Career
Thomas later became consul in his own right and served from 1798 until at least 1814. Known for his hospitality, Beale"s mansion in Macao included a garden with 2,500 potted plants and an aviary that became a must-see for Western visitors to Macau. The 40 by 20 feet (122 by 61 m) aviary contained hundreds of rare birds from China, Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.
When the missionary cum naturalist George Bennett stopped in Macau during his Pacific voyage, Beale"s garden and aviary made such an impression that he devoted forty-five pages of his travelogue to describing their contents.
The house was described by a contemporary as "one of the finest of the old Portuguese houses.. on a narrow street known as Beale"s Lane". Of Beale"s aviary, contemporary visitor William Wightman Wood wrote:
"..in particular I may mention the bird-of-paradise.
A splendid living specimen is in the possession of Mr. Beale almost domesticated.
lieutenant feeds from the hand of its amiable owner without fear, and appears capable of being rendered perfectly tame and familiar.
This is perhaps the only specimen at present existing in confinement."
After offering opium futures as security for loans in a falling market and investing millions of dollars in illicit deals in Brazil, he ended up owing the East India Company some 800,000 dollars. In 1816, Thomas was declared insolvent in the "most sensational bankruptcy of the period". The body of Thomas was found washed ashore at Casilha Bay, near Macau in January 1841. after he allegedly committed suicide.
