

[...]"25

LOTUS FLOWER

("Lotuses! Flowers of the night, sacred flowers

With long, smooth green leaves.

White and pink flowers, lake flowers,

That the moon lovingly kisses and undresses.

Afloat on the water, on warm nights,

They remind me of pale, dreamy virgins,

Brides waiting for their beloveds

Enveloped in white wedding veils.

[...]").

Poet Herculano Levy reviewed the book in the 13th of July 1925 edition of the newspaper "Diário de Lisboa": "Because she passed through mandarin lands , and from the subtle intoxication of the Orient in her spirit, and her refined elegance and luxuriant imagination, one would say that this lady, a Lusitanian soul, descends from one of the One Hundred Families who honoured, and formed the aristocracy of, the Celestial Empire! [...] The book is more subjective than the Cancioneiro chinês (Chinese Songbook) translated by Feijó. Its verses may not be as opulent as those of the latter, but it possesses much more - the poetry, the singularity, the splendour, the character of China.

In the 24th of June 1925 edition of the newspaper "O Século", the editor-in-chief, Henrique Trindade Coelho, wrote: "In the book Flor de Lótus, the author frequently achieves a pictorial perfection so synthetic that the setting reminds us of those small lacquered images with dwarf trees, arched bridges, pagodas with multiple roofs curving upward and porcelain bells, in which live, encrusted in ivory, figures of gentle geishas, of paper sun hats, smiling mandarins who fan themselves indolently, and street vendors with deeply wrinkled foreheads bent under the weight of merchandise suspended from the ends of a pole carried over the shoulders. At other times, such as in Casas de ópio (Opium Dens), the extremely fine brush, dipped in India ink, quickly traces on the whiteness of the paper jumping dragons, grotesque masks with wide smiles on buildings, and gods astride white storks. And all that is so graceful, so infantile, so spontaneous, so cheerful!

Finally, thel0th of June1925 edition of "O Dia", whose editor-in-chief was J. A. Moreira de Almeida, has the following: "It is a real 'interpretation' of the Orient by a Westerner. [This is in opposition to those to whom the work...] could appear to be a book of mere descriptive poetry.

In the periodical "Permanência" (Lisboa, 1970), Amándio César wrote:"The presence of Maria Ana Acciaioli Tamagnini in the lyrical panorama of the Portuguese language, of the Lusiad language, at the time, seems to me to be perfectly valid. She was a Parnassian, yes, justifiably and consciously Parnassian. This in itself makes her interesting from a literary perspective. This and the fact that she was the first female Portuguese writer to publish a book of poetry about the Far East, having lived, dreamed and suffered in the Far East, in Macao. And that is another attribute to be taken into consideration when judging or merely stating an opinion."

This article does not do justice to the valuable legacy of the impassioned artist who was the author of Lin Tchi Fá: Flor de Lótus. I could go on much longer, but I must end, and I will do so with Maria Ana's poem about the Asilo da Santa Infância. A touching story is associated with this poem. As previously mentioned, it was first recited by the author herself in 1928, at a fundraiser for the Asylum held at the Teatro Dom Pedro V. Ten years later (afterthe author's death), it was revived in a recital.

On the 20th of June 1937, a soirée was held in the courtyard of the Casa de Benificência (House of Beneficence) to mark the arrival of Artur Tamagnini Barbosa, who was entering upon his third term as Governor of Macao. The Prelate, the President of the Senate, the Police Commissioner and the elite of Macao were all in attendance. Hymns, music, speeches, greetings, songs, poems in Portuguese, Chinese, English, French and Italian - the audience applauded everything.

Flor de Lótus (Lotus Flower).

MARIA ANA ACCIAIOLI TAMAGNINI

In: TAMAGNINI, Maria Aria Acciaioli, Lin tchi fá: flor de lótus, Macau, Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1991, p.12.

Then there were two moving episodes. The first occurred when a young girl was reciting, with great charm, the poem L' enfant et l'oiseau. She was supposed to open a cage and free a bird, but she was unable to do it. Seeing that she was on the verge of tears, Bishop José da Costa Nunes called her over and opened the cage, provoking laughter all around.

The second episode was deeply moving, and there were few dry eyes in the audience. Governor Tamagnini Barbosa had lost his beloved spouse, Maria Ana, and was deprived of her affection and support. In addition, the girl who was reciting the poem about the Asilo da Santa Infância had family problems. She had been sent away from home because her father, who was more unfortunate than guilty, had left due to the egoism and vengeance of his unfaithful wife. The girl was deeply moved as she recited the poem and, seeing the Governor's eyes well up with tears, could not contain herself and burst into tears. The Governor, who was also crying, got up, went to the girl, gave her a hug and took her back to her seat. The audience was hushed, and few people were able to contain their tears.

And now, here is that moving poem.

SANTA INFÂNCIA

"Quebra o silêncio da noite

A sineta do convento:

Dão... Dlão!

Como é triste o seu lamento!

Ouvem-se tímidos passos

E o ranger soturno e lento

De um portão.

………………………………………

Com um filhinho nos braçõs

lmplora a voz da desgraça…

Responde-lhe uma oração:

«Ave Maria, cheia de Graçã».

Em míser os farrapos embrulhada

A criança, a arder emfebre, debilmente,

Põe-se a chorar…

Pálida e calma, á dor jà costumada,

A Irmã porteira embala-a docemente,

Para a calar.

Range de novo a porta do convento

E a mãe surge, a tremer, na noite escura,

Hirta de espanto....

Tem medo de si mesma, o sofrimento

Embruteceu-lhe o olhar; a desventura

Secou-lhe o pranto.

Corpo sem alma! Mulher inconsciente!

Que razão poderosa te levou

A abandonar

O filho pequenino e inocente

Que em teu seio dorido se gerou

Para te amar?

E o meu olhar fitou na noite escura

Uns olhos quietos, vagos, sem expressÃo,

Olhar d'alguém

Que deixou de sentir, porque a amargura

Lhe esmagara no peito o coração!

Ó pobre Mãe,

Não olhes para mim tão desvairada!

Eu advinho a dor que te consome

E a razão forte...

Eu vejo-a na tuaface macerada:

Abandonaste-o para evitar-lhe a fome,

Talvez, a morte.

Um suspiro de mágoa ouve-se ainda,

E ela lá vai gemendo o seu tormento

Triste destino

………………………………………

Nos Céus surgiu a lua branca e linda

A iluminar a rua; e no Convento

O pequenino,

Deitado num bercito de madeira,

A custo abre os olhitos, magoados,

Fitando a luz.

Sorri-lhe ternamente a enfermeira

E enchendo-o de carinhos e cuidados

Reza a Jesus.

E quasi todas as noites

Se ouve a sineta tocar:

Dlão.! … Dlão.! …

E há-corações a velar

No velho e pobre convento.

Que abnegaçõ!

São as mães do sentimento,

Que, pelo divino amor,

Dão fé a quem a não tem

E conchego aos pobrezinhos,

Aos pequeninos sem mãe!

1-Abril-1929."26

HOLY INFANCY

("The silence of the night is broken

By the sound of the convent's bell:

Dingdong... Dingdong.

How sad its lament!

Timid steps are heard

And the dull creaking

Of a gate.

………………………………………………

With a child in her arms

The voice of misfortune implores…

In answer, comes a prayer:

"Hail, Mary, full of Grace".

Wrapped in miserable rags

The child, burning with fever,

Feebly, begins to cry…

Pale and calm, accustomed to pain,

The sister rocks him gently,

To quieten him.

The convent gate creaks anew

And the mother emerges, trembling, Into the dark night,

Rigid with fear…

Afraid of herself, her gaze

Brutalized by suffering; her tears

Exhausted by misfortune.

Body without a soul! Thoughtless woman!

What could possibly have led you

To abandon

The small, innocent child

Born of your aching womb

To love you?

In the dark night, my gaze falls upon her,

Still, expressionless eyes, a faraway look,

The look of someone

Who no longer feels, whose heart

Has been crushed by bitterness!

O poor Mother,

Don't look at me so wild-eyed!

I can imagine the pain that consumes you

And your reasons...

I can see it in your haggard face:

You abandoned him to keep him from hunger,

Maybe even Death.

A sigh of grief is heard,

As she bemoans her torment

Tragic fate!

………………………………………………

A beautiful pale moon emerges

Lighting up the street; and in the Convent

The child,

Lying in a wooden cradle,

Struggles to opens his eyes, wounded,

Focusing on the light.

The Nurse smiles at him tenderly

And lavishing care and affection on him

Prays to Jesus.

Almost every night

The bell rings:

Dingdong… Dingdong…!

Hearts keep vigil

In the old, poor convent.

What abnegation!

They are the Mothers of Sentiment,

Who, for the Love of God,

Give faith to those who lack it

And comfort the poor,

And the motherless children!

1-April-1929.").

-XII- THE BARONESS OF SÃO JOSÉ DE PORTALEGRE

The second wife of the Baron of São José de Portalegre, Januário Agostinho de Almeida, 27 was his sister-in-law, Ana Juliana de Falconeris Gomes, 28a very charitable woman who answered every call for help. This characteristic trait of the Baroness is mentioned in a long poem by Macanese poet José Baptista de Miranda e Lima entitled Ajuste de casamento de Nhi Pancha Cõ Nhum Vicente (The engagement of Nhi Pancha and Nhum Vicente), which says that when a sedan chair was needed to transport the bride, one had only to ask the Baroness:

"Já têm gente dá vesti? Cadêra pâ aquele dia?

Minha Taia: quanto eu Pôde,

Logo servi cõ alegria.

Muito cusa de obrigado;

quanto cadéra, eu já lembrá

vai pedî cô Baroneza;

Elle bom, nagi negá."

(Port.:

"Já alguém deu o vestido? E a cadeira para aquele dia?

Minha Tia: tudo o que eu possa fazer,

Logo o farei com alegria.

E não tem que agradecer;

Quanto á cadeira, eu já me lembrei:

Vou pedir à Baroneza;

Que ela é boa e não a há-de negar.";or lit:

"Has someone [already] given the [wedding] dress? And what about the sedan chair for that day?

My Aunt; whatever I can do to assist,

I will immediately do it with pleasure.

And there is nothing to thank about;

Regarding the sedan chair I already thaught

Of asking the Baroness for one;

[Because] she is kind and will not say no.").

João Feliciano Marques Pereira tells the following story about the Baroness:

"One day, she was busy sewing in her palace on the Praia do Manduco, in Macao, and her husband was in Calcutta. A Portuguese sailor showed up at her door seeking refuge because he had killed a Chinese man in a brawl and was being pursued by thousands of Chinese.

The Baroness gave the fugitive protection. Shortly after, a Deputation of three Chinese merchants appeared, demanding that the assassin be handed over to them. Now, the palace was guarded by one-hundred sepoys, all supported and paid by the Baron. The Baroness told the Chinese Deputation that she was not prepared to let them invade her palace; she would allow some of the people in the crowd (but no more than thirty) to conduct a search and, if they found the assassin, take him away. If they failed to find him, however, they would all be killed. Then she led the Deputation to a window overlooking the courtyard and yelled:

--"Guards!"

One-hundred armed sepoys in uniform immediately appeared. Seeing them, the Deputation gave up and went to inform the crowd that had gathered outside that they had searched the palace and found nothing."

On another occasion, the Baron was out with his friends when they were approached by a man who was raising a subscription. The latter said that one of his friends needed a dowry of two-thousand Patacas so that one of his daughters could enter the Convento de Santa Clara (Convent of St. Clare). The baron immediately gave the man five-hundred Patacas and asked his three companions to do likewise, so that the man received the full amount. **

Translated from the Portuguese by: Paula Sousa

NOTES

** Revised reprint from: TEIXEIRA, Manuel, Galeria de mulheres ilustres em Macau, Macau, Centro de Infonnação e Turismo - Imprensa Nacional, 1974, pp.9-10 (Madre Leonor de S. Francisco), pp. 13-14 (Maria Nunes), p. 19 (Isabel Reigota), pp.21-26 (Maria de Moura Vasconcelos), pp. 33-35 (Marta Merop); pp.37-44 (Harriet Low), pp.57-60 (Madre Teresa Lucian), pp.61-66 (Laura Maria Nolasco Guimarães Lobato); pp.67-75 (D. Maria Ana Acciaoli Tamagini Barbosa); and TEIXEIRA, Manuel, Vultos marcantes em Macau, Macau, Direcção dos Serviços de Educação e Cultura, 1982-pp.103-104 (Marta Merop), pp.105-106 (Baronesa de S. Jose de Portalegre).

1From 1580 to 1640, the years when the Kingdom of Portugal was annexed to the Kingdom of Spain, members of religious Orders in Macao were dependant from their hierarchical Superiors in Manila.

2Tael =Chinese weight measure which had a corresponding currency value, usually paid in 'pure' gold.

3Cruzado = The state currency of the Portuguese kingdom, from the middle of the fifteenth century to 1835, minted in 'fine' 23~%34 gold carats and weighting 3,56 grams. During the fifteenth century 1 cruzadowas worth 253 reais brancos(lit: 'white reals', or: reals from the kingdom) and during the seventeeth century 1 cruzadowas worth 400 reais brancos.

4Pardau = From the midlle of the sixteenth century to 1880, a generic name given to currency in the Portuguese State of India. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the most current were the pardau de ouro>(gold pardao)worth 6 tangasand 36 centavos(cents) and the pardau de prata (silver pardao) worth five tangas(tangs) and thirty centavos.

"The pardao is supposed to have worth 4s. 2d.", Danvers, The Portuguese in India.

5Xerafim = Name also given to the pardau de ouroand pardau de prata. During the sixteenth century 1 xerafim(gold) was worth 300 reais (reals) and during the eighteenth century 1 xerafim(silver) was worth 150 reais.

6MENDES, Manuel da Silva, Nova colectânea de artigos, 4 vols., Macau, Notícias de Macau, 1963-1964 vol.4, pp.97-98.

7A Voz do Passado / Redescoberta de A Colecção de vários factos acontecidos nesta mui nobre cidade de Macao, Offprint of the "Boletim Eclesiástico da Diocese de Macau", Macau, 1964 [reprint: Macau, Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1987], p.27.

8Translator's Note: A Voz do Passado / Redescoberta de A Colecção de vários factos acontecidos […], op. cit. -The author's quotation was not found in this publication.

9Translator's Note: In fact, he was capitão mor(Captain-Major) of the capitania(Administrative division) of Pará, not Minas, in Brazil.

10COATES, Austin, City of Broken Promises, Hong Kong Oxford - New York et al, Oxford University Press, 1990 [1st edition: 1967].

11Ibidem., pp.6-7.

12Ibidem., pp.264-265.

13HILLARD, Catherine, My mother's journal: a young lady's diary from 1829-1834, Boston, 1900.

Also see: BRAGA, José Maria, Macao through the eyes of Harriet Low, in "Religião e Pátria", Macau, 51 (7) Abril [April] 1965, pp.205-207.

14TEIXEIRA, Manuel, Galeria de mulheres ilustres em Macau, Macau, Centro de Informação e Turismo - Imprensa Nacional, 1974, p.39 - This passage from Harriet Low's Diaries was translated from the mentioned Portuguese version.

15Ibidem., pp.39-40.

16BRAGA, José Maria, op. cit., p.207.

17Idem.

18Idem.

19Idem.

20d'ARCOS, Joaquim Paço, Memórias da Minha Vida e do Meu Tempo, Lisaboa, Guimarães Editores, p.212.

21Ibidem., p.262.

22TAMAGININI, Maria Ana Acciaioli, Lin-Tchi-Fá - Flor de Lótus,"colecção Poetas de Macau - 3", Macau, Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1991 [1st edition: Lisboa, 1925].

23Ibidem., pp.57-58 - This poem has ten verses.

24Ibidem., pp.83-88 - This poem has twenty-two verses.

25Ibidem., pp.89-90 - This poem has nine verses.

26Ibidem., pp.91-94 - Transcribed in full from TAMAGININI, Maria Ana Acciaioli, Lin-Tchi-Fá - Flor de Lótus, reprint edition: "colecção Poetas de Macau -3", Macau, Instituto Cultural de Macau, 1991.

27Translator's Note: The correct name of the Baron was: Januário Agostinho de Almeida, Barão de [Baron of] S. José de Pôrto Alegre. He married his first wife Maria José Gomes (born on the 17th August 1770), on the 4th of October 1785, in the Parish of S. Lourenço (St. Lawrence), in Macao.

See: TEIXEIRA, Manuel, Galeria de Macaenses Ilustres do Século XIX, Macau, Imprensa Nacional, 1942, pp. 104-106 (Barão de S. José de Pôrto Alegre).

28Ibidem., p.105 - Ana Juliana de Falconeris Gomes (born on the 19th of June 1769, in Macao) widow of António Pereira de Araújo, married the Baron of S. José de Pôrto Alegre on the 23rd of July 1795, in the Parish of S. Lourenço (St. Lawrence), in Macao.

*Historian and researcher of the Portuguese Expansion and the Christian Church in the Orient. Author of numerous articles and publications on related topics. Member of the Portuguese Academy of History, the International Association of Historians on Asia and other Institutions.