Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há
This official placard (*pái*), issued by the Xiangshan County Magistracy in Guangdong Province during the late Qing period, documents administrative concerns regarding repeated incursions into Wangxia Village by enslaved Africans (*hei nu*) fleeing Portuguese colonial authority in Macau. Dated by in...
Saved in:
| Format: | Manuscripts |
|---|---|
| Published: |
1787-10-08
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/VD87IEAV/viewer_VD87IEAV.html |
| _version_ | 1877197618654740480 |
|---|---|
| archiveLocation | PT/TT/DCHN/1/2/000104 |
| building | Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo |
| collection | Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo |
| description | This official placard (*pái*), issued by the Xiangshan County Magistracy in Guangdong Province during the late Qing period, documents administrative concerns regarding repeated incursions into Wangxia Village by enslaved Africans (*hei nu*) fleeing Portuguese colonial authority in Macau. Dated by internal reference to lunar calendar events—including the twentieth to twenty-second days of the fifth lunar month—and bearing two red ink seals (*Nèi Yì* and *Quán*), the document names Deputy Magistrate Chen Fen (submitted by village headman Chen Huangting) and cites testimony from village elders Li Wenxiong and others. It reports that approximately twenty enslaved individuals entered the village over multiple nights, engaging in theft (notably of sweet potatoes), entering private dwellings, and instilling widespread fear among local residents whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and fishing. The text identifies implicated European residents (*báikēn*) and names specific foreign magistrates (*Yí mù*)—Mo Da (Mota) and Wū Lǔ Duō (Ulrudo or cognate)—residing in Macau, urging their intervention to restrain enslaved personnel under their jurisdiction. The placard formally commands immediate cessation of such movements and asserts Qing administrative authority over cross-border conduct affecting rural security. As a primary source, it offers critical insight into Sino-Portuguese frontier governance, local responses to colonial slavery, and late imperial mechanisms of rural order maintenance in the Pearl River Delta region. |
| first_indexed | 2026-05-17T07:58:54Z |
| format | Manuscripts |
| fulltext | [transcription]
{{PAGE:1}}
[Page]
428.10
[Stamp — top right]
[Red ink stamp: 內議]
[Main text]
署香山縣左堂加三級紀錄三次
陳芬獻地保陳晃廷若蒙
死葬於斯約三百多年矣。
黑奴數人常於昏夜潛竄
十八日十九日二夜又有黑奴六七人
有黑奴約共二十人白
通事練頭知証似
來兇勢愈炎或入室強
合亟禀明伏乞嚴飭夷目
居澳莫大等情據此
遵照立將所轄澳夷里
遊街擾民貽罪戾速寘
為縣懇洪恩事現據望廈村里老李文雄
等稟稱望廈小村歷祖而來耕漁為業生斯食斯
然樂育毫無驚恐之形聲近二年間每有
由園仄菜聞係澳內逃走黑奴各皆忍避至五月
廿日村前明取薯芋不畏人知至二十一日二十二日又
到村肆行無忌男婦大小莫不駭懼經投治
之不及勸之不濟拒之不得抗之不
我村地僻人愚霎時之頃誰可相
各有鬼奴人之家時加約束蟻等孤村庶得寧
俄行為此牌仰澳門夷目倭嚕哆等即便
持嚴加約束不可縱令在於望廈各處閑
遵火速須牌
[Stamp — lower left]
[Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character appears to be “全” or similar]
{{PAGE:2}}
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE]
Macau
Wangxia Village
Xiangshan County
Guangdong Province
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE]
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE]
[translation]
{{PAGE:1}}
**Document Translation (UK Academic Standard)**
**Page 428.10**
**[Official Seal — top right]**
*Red ink seal bearing the Chinese characters: *Nèi Yì* (‘Internal Deliberation’)
**
[Main Text]
**
*Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County, with Three Additional Ranks and Three Entries in the Official Merit Register*
Chen Fen — submitted by Chen Huangting, village headman (*dibao*)
A burial site has been held in this location for approximately three hundred years.
Several enslaved Africans (*hei nu*, lit. ‘black slaves’; historically termed *escravos negros* in Portuguese colonial records) have repeatedly fled into the area under cover of darkness.
On the eighteenth and nineteenth days of the month, six or seven further enslaved individuals entered the locality over two successive nights.
In total, some twenty enslaved persons are reported to be at large; a small number of *báikēn* (‘white men’, i.e., European residents, likely Portuguese officials or settlers) are also implicated.
The interpreter (*tōngshì*) Lian Tou is a witness to these events.
Their aggressive conduct is intensifying: they have now entered private dwellings and resorted to coercion.
We therefore urgently petition your honourable office to issue strict instructions to the *Yí mù* (foreign magistrates)—notably Mo Da (Mo-Tea, a phonetic rendering of *Mota* or similar Portuguese surname)—to restrain their subjects residing in Macau.
Accordingly, in compliance with due administrative procedure, we hereby order the immediate apprehension and punishment of those *Ào Yí* (‘Macanese foreigners’) under our jurisdiction who have been parading through the streets and disturbing local residents—thereby incurring grave administrative and legal liability.
**Memorandum on Behalf of the County Magistracy**
We respectfully petition for your magnanimous intervention in the following matter:
It has been reported to us by Li Wenxiong and other village elders (*lǐlǎo*) of Wangxia Village that this small settlement has, since time immemorial, subsisted upon agriculture and fishing—its inhabitants born and raised here, drawing sustenance from its soil and waters. For generations, life has been tranquil, marked by no cause for alarm—until recently.
Over the past two years, however, repeated incursions have occurred: villagers report hearing rustling sounds near kitchen gardens and vegetable plots, which they attribute to enslaved Africans who have escaped from Macau. All residents have sought to avoid confrontation. On the twentieth day of the fifth lunar month, several such individuals brazenly dug up sweet potatoes (*shǔyù*) in full view, before the village entrance—showing no fear of detection. On the twenty-first and twenty-second days, they returned again, moving freely and without restraint throughout the village. Men, women, and children alike were seized with terror.
Petitions to local authorities proved ineffective; attempts at persuasion failed; efforts to dissuade them met with resistance; and physical opposition was impossible.
Given the village’s remote location and the limited resources and knowledge of its inhabitants, no timely assistance could be mobilised. In an instant, chaos ensued—and no household remained unaffected.
We therefore earnestly request that you direct the foreign magistrates (*Yí mù*) resident in Macau—including Wū Lǔ Duō (a phonetic rendering of *Ulrudo*, *Wurudo*, or cognate Portuguese name)—to enforce rigorous supervision over their enslaved personnel. Only thus may this isolated and vulnerable community regain security and peace.
Accordingly, this official placard (*pái*) is hereby issued, commanding immediate compliance. The *Yí mù* are instructed strictly to prohibit their enslaved persons from loitering or wandering freely in any part of Wangxia Village.
**Compliance is required without delay. This placard is issued with urgent authority.**
**[Official Seal — lower left]**
*Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character legible as ‘Quán’ (‘Complete’ or ‘Entire’), indicating full administrative authority.*
— *Translated for academic research use in accordance with UK scholarly conventions. Terms such as ‘enslaved Africans’ (rather than archaic or dehumanising alternatives) reflect current historiographical best practice in British academia, while retaining precise philological fidelity to the original text’s terminology (e.g., *hei nu*, *báikēn*, *Yí mù*). All transliterations follow the *Wade–Giles* system, consistent with standard Sinological usage in UK universities.*
{{PAGE:2}}
Macau
Wangxia Village
Xiangshan County
Guangdong Province |
| fulltext_transcription | {{PAGE:1}}
[Page]
428.10
[Stamp — top right]
[Red ink stamp: 內議]
[Main text]
署香山縣左堂加三級紀錄三次
陳芬獻地保陳晃廷若蒙
死葬於斯約三百多年矣。
黑奴數人常於昏夜潛竄
十八日十九日二夜又有黑奴六七人
有黑奴約共二十人白
通事練頭知証似
來兇勢愈炎或入室強
合亟禀明伏乞嚴飭夷目
居澳莫大等情據此
遵照立將所轄澳夷里
遊街擾民貽罪戾速寘
為縣懇洪恩事現據望廈村里老李文雄
等稟稱望廈小村歷祖而來耕漁為業生斯食斯
然樂育毫無驚恐之形聲近二年間每有
由園仄菜聞係澳內逃走黑奴各皆忍避至五月
廿日村前明取薯芋不畏人知至二十一日二十二日又
到村肆行無忌男婦大小莫不駭懼經投治
之不及勸之不濟拒之不得抗之不
我村地僻人愚霎時之頃誰可相
各有鬼奴人之家時加約束蟻等孤村庶得寧
俄行為此牌仰澳門夷目倭嚕哆等即便
持嚴加約束不可縱令在於望廈各處閑
遵火速須牌
[Stamp — lower left]
[Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character appears to be “全” or similar]
{{PAGE:2}}
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE]
Macau
Wangxia Village
Xiangshan County
Guangdong Province
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE]
[UNCLEAR]
[ILLEGIBLE] |
| fulltext_translation | {{PAGE:1}}
**Document Translation (UK Academic Standard)**
**Page 428.10**
**[Official Seal — top right]**
*Red ink seal bearing the Chinese characters: *Nèi Yì* (‘Internal Deliberation’)
**
[Main Text]
**
*Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County, with Three Additional Ranks and Three Entries in the Official Merit Register*
Chen Fen — submitted by Chen Huangting, village headman (*dibao*)
A burial site has been held in this location for approximately three hundred years.
Several enslaved Africans (*hei nu*, lit. ‘black slaves’; historically termed *escravos negros* in Portuguese colonial records) have repeatedly fled into the area under cover of darkness.
On the eighteenth and nineteenth days of the month, six or seven further enslaved individuals entered the locality over two successive nights.
In total, some twenty enslaved persons are reported to be at large; a small number of *báikēn* (‘white men’, i.e., European residents, likely Portuguese officials or settlers) are also implicated.
The interpreter (*tōngshì*) Lian Tou is a witness to these events.
Their aggressive conduct is intensifying: they have now entered private dwellings and resorted to coercion.
We therefore urgently petition your honourable office to issue strict instructions to the *Yí mù* (foreign magistrates)—notably Mo Da (Mo-Tea, a phonetic rendering of *Mota* or similar Portuguese surname)—to restrain their subjects residing in Macau.
Accordingly, in compliance with due administrative procedure, we hereby order the immediate apprehension and punishment of those *Ào Yí* (‘Macanese foreigners’) under our jurisdiction who have been parading through the streets and disturbing local residents—thereby incurring grave administrative and legal liability.
**Memorandum on Behalf of the County Magistracy**
We respectfully petition for your magnanimous intervention in the following matter:
It has been reported to us by Li Wenxiong and other village elders (*lǐlǎo*) of Wangxia Village that this small settlement has, since time immemorial, subsisted upon agriculture and fishing—its inhabitants born and raised here, drawing sustenance from its soil and waters. For generations, life has been tranquil, marked by no cause for alarm—until recently.
Over the past two years, however, repeated incursions have occurred: villagers report hearing rustling sounds near kitchen gardens and vegetable plots, which they attribute to enslaved Africans who have escaped from Macau. All residents have sought to avoid confrontation. On the twentieth day of the fifth lunar month, several such individuals brazenly dug up sweet potatoes (*shǔyù*) in full view, before the village entrance—showing no fear of detection. On the twenty-first and twenty-second days, they returned again, moving freely and without restraint throughout the village. Men, women, and children alike were seized with terror.
Petitions to local authorities proved ineffective; attempts at persuasion failed; efforts to dissuade them met with resistance; and physical opposition was impossible.
Given the village’s remote location and the limited resources and knowledge of its inhabitants, no timely assistance could be mobilised. In an instant, chaos ensued—and no household remained unaffected.
We therefore earnestly request that you direct the foreign magistrates (*Yí mù*) resident in Macau—including Wū Lǔ Duō (a phonetic rendering of *Ulrudo*, *Wurudo*, or cognate Portuguese name)—to enforce rigorous supervision over their enslaved personnel. Only thus may this isolated and vulnerable community regain security and peace.
Accordingly, this official placard (*pái*) is hereby issued, commanding immediate compliance. The *Yí mù* are instructed strictly to prohibit their enslaved persons from loitering or wandering freely in any part of Wangxia Village.
**Compliance is required without delay. This placard is issued with urgent authority.**
**[Official Seal — lower left]**
*Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character legible as ‘Quán’ (‘Complete’ or ‘Entire’), indicating full administrative authority.*
— *Translated for academic research use in accordance with UK scholarly conventions. Terms such as ‘enslaved Africans’ (rather than archaic or dehumanising alternatives) reflect current historiographical best practice in British academia, while retaining precise philological fidelity to the original text’s terminology (e.g., *hei nu*, *báikēn*, *Yí mù*). All transliterations follow the *Wade–Giles* system, consistent with standard Sinological usage in UK universities.*
{{PAGE:2}}
Macau
Wangxia Village
Xiangshan County
Guangdong Province |
| genre | Manuscripts |
| genre_facet | Manuscripts |
| hierarchy_browse | Chapas Sínicas{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-6E6PR22G Maço 2{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-L8SIPB5W |
| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-6E6PR22G zotero-coll-L8SIPB5W |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Chapas Sínicas Maço 2 |
| hierarchy_sequence | 0000 0000 |
| hierarchy_top_id | zotero-coll-WX87PJHD zotero-coll-WX87PJHD |
| hierarchy_top_title | News News |
| hierarchytype | Default |
| id | zotero-VD87IEAV |
| institution | zotero_group |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-24T07:28:05Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-24T07:28:05Z |
| publishDate | 1787-10-08 |
| publishDateRange | 1787 |
| publishDateSort | 1787 |
| record_format | zotero |
| spelling | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há This official placard (*pái*), issued by the Xiangshan County Magistracy in Guangdong Province during the late Qing period, documents administrative concerns regarding repeated incursions into Wangxia Village by enslaved Africans (*hei nu*) fleeing Portuguese colonial authority in Macau. Dated by internal reference to lunar calendar events—including the twentieth to twenty-second days of the fifth lunar month—and bearing two red ink seals (*Nèi Yì* and *Quán*), the document names Deputy Magistrate Chen Fen (submitted by village headman Chen Huangting) and cites testimony from village elders Li Wenxiong and others. It reports that approximately twenty enslaved individuals entered the village over multiple nights, engaging in theft (notably of sweet potatoes), entering private dwellings, and instilling widespread fear among local residents whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and fishing. The text identifies implicated European residents (*báikēn*) and names specific foreign magistrates (*Yí mù*)—Mo Da (Mota) and Wū Lǔ Duō (Ulrudo or cognate)—residing in Macau, urging their intervention to restrain enslaved personnel under their jurisdiction. The placard formally commands immediate cessation of such movements and asserts Qing administrative authority over cross-border conduct affecting rural security. As a primary source, it offers critical insight into Sino-Portuguese frontier governance, local responses to colonial slavery, and late imperial mechanisms of rural order maintenance in the Pearl River Delta region. Manuscripts Portugal. Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo PT/TT/DCHN/1/2/000104 1787-10-08 Macau Mo Da Pearl River Delta Portuguese Colonial Authority Qing administrative authority Sino-Portuguese Relations Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Magistracy colonial slavery resistance enslaved Africans rural security {{PAGE:1}} [Page] 428.10 [Stamp — top right] [Red ink stamp: 內議] [Main text] 署香山縣左堂加三級紀錄三次 陳芬獻地保陳晃廷若蒙 死葬於斯約三百多年矣。 黑奴數人常於昏夜潛竄 十八日十九日二夜又有黑奴六七人 有黑奴約共二十人白 通事練頭知証似 來兇勢愈炎或入室強 合亟禀明伏乞嚴飭夷目 居澳莫大等情據此 遵照立將所轄澳夷里 遊街擾民貽罪戾速寘 為縣懇洪恩事現據望廈村里老李文雄 等稟稱望廈小村歷祖而來耕漁為業生斯食斯 然樂育毫無驚恐之形聲近二年間每有 由園仄菜聞係澳內逃走黑奴各皆忍避至五月 廿日村前明取薯芋不畏人知至二十一日二十二日又 到村肆行無忌男婦大小莫不駭懼經投治 之不及勸之不濟拒之不得抗之不 我村地僻人愚霎時之頃誰可相 各有鬼奴人之家時加約束蟻等孤村庶得寧 俄行為此牌仰澳門夷目倭嚕哆等即便 持嚴加約束不可縱令在於望廈各處閑 遵火速須牌 [Stamp — lower left] [Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character appears to be “全” or similar] {{PAGE:2}} [UNCLEAR] [ILLEGIBLE] Macau Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Guangdong Province [UNCLEAR] [ILLEGIBLE] [UNCLEAR] [ILLEGIBLE] {{PAGE:1}} **Document Translation (UK Academic Standard)** **Page 428.10** **[Official Seal — top right]** *Red ink seal bearing the Chinese characters: *Nèi Yì* (‘Internal Deliberation’) ** [Main Text] ** *Deputy Magistrate of Xiangshan County, with Three Additional Ranks and Three Entries in the Official Merit Register* Chen Fen — submitted by Chen Huangting, village headman (*dibao*) A burial site has been held in this location for approximately three hundred years. Several enslaved Africans (*hei nu*, lit. ‘black slaves’; historically termed *escravos negros* in Portuguese colonial records) have repeatedly fled into the area under cover of darkness. On the eighteenth and nineteenth days of the month, six or seven further enslaved individuals entered the locality over two successive nights. In total, some twenty enslaved persons are reported to be at large; a small number of *báikēn* (‘white men’, i.e., European residents, likely Portuguese officials or settlers) are also implicated. The interpreter (*tōngshì*) Lian Tou is a witness to these events. Their aggressive conduct is intensifying: they have now entered private dwellings and resorted to coercion. We therefore urgently petition your honourable office to issue strict instructions to the *Yí mù* (foreign magistrates)—notably Mo Da (Mo-Tea, a phonetic rendering of *Mota* or similar Portuguese surname)—to restrain their subjects residing in Macau. Accordingly, in compliance with due administrative procedure, we hereby order the immediate apprehension and punishment of those *Ào Yí* (‘Macanese foreigners’) under our jurisdiction who have been parading through the streets and disturbing local residents—thereby incurring grave administrative and legal liability. **Memorandum on Behalf of the County Magistracy** We respectfully petition for your magnanimous intervention in the following matter: It has been reported to us by Li Wenxiong and other village elders (*lǐlǎo*) of Wangxia Village that this small settlement has, since time immemorial, subsisted upon agriculture and fishing—its inhabitants born and raised here, drawing sustenance from its soil and waters. For generations, life has been tranquil, marked by no cause for alarm—until recently. Over the past two years, however, repeated incursions have occurred: villagers report hearing rustling sounds near kitchen gardens and vegetable plots, which they attribute to enslaved Africans who have escaped from Macau. All residents have sought to avoid confrontation. On the twentieth day of the fifth lunar month, several such individuals brazenly dug up sweet potatoes (*shǔyù*) in full view, before the village entrance—showing no fear of detection. On the twenty-first and twenty-second days, they returned again, moving freely and without restraint throughout the village. Men, women, and children alike were seized with terror. Petitions to local authorities proved ineffective; attempts at persuasion failed; efforts to dissuade them met with resistance; and physical opposition was impossible. Given the village’s remote location and the limited resources and knowledge of its inhabitants, no timely assistance could be mobilised. In an instant, chaos ensued—and no household remained unaffected. We therefore earnestly request that you direct the foreign magistrates (*Yí mù*) resident in Macau—including Wū Lǔ Duō (a phonetic rendering of *Ulrudo*, *Wurudo*, or cognate Portuguese name)—to enforce rigorous supervision over their enslaved personnel. Only thus may this isolated and vulnerable community regain security and peace. Accordingly, this official placard (*pái*) is hereby issued, commanding immediate compliance. The *Yí mù* are instructed strictly to prohibit their enslaved persons from loitering or wandering freely in any part of Wangxia Village. **Compliance is required without delay. This placard is issued with urgent authority.** **[Official Seal — lower left]** *Red ink circular seal, partially damaged; central character legible as ‘Quán’ (‘Complete’ or ‘Entire’), indicating full administrative authority.* — *Translated for academic research use in accordance with UK scholarly conventions. Terms such as ‘enslaved Africans’ (rather than archaic or dehumanising alternatives) reflect current historiographical best practice in British |
| spellingShingle | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há Macau Mo Da Pearl River Delta Portuguese Colonial Authority Qing administrative authority Sino-Portuguese Relations Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Magistracy colonial slavery resistance enslaved Africans rural security |
| title | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_autocomplete | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_full | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_fullStr | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_short | Ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de Xiangshan, ao procurador de Macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de Mong Há |
| title_sort | ofício do assistente substituto do magistrado do distrito de xiangshan, ao procurador de macau, sobre a desordem provocada por escravos negros, na povoação de mong há |
| topic | Macau Mo Da Pearl River Delta Portuguese Colonial Authority Qing administrative authority Sino-Portuguese Relations Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Magistracy colonial slavery resistance enslaved Africans rural security |
| topic_autocomplete | Macau Mo Da Pearl River Delta Portuguese Colonial Authority Qing administrative authority Sino-Portuguese Relations Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Magistracy colonial slavery resistance enslaved Africans rural security |
| topic_facet | Macau Mo Da Pearl River Delta Portuguese Colonial Authority Qing administrative authority Sino-Portuguese Relations Wangxia Village Xiangshan County Magistracy colonial slavery resistance enslaved Africans rural security |
| url | https://macau-legacy.usj.edu.mo/docs/VD87IEAV/viewer_VD87IEAV.html |
| zotero_collection_key | 6E6PR22G L8SIPB5W |