eturn precipitately to their ships,
leaving 300 of their men slain, seven only with the colours and one
piece of cannon being taken, and they threw away all their arms to
enable them to swim off to their ships. In the mean while, the ships
continued to batter the fort, but were so effectually answered that some
of them were sunk and sixty men slain. After this the enemy abandoned
the enterprise, and the citizens of Macao built a wall round the city
with six bastions; and, as the mountain of _our Lady of the Guide_
commanded the bastion of St Paul, a fort was constructed on its summit
armed with ten large guns.

We have formerly mentioned the destruction of the Portuguese cities of
_Liampo_ and _Chincheo_, in China, through their own bad conduct. From
that time, they lived in the island of _Lampazau_ till the year 1557,
when they were permitted to build the city _Macao_, the largest
belonging to the Portuguese in the east after Goa. They had been in use
to resort to the island of _Sanchuan_, on the coast of China, for trade,
where they lived in huts made of boughs of trees, and covered with sails
during their stay. At this time, the island of Goaxama, eighteen leagues
nearer the coast of China, being wild and mountainous, was the resort of
robbers who infested the neighbouring part of the continent, and, as the
Chinese considered the Portuguese a more tolerable evil than these
outlaws, they offered them that island on condition of extirpating the
nest of thieves. The Portuguese undertook this task, and succeeded
without losing a man. Then every one began to build where he liked best,
as there were no proprietors to sell the land, which now sells at a dear
rate. The trade and reputation of this city increasing, it soon became
populous, containing above 1000 Portuguese inhabitants all rich; and as
the merchants usually give large portions with their daughters, many
persons of quality used to resort thither in search of wives. Besides
these, there are a number of Chinese inhabitants who are Christians, who
are clothed and live after the manner of the Portuguese; and about 6000
heathens, who are artificers, shop-keepers, and merchants. The duties of
ships trading from thence to Japan, amount to 300,000 Xeraphins, at 10
_per cent_, being about equal to as many pieces-of-eight, or Spanish
dollars[17]. The yearly expence of the garrison and repairs of the
fortifications is above 40,000 ducats. A similar sum is paid yearly for
d