MACAO, a Portuguese settlement in China, on a small peninsula projecting from the S.E. end of the island of Hiangshan, or Macao, lying at the mouth of the Canton River, 80 miles S.S.E. of Canton, and 40 miles W. of Hong
Macaronic Kong; N. Lat. 22. 12. 45., E. Long. 113. 35. The peninsula is miles in length, by less than a mile in breadth, and is connected with the mainland by a low, narrow, and sandy isthmus. A barrier wall, with a gate and guard-house, extends across the isthmus, to exclude foreigners from the interior of the island. The town is built on the declivities round the semicircular harbour; the shore being lined by an embanked parade, behind which is a terrace of handsome houses. Behind this terrace lies the rest of the town, a curious intermixture of Chinese and European edifices. The chief buildings are,—the senate-house, the church and college of St Joseph, and the Portuguese governor's residence. The cave of Camoens, where that poet is said to have written a portion of his Lusiad, is picturesquely situate on the summit of a small hill on the margin of the inner harbour, and is much resorted to. The harbour is on the west side of the town, between it and the small island of Patera, but it has not sufficient depth of water to admit large vessels, which accordingly anchor in the roads on the other side of the peninsula, from 5 to 10 miles from the town. The Chinese regulations permit none but Portuguese and Spanish vessels to trade at the port, though vessels of other nations generally have little difficulty in obtaining the connivance of the Chinese officials to trade, and the Portuguese inhabitants are ready to lend their names for a trifling consideration. The town and harbour are protected by six forts. The Portuguese obtained this settlement in 1586, in return for services rendered by them against pirates that had infested the coast. It subsequently became the centre of a very extensive trade with China, Japan, the Philippines, and other eastern countries. It has, however, long sunk into insignificance, and now carries on very little trade. The Portuguese have a government and senate, but a Chinese mandarin has in reality the supreme power in the town. The Portuguese pay annual tribute, or ground rent, for their settlement. Pop. about 13,000, of whom above a half are Chinese.