1809 Heywood Nautical Map of Macao (Macau), China

This is the only known example of the 1809 Laurie and Whittle first edition of Peter Heywood's seminal survey of Macau (Macao) and nearby Taipa. This survey, conducted independently while Heywood's ship, the La Dedaigneuse, was being refitted in Macau, is the most important mapping of Macau since the 1778-79 survey of Heywood's erstwhile hydrography instructor, captain, and lifelong nemesis, Captain William Bligh of Bounty infamy. The survey appeared in the context of the Napoleonic Wars, when Franco-Spanish fleets were plaguing East India Company (EIC) fleets, and the British were keen to establish a foothold in the Pearl River Delta. Taipa, being a long-established EIC mooring point, was the prime target.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from Macau's Inner Harbor and isthmus, south to include Colane and Dahengqin Islands. The meticulous comprehensiveness of the work underscores Heywood's excellent hydrographic training, likely under William Bligh. The hydrography is anchored to a control network of observed positions, enabling comprehensive sounding coverage. The focus and centerpiece of the survey is Taipa (Typa) Island, the primary gathering point for the annual British East India China fleets en route from Canton (Guangzhou) to Europe. 'The Typa' (Taipa) refers to both the island, here labeled Kaikong, and the passage between it and Mackkareenra Island (as here, today part of Hengqin (横琴岛)). The map features dense soundings illustrating the route from Macao's inner harbor through the narrow channel between Mackkareera and Typa Ka Brado (Kaikong), also called 'The Typa.' It highlights routes best followed to avoid the two large rocks that plagued ships navigating into Macao Harbor, Pedra Meo and Pedra Areeka. It also notes the 'Best Track in and out,' not to Macao, but to EIC anchorage points in the Typa Channel.

Historical Context

Heywood's survey was conducted in the context of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). Powerful Franco-Spanish fleets actively patrolled the Indian Ocean and East Indian waters in an attempt to disrupt the lucrative British East India Trade. Although generally avoiding direct attacks on well-defended British coastal forts, ships at sea were fair game. Moreover, the French recognized the significance of the long-standing Portuguese-British alliance and the critical nature of both Goa and Macau to the East India trade. French plans to seize Portuguese Diu (near Bombay) were leaked in 1796 and during the Macau Incident of 1799, French and British forces engaged in an abortive naval confrontation near Macau that threatened the annual East India China Fleet, transporting a combined wealth of nearly a 900,000,000 USD in modern terms.

With Goa and Macau threatened, the British pushed the Portuguese governors of Goa, who also technically administered far off Macau, to allow British forces to defend the colonies. Although unable to fully defend themselves, the Portuguese in Goa and Macau were reluctant to acquiesce to British aid, knowing it was but a stepping stone to losing their sovereignty. Goa ultimately accepted British reinforcements and sent orders for Macau to do the same. The fanatically Portuguese political powers in Macao, as well as the powerful and affluent Chinese merchant population, had other ideas, and infighting turned elements of the colonial government hostile to the British and French alike. Eager nonetheless to defend their trade interests, the British proceeded to patrol the waters around Macau.

When Heywood conducted his survey, the Taipa was not part of Macau and would have been considered fair game to the British. The British keenly desired a secure naval base in the Pearl River Delta, an area that, with ready access to Guangzhou (Canton), was considered key to the China Trade. Control of the Taipa would not only have given the British a defensible port but would also have allowed them to control access to Macao, potentially sidelining the Portuguese colony.

While critical to British economic and maritime interests, Heywood may have conducted the present 1804 survey on his own accord or perhaps at the instigation of British or Pro-British elements in Macau. Far from central authorities and without long-distance communication, Royal Navy captains were encouraged to think and act independently to secure British interests. According to the United Service Journal, Heywood's ship, La Dedaigneuse, lost its mast in a typhoon and was refitting in Macau when the surveys were conducted, presumably on a borrowed vessel.

It is of note that the title of the survey gives preeminence to the 'The Typa,' not to Macau, for it was the former that was of greater interest to the British, both as 'free' land and as a staging anchorage for East India Company ships.

In 1847, in the wake of the First Opium War (1839 - 1842) and the establishment of Hong Kong, Macau Governor João Maria Ferreira do Amaral sought to strengthen Portuguese control over Macau by annexing Taipa and constructing Taipa Fortress to defend against pirates. These actions were part of a broader strategy to expand Macau's territory, eventually incorporating Taipa, Ilha Verde, Coloane, and parts of Hengqin (Montanha) into the colony, solidifying Portugal's influence.

Publication History and Census

This map is based on surveys of Macau and the Typa (氹仔/ Taipa) conducted by Peter Heywood in 1804 as captain of the H.M.S. La Dedaigneuse. The surveys remained unpublished until 1809 when this map was engraved by Benjamin Smith and published by Laurie and Whittle.

This is the only known example of the first edition. A later edition, with updates to 1855, is digitally archived in the Spanish Biblioteca Virtual del Ministerio de Defensa. However, it is unclear where their scan might have come from, as they do not record a physical holding. The British Admiralty published Heywood's survey in a completely new chart, with multiple updates, in 1840, followed by numerous subsequent editions. We also note in the British Library an 1860 map with a similar but modified title, also published by R. H. Laurie. There are no known examples of the present map.