Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1921-12-21
G)eL-eo,h hel,,e, -CcS,frJ, ., e.s hs~~,4s G.Te-u
Camoens' Garden In Macao.


Camoens' Ca
PREPARED by the National Geographic go
ciety Washington. u. c.
Two hills stretching to the sea so
as to form charming bay, and be-
tween them nn 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 tints all faded, basking
in peaceful decrepltude in Il sunshine
like that of June; the town fast
asleep; the hGrbor sitting up; the
walls crumbllng; the iron gratlngs
rustlng; the pavements turning green
the gables nodding like old gray heads,
tired OF listening TO the same old sto-
rlcs-such is Mac ,, the Far Eastern
outpost Of the Portuguese traders OF
the Sixteenth century, the Monte Car
10 Of the Orient, and one OF Portugars
few remaining possessions In Pacific
waters.
Macao is situated on the west side
OF the Pearl river. Forty miles across
Is Hongkong; eighty-eight miles To the
north lies Canton. seat " the South
China government. Macao was found
ed IN 1857. Prior TO 1887 there APP
pears to have been no documentary
evidence OF a formal cesslon Of this
territory, the Portuguese claiming,
however, that they received II as n
reward for destroying the horde OF
Mongolian pirates that harrled the
southern coast Of china and the re-
mains of the old barrier across the
narrow neck of land separating the
penlnsulnr town from the rest of the
Island of IIeung Chan. and once guard.
ed by Chinese soldiers gave color tn
the Portuguese claim. However, all
doubts were laid to rest In 1857 when
formal cesslon was made by China to
the Portuguese.
Macao's Rise and Fall.
So marvellous was the growth and
prosperity of mis- Portuguese settle.
ment I'm Its youth that II excited the
envy Of the early Dutch traders who
In 1922 attempted its conquest. The
spot where the Dutch leader was
fort. which wrote iinls TO that nt.
tempt, is now marked by monument.
Macao continued to be fourishing
mart up 10 1911, the British East In
dla company and the Dutch company
meanwhile obtaining n foothold there.
The British free trade propaganda OF
the "Fortles" excited IA demand for n
free port at Macao, tO which the Por.
tuguese demurred. Great Britain then
secured the IIongkong concession,
made that n 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 but II has cultural ties with Eu-
rope closer knit than the political re
lationships of controverted areas Ia
the north. 1t contains the oldest ruin
I'm China that IL associated with Eu
rope. and the tamarind ana banyan
shade the gardens where the Por
tuguese Chauser. 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
Camoens' Place OF Exile.
Luis de Camoens. the star of Lusl
tanlan poetry, became enamored oi
Catharna d'Ataynda, lady-in-honor tc
Queen Catharlna Of Portugal, which
so enraged the king that he banlshed
the poet TO Macao. about 1867. wher,
he remained for five years us admin
istrator of the effects OF deceased per
sons-a melancholy office for poe
and lover. Returning In 1872, his YES
sci was wrecked. his small savings
were lost. but the poem which he,
been translated into every civilized
language was saved to an appreclativs
pos,erty. A monument To Camocn,
marks the spot In the grotto where b
composed his noble epic.
Macao has snoozed peacefully awaJ
ON It's island In late years while con
troversies have ragged around the hand
full OF other foreign holdings on thu
Chinese coast. But recently the gov
ernlnent Of Southern China Is reported
to have demanded that there be I
Cleanup In the city, procedure
which II carried out would entail rec
ognition nj the Southern China govern