PORTUGUESE TRADE ALONG THE CHINA COAST AND IN MACAUDURING THE MING PERIOD:A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF USEFUL SECONDARY WORKS IN WESTERN LANGUAGES

Introductory Note A large body of primary and secondary sources on early Sino-Portuguese relations and　Portuguese trade based on Macau exists in　various libraries around the world. The　secondary material includes publications in　Portuguese, Chinese, English, Japanese, French, Italian, German, Dutch, and other languages.ln the present list of secondary　works only those publications are listed　which are written in Westem languages and　which I found of some use when studying　the history of Portuguese trade. In exceptional cases, some important translations or annotated collections of primary　works are also listed but these listings do not　include the “usual set” of documentary collections which cover the Estado da India in　its totality such as the Gavetas da Torro do　Tombo or the Documenta Indica. These collections are well-known to the historian of　Portuguese Asia and need not to be mentioned here. The same applies to some of　the Dutch collections, for example the Generale missiven. Portuguese trade along the China coast began shortly after the conquest of Malacca in　1511. However, it took some forty years until the Portuguese were able to acquire a　permanent base in China. This was Macau. Inthe pre-Macau period Portuguse trade was　periodically interrupted. After the founda-tion of Macau in the mid 1550s it became　more regular and centered on the exchange　of Chinese silk for Japanese and Spanish silver. Macau traded with Manila and various　other places in Southeast Asia, with India　and Europe, with China and Japan. Of all its　trading partners, Canton and Nagasaki were　the most important ones. In a sense, Macau formed an adjunct of the　Canton market; it is for this reason that no　special section on its trade to China will be　found in the present bibliography. The case　is different with its other trading partners　which were far away and only to be reached　by ship; hence, the literature on the relations between Macau and Japan is collected　in particular Manila. There is also a section　on the relations between the portuguese　and the Dutch who where Macau's enemies. The user of this bibliography has to be aware of the fact that Macau's position within　the system of Far Eastern trade routes can　only be evaluated if the trade of Portugal's　competitors is also understood. Macau had　many competitors and much of the trade　that was going on in the sixteenth and seventeenth century bypassed the Portuguese. There were, for example, the Japanese and　Ryukyu Islanders who traded to China or　Southeast Asia, or the Spanish who operated　routes to Japan and elsewhere, or the Fujianese who sent ships to Manila, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and above all, there were the Dutch who challenged the　Portuguese whenever and wherever they　could. On each of these groups there exists　an equally large body of literature which, needless to say, is not listed here. Finally, this bibliography includes some titles　that do not focus on trade but contain background information on institutions or biographical data and the like. However, only a　small percentage of the existing literature　that has been devoted to such topics is listed here; for further suggestions the reader may consult the bibliographies by Gomes, Edmonds, de Silva, etc. all of which contain ample data on the history of Macau's　buildings, churches, missionary activities and　other matters.