156 ON CHINESE GARDENS. 



for a length of eight hundred yards : and when the extent is mon* 

 than this last dimension, they do not tie themselves up to any 

 proportion, but encrease their width as much as they conveniently 

 can ; never, however, exceeding one hundred and fifty, to two 

 hundred feet; which they think the utmost width that can be given 

 without rendering the avenue disproportionate to the trees that 

 border it 



In the construction of roads and walks, the Chinese Gardeners 

 are very expert, and very circumspect ; they never situate them 

 at the foot of mountains or rising grounds, without contriving 

 drains to receive the waters descending from the heights, which 

 are afterwards discharged by arched giilleys under the roads, into 

 the plains below ; forming, in the rainy season, a great number of 

 cascades, that increase the beauty of the scenery. The roads 

 which are designed for carriages, they make as level as possible ; 

 giving them a solid bottom, and shaping them so as to throw off 

 the rain-waters expeditiously : they use, as much as possible, the 

 nearest materials, to save expence ; and are very judicious in em- 

 ploying different soils to form mixtures, which never become 

 either hard or slippery ; never loose in dry weather, nor deep in 

 wet; not easily ground into powder; nor ever forming a rough 

 flinty surface, difficult and painful for horses to move upon. 



Their walks are either of grass, of gravel, or drippings of stone 

 covered with a small quantity of coarse river-sand. The first sort, 

 which are seldom used but in private Gardens, they being too lia- 

 ble to be spoiled in public walks, are made of the finest and 

 cleanest turf that can be found on downs and commons ; and they 

 are kept in order, by frequent mowing, and rolling with large iron 

 rollers. The second sort are made of binding gravel, laid about 

 six inches deep, upon the natural ground: if it be dry, or if 

 swampy, upon brick rubbish, flint stones, or any other hard mate- 

 rials, easiest to be had : and these are also kept firm, and in great 

 beauty, by being frequently rolled. Those of stone are composed 

 of gallets, laid about a foot thick, rammed to a firm consistence, 

 and a regular surface ; upon which is put a sufficient quantity of 

 river-sand, to fill up all the interstices, this done, the whole is 

 moistened, and well rammed again. 



Both in their roads and walks, they are very careful to contrive 

 sink-stones, with proper drains and cess-pools for carrying off 

 the waters, after violent rains : and to those that are upon descents, 



