HIST4702 (2023-24) Digital History Project: 火攻挈要
Adam Schall and the Battle of Macau (The 1622 Attack by the Dutch)
Visualization of the Battle of Macau
Map Symbols
(1) Fortaleza de São Paulo do Monte (The Fort at the Monte 大炮台)
(2) Fortaleza de São Francsico (The São Francsico Bulwark 加思欄炮台)
(3)Fortaleza de São Tiago da Barra (The Fort of São Tiago at the Barra 媽閣炮台)
Description
In this section, the course of the Battle of Macau was shown with the help of a historical map with references to secondary literature and a report about the course of the war written by a Western missionary of the Dominican Order called António do Rosário.
On 21 June, the Dutch fleet arrived in sight of Macau with 13 Dutch ships, carrying a force of 1300 men against Macau. On 23 June, the Dutch started the war by first anchoring off the São Francsico Bulwark with three of the warships —— Groningen, Gallias and Engelsche Beer. [1] Groningen and Gallias, loaded with two rows of cannons, continued to bombard the São Francsico Bulwark the next day. The bombardment lasted from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The intense bombardment destroyed a number of houses but did not injure the crowds in the streets. [2] The Portuguese forces at the São Francsico Bulwark responded and damaged Gallias severely that she had to be abandoned. It was the Portuguese’s first success.
Meanwhile, the Dutch sent 800 musketeers to land on Cacilhas beach under cover of the fire from Groningen and Gallias. They were met by 150 Portuguese soldiers with sand walls and bullets as they landed. However, the Portuguese soldiers were unable to stop the attack and had to retreat from Cacilhas beach. The Dutch force continued to march towards the northeast of the town. They arrived at Fontinha where the laundrymen used to do their laundry. The Portuguese fired three cannonballs from the Fort at the Monte, killing 2 to 3 Dutch soldiers. That did not stop the Dutch force from marching towards the city. They tried to pass through Guia’s hermitage but were deterred by the Portuguese. The Portuguese fired a cannonball from the Monte and struck a barrel of gunpowder, causing an explosion in the middle of the Dutch force with serious injuries. [3]This accident demoralized the Dutch and also gave the Portuguese an opportunity to strike back. The Dutch had to retreat to the hermitage on Guia Hill to take the high ground and regroup, but when they arrived, they were ambushed by the Portuguese at the hermitage. The Dutch then fled to Cacilhas beach where they landed. Many Dutch soldiers were killed on their way out. The military tactics employed by the generals were also a reason the Portuguese could win the war. The commander at the Fort of São Tiago at the Barra realized that the bombardment from Groningen and Gallias was a feint. Therefore, he sent a group of 50 men to help defend the main attack from Cacilhas beach. [4]
Arguments
One of the important insights we can learn from the map is that the terrain of Macau in the 17th Century was easy to defend but difficult to besiege. Macau was a long and narrow island surrounded by the sea. The inland terrain consisted of hills. The Guia Hill and the Monte were built on high ground and closed to the coast, so the Portuguese could use their height advantage to quickly spot any activity on the coast. When the Dutch force first landed on Cacilhas beach, they were exposed to the Portuguese cannon stationed at the Monte.
When the Dutch attacked Macau in 1622, Macau lacked a well-trained army to take on the challenge. In this circumstance, some Jesuit missionaries in Macau participated in the war against the Dutch. Not only did they help evacuate the civilians to the shelter at the Church of St. Paul. Jesuit missionaries such as Jacques Rho and Adam Schall became heroes of the war against the Dutch invasion. [5] In fact, the Jesuit missionaries, not the soldiers and generals, fired the cannonballs that crushed the Dutch army. The Jesuit missionaries, with their military knowledge, played an essential role in winning the war, given the fact that the Dutch force outnumbered the Portuguese. The Jesuit missionaries (especially Adam Schall, the author of 火攻挈要[Huogong qieyao]) were not armchair critics, they participated in actual warfare, which recognized the importance of 火攻挈要[Huogong qieyao] and Western missionary officials in the Ming court.
[1] Richard J Garrett, The Defences of Macau: Forts, Ships and Weapons over 450 Years (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2010), pp. 11-12.
[2] António do Rosário 羅薩里奧, “The Dutch Attack of Macau in 1622” 1622年荷蘭人襲擊澳門, Cultural Magazine 文化雜誌 75 (2010): 61.
[3] Garrett, The Defences of Macau, pp. 13.
[4] Garrett, The Defences of Macau, pp. 13.
[5] Lin Faxin 林發欽, “The analysis on why the Portuguese in Macau defeated the Dutch in 1622” 一六二二年澳門葡萄牙人擊退荷蘭人原因分析, New Asia Journal 新亞論叢 6 (2004): 70-73.
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