Though an important Portuguese colony , Macau occasionally needed logistical support and reinforcement from other colonies, one of which was Goa, in Portuguese India. Due to a manpower shortage in the late 19th century, a whole regiment from Goa had to be brought over to Macau to join the local police force. The Moorish Barracks were built in 1874 to house this regiment. The term Moorish is a misnomer, as instead of referring to the Moors of North Africa, the word was a label erroneously given to South Indian Muslims during the colonial period. The police force in the 1860s numbered no more than 100 men, so Goans were recruited to increase their number in the 1870s. This was a common practice in Portuguese colonies, where governments would rely on local populations to enforce the law .