BALL E PERRY: UMA IDEIA DE MACAU (1850-1854)巴爾與貝利：一種澳門觀念 (1850-1854)
The article analyzes, in the period 1850–1854, the construction of an "idea of Macau" through two nearly contemporary American perspectives: the letters of Benjamin Lincoln Ball (1850) and the narrative produced from the notes of Commodore Matthew C. Perry compiled by Francis L. Hawks (1852–1854). I...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2009
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40029/3622 |
| Summary: | The article analyzes, in the period 1850–1854, the construction of an "idea of Macau" through two nearly contemporary American perspectives: the letters of Benjamin Lincoln Ball (1850) and the narrative produced from the notes of Commodore Matthew C. Perry compiled by Francis L. Hawks (1852–1854). It is argued that, despite differences in status and objectives—Ball as a traveling physician and Perry as an agent of a naval mission—both authors interpret the city as a space of encounter between empires and civilizations, projecting onto Macau categories and expectations drawn from the political and economic universe of the United States and the commercial expansion of the nineteenth century. Methodologically, the text proceeds through a comparative reading of descriptions, framings, and modes of naming the territory, with particular attention to representations of urban and port geography, as well as observations on social practices and economic rhythms. Among the findings, the recurrence of analogies with Boston (Ball) and of "Western" topographical definitions (peninsula, relative position, nature of the harbor) stands out, stabilizing Macau as "knowable" for the American public. It is concluded that these narratives, although marked by editorial mediation, help consolidate an external view of Macau in the immediate post-Amaral period, simultaneously acknowledging formal autonomy vis-à-vis mandarin powers and underscoring the decisive role of Chinese elites. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |