Baishaling Incident

Immediately after a Chinese mob assassinated Governor Ferreira do Amaral on August 22, 1849, Chinese Imperial troops mobilized on the Guangdong Province-Macau frontier. The Portuguese population of Macau viewed as an overtly threating move by the Chinese to invade Macau. On August 25, 1849, with a numerically smaller group of 36 soldiers from his Artillery Battalion, against a defending force of 400 men and 20 cannons, the then Second Lieutenant Mesquita attacked and pacified the Chinese fort at Baishaling [Portuguese: Passaleão] [Cantonese: Pak Shan Lan] . This coup guaranteed Macau's security and upon his return to the city, Mesquita was received as a national hero.

Notes

References

Forjaz, Jorge. "Familias Macaenses". Macau: Instituto Portugues do Oriente, 1996. ISBN 9729440603.

Teixeira, Manuel. "Vicente Nicolau de Mesquita" - Separata editada na inauguração do monumento ao herói do Passaleão. Macau : Leal Senado, 1940

Teixeira, Manuel. "Vicente Nicolau de Mesquita" - 2ª ed. Macau: Tipografia "Soi Sang", 1958.