The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-12-22

prepared by the National Geographic So
eiety, Washington. ID, c.
Two hills stretching to the sea so
as TO form a charming bay, and be-
tween them sn ancient, half.Spanish,
wholly southern city; its roofs tufted
with Verdure, rising one above anoth.
er on terraced slopes; Its houses with
their once gay unts all faded, basklng
IN peaceful dciepitrde In sunshine
IKE that OF June; the town fast
asleep; the harbor sitting up; the
walls crumbllng; the iron gratlngs
rusting; the pavements turning green !;
the gables noddlng like old gray heads,
tired OF listening to the same old sto-
ries-such Is Macao, the Far Eastern
outpost OF the Portuguese traders OF
the Sixteenth century, the Monte Car
10 Of the Orient. and one OF Portugal's
few Remaining possessions In Pacific
waters
Macao Is situated on the west side
or the Pearl river. Forty niles across
Is Hongkong; eighty-eight miles TO the
north hes Canton, seat of the South
China government. Alacno was found
cd In 1857. Prior 10 1887 there an
pears to have been no documentary
evidence Of formal cessiOn OF this
territory, the Portuguese claiming,
however, that they received 1t as a
reward for destroying the horde OF
Mongolian picates that harried the
southern coast ef China; and The re-
mains Of the old barrier across fke
marrow neck OF land separating The
iponinsular town from the rest Of the
Island Of Heurg Chan. and once guard
ed by Chinese soldiers, gave colW to
the Portuguese claim. However, all
doubts were laid TO rest In 1887 when
formal cessim was made by China to
the Portuguese.
AzCao's Rise and Fail.
So marvellous was The growth and
prosperity Of this Portuguese settle
ment In tss youth that IL exdted the
envy OF the early Dutch tra6ers who
in 1622 attempted its conquest. The
spot where the Dutch leader was
killed by a round shot frsn Monte
fort, watch wrote fms DO that at
tempt, is now marked by a monument.
Macao continued 10 be a flourlshIng
mart up 10 1871, the British East In
dia company and the Dutdal company
meanwhile obtaining a foothold there.
The British free trade propaganda Of
the "FVrtles" excited a demand for a
free port at Macao, TO Which the Por-
tuguese ldemurred. Great Britain then
secured the Hongkong concession,
made that a free port In 1915, and
the decline Of Macao as an entrepOt
dates from that year.
Not only is Macao the site OF the
first European claim made on Chinese
soil, bu II has cultural ties with Eu-
rope closer knit than the political re-
lationshfps Of cOntrOverted areas TO
the north. II contains tlIe oldest ruin
an China that is associated with Eu-
rome, and the tamarind and banyan
shade the gardens where the Por-
tuguese Ghauser, CamOens, composed
half Of the Luslads, celebrating the
discoveries OF the Portuguese explOr-
ers who opened up for the West the
secrets Of the East II Is one OF the
half-dozen OF the worlds great eplcs.
camosn5' Place Of Exile.
Luis de Camoans, The star Of Lusl-
tanIan poetry, became enamOred OF
ratharlna d'ktayadH, lady-in-hOnor TO
Queen CathanlnR Of Portugal, which
ca enraged the king that he banlshed
the poet TO Macao, about 1867, where
he remained far FIVE years as admin
istrator OF the effects OF deceased per |
sops-a melancholy office for a poet
and dover. Returning in 1872, his YES
sel Vas wrecked. his small savings
were lost. but the poem which has
been translated into every civilized
Language was saved to an appreclative
nOsterity. A monument TO Camoens
marks the spot In tn grotto where he
composed his noble epic.
Macao has snoOzeC peacefully away
nm Us island In late gears while con-
troyersies have ragged around the hand
tr ~ other foreign holdings on the
chinese coast. But recently the gov
eminent of Southern China is reported
% have demanded that there be
"cleanup" In the city a procedure
which II carried out would entail rec
omltlon Of the Southern Chi govern
ment as well as acceptance OF lis .igrt
o. rnle in what has long been consld-
cred Portuguese territory
Once in Macao the traveller may re-
main TO contemplate an out-of-thes
way shrine OF European history. But