CHINA, 



207 



are built sometimes of wood, but generally of brick ; and 

 are varnished and painted, like the houses, in a very splen- 

 did style. There are abundance of wells throughout the 

 city ; but, the water is extremely bad. Within the north- 

 ern wall, also, is a large sheet of water, several acres in 

 extent, and a small stream running along the western wall, 

 which supply the neighbouring districts. There are no 

 common sewers to carry off the dirt and dregs of the 

 city ; but, from the scarcity and value of manure in China, 

 no kind of filth or offensive substance is ever thrown out 

 into the streets. Every family collects its own refuse into 

 a large earthen jar, the contents of which are sold for mo- 

 ney, or exchanged for vegetables from the gardeners. In 

 consequence, however, of the preservation of these vari- 

 ous kinds of excrement in the houses, and the multitude 

 of little carts employed in conveying it to the neighbour- 

 ing fields, the air of the city is filled throughout with a 

 very disgusting odour. 



No correct idea can be formed of the population of 

 Pekin, or of any Chinese city, from the extent of the in- 

 closing walls ; as they have, in general, within their com- 

 pass large patches of unoccupied land, which often ex- 

 ceed the space of ground upon which the buildings stand. 

 In that part of the capital called the Chinese city, seve- 

 ral hundred acres are in cultivation ; in the imperial resi- 

 dence, more than two-thirds of the whole are occupied by 

 parks or pleasure grounds ; and under the north wall of 

 the Tartar town, as has been already mentioned, is a large 

 pond or swamp about 50 acres in extent. These spaces 

 of open ground are supposed to have been reserved, as ap- 

 pears also to have been done in several of the celebrated 

 ancient cities of Asia, for the purpose of yielding a sup. 

 - ply of onions, garlic, and other pungent vegetables, du- 

 ring the time of a siege. 



The external appearance of Pekin does not excite very 

 high expectations in the mind of the traveller ; as none 

 of the buildings can be seen over-topping the wall, and 

 not even a chimney rises above the roofs of the houses. 

 Neither has the inside view much variety of aspect, as 

 every street is laid out in the same manner, and every 

 house built upon the same plan. The streets and lanes 

 are disposed in straight lines, and the houses all of the 

 same height, seldom exceeding one story ; and, except the 

 great shops, none of them have any windows towards the 

 street in front : so that the whole has more the appear- 

 ance of a large encampment, than of an ancient city. But 

 the bustle and number of its moving objects, present a 

 sufficient variety and succession of scenery to the view. 

 The cross streets or lanes are said to be extremely quiet, 

 and free of crowds ; but the great streets, which lie in 

 the direction of the gates, and which are the only outlets 

 to the city, are constantly thronged with people. The 

 following striking description by an intelligent eye-wit- 

 ness, will give the best idea of the busy scene. " The 

 multitude of moveable workshops of tinkers and bar- 

 bera, coblers and blacksmiths ; the tents and booths, 

 where tea and fruit, rice and other vegetables were ex- 

 posed for sale, with the wares and merchandise arrayed 

 before the doors, had contracted this spacious street to a 

 narrow road in the middle, just wide enough for two of 

 our little vehicles to pass each other. The cavalcade of 

 officers and soldiers, that preceded the embassy ; the pro- 

 cessions of men in office attended by their numerous re- 

 tinues, bearing umbrellas and flags, painted lanterns and 

 a variety of large insignia of their rank and station ; dif- 

 ferent trains, that were accompanying, with lamentable 

 cries, corpses to their graves, and, with squalling music, 



brides to their husbands ; the troops of dromedaries la- 

 den with coals from Tartary ; the wheel-barrows, and 

 hand carts, stuffed with vegetables, occupied nearly the 

 whole of this middle space in one continued line, leaving 

 very little room for the cavalcade of the embassy to pass. 

 All was in motion. The sides of the streets were tilled 

 with an immense concourse of people, buying and selling 

 and bartering their different commodities. The buz and 

 confused noises of this mixed multitude, proceeding from, 

 the loud bawling of those, who were crying their wares, 

 the wrangling oi others, and every now and then a strange 

 twanging noise, like the jarring of a cracked Jew's-harp, 

 (the barber's signal made by his tweezers,) the mirth and 

 laughter, which prevailed in every groupe, could scarcely 

 be exceeded by the brokers in the Bank Rotunda, or by 

 the Jews and old women in Rosemary-lane. Pedlars with 

 their packs, and jugglers, and conjurers, and fortune-tel- 

 lers, mountebanks and quack-doctors, comedians and mu- 

 sicians, left no space unoccupied." " The show of the 

 embassy," adds the author, " was but an accessary. 

 Every one pursued his business at the same time that he 

 gratified his curiosity." * 



The cities of China are divided into three classes, Foo, 

 Tcheoo, and Hieii ; each of which comprehends a certain 

 number of square leagues under its jurisdiction. Besides 

 Pekin, the capital of the whole empire, the province of Pe- 

 tche-lee contains 9cities of the first class, 40 of the second, 

 and 108of the third. Those of the first order are Pao-ting- 

 foo, which is the most considerable city in the provinct^next 

 to Pekin, and where the viceroy has his residence. - It is 

 situated in a pleasant and fruitful district; and is remark- 

 able chiefly for 3 large lake in the middle of it, which 

 abounds with the celebrated Chinese water lily, lien-tvha. 

 Hokien-foo, situated between two rivers, and noted for 

 the cleanliness of its streets. Tching-ting-foo, situated on 

 the banks of a beautiful river, is a well walled town, about 

 four miles in circumference, and is celebrated for the me- 

 dicinal plants, which are found upon the mountains in its 

 neighbourhood. Shun-te-foo, is placed in the midst of a 

 fertile and populous country, full of lakes and rivers, 

 which abound in excellent craw fish ; and its territory 

 produces the best touch-stone in China, and also a fine 

 kind of sand, which is used for polishing precious stones, 

 and which is sold in every part of the empire. Quan-ping- 

 foo, in the south of the province, is surrounded by a well- 

 watered country. Tai-ming-foo, of which nothing worth 

 mentioning is recorded. Yung-ping-foo, situated near the 

 sea and encompassed by rivtrs, yields from its surround- 

 ing mountains abundance of tin. Suen-wha-foo, an ex- 

 tensive, populous, and well built city, situated near the 

 great wall, and surrounded by fortresses. Its mountain- 

 ous district yields very fine crystals and marbles, and a 

 species of large yellow rat, the skins of which are much 

 valued by the Chinese. 



The province of Pe-tche-lee, extends from 38 to 40i* 

 north latitude, and enjoys a fine clear atmosphere through- 

 out the year. The temperature is various, generally 

 about 80, and occasionally 90 of Fahrenheit's thermo- 

 meter during the day ; but in the middle of winter, it 

 frequency descends to the freezing point, and sometimes 

 even to zero. According to the observations of Mr Bar- 

 row, the range of the thermometer in the month of Au- 

 gust was found to be from 80 to 88 in the middle of the 

 day, and during the night, generally from 60 to 64. 

 In September, the medium temperature was about 76'. 

 In October, about 68, and at night as low as 44. Its 

 winter season is described as remarkably col<J in propor- 



Topogra- 

 phy. 



Barrow's Travels in China. 



