968 



CHIN 



heaven, that the Chinese highway* were not paved ; and 

 prays, for the {food of those, who may hereafter tracl in 

 that country, that the Chinese may not change their 

 plan, till they have improved their carriages. But, in his 

 anxiety to censure Mr Barrow, he has quite overlooked 

 the additional comfort of these dusty paths, when, in wet 

 and wintry weather, they will be converted into beds of 

 . and even forgets the account, which he gives of 

 >-n route to Pekin in December, in which he com- 

 plains of roads six or seven feet wide ; of mud so deep, 

 that the bearers of the palanquins could with difficulty 

 get on ; and of bridges without parapets, which he often 

 passed in terror. All that the French traveller, in short, 

 (so intelligent in other respects, but so inconsistent with 

 himself on this point,) establishes on the subject, is mere- 

 ly this, that, in m-;st places, he saw roads marked out 

 and occasionally bordered it-il/i Iras; but that, except- 

 ing in a few instances, scarcely any thing more was done 

 to render them passable. The description given by ano- 

 ther gentleman in the same embassy with DC Guignes, 

 of their route to Pekm, sufficiently demonstrates, either 

 that they were intentionally conveyed through unfre- 

 quented and ruinous roads, or that the -tate of the high- 

 way and their accommodation for travellers is miserably 

 bad. They were carried in bamboo chairs, and frequently 

 obliged to halt during the night in an open uninhabited coun- 

 try, where not a hovel of any kind was to be seen to give 

 them shelter; and even the lodgings, appointed for their 

 reception at the different stages, were generally in such 

 a ruinous r as to admit the wind, rain, or snow, 



on every side. They met with few village* or towns in 

 their route ; and many of tho<c which they did find, were 

 falling into total decay. The country, i" many places, 

 was covered with water, and the mud hovels melted down 

 by the rain. They often passed over extensive wastes, 

 where there was not a single dw.-llirg, or trace of culti- 

 vation, in a space of 8 or 10 English miles ; and it was 

 rot till they passed the Yellow river, that the marks of 

 wheel-carriages were seen upon the roads, which were 

 to little travelled upon, as to be traced out with difficul- 

 ty. The rivers in thrir route had rarely any bridges, 

 and such as were too deep to be forded, were crossed in 

 rafts of bamboo. It i* said, however, that ilu Chinese 

 ruler', though sufficiently negligent in preserving their 

 roads in good repair, art remarkably careful that their 

 aubjects shall be at least properly guided on their jour- 

 ney ; and that an itinerary of the whole empire, compre- 

 hending every road and canal, from the city ot Pckin to 

 the most remote quarter of China, is duly published by 

 the authority of government. 



There are no inns in any part of (he empire, that is, 

 inhabited houses, where the traveller may procure rest 

 and refreshment; and this want is not compensated by 

 the hospitality of the natives, who are rather inclined to 

 (hut their doors against strangers, than to welcome them 

 with the fcficr of'rest or shelter. There are, indeed, 

 what arc called inns, .r rather resting places, consisting 

 of bare walls, where the traveller may purchase permis- 

 sion to pass the night, and perhaps procure a cup of tea. 

 Of these there are a sufficient number, nome of which 

 re established by government, for the convenience of 

 those, who travel in he service of t!ie rmpeior : but the 

 officers of the state vt ry gen; .-;ill\ make use of ' he temples 

 and convents as pUces of lodging, when they travel l>y 

 land ; and the infn:quency of land travelling in China is 

 such as scarcely to afford support to houses ot' proper 

 Travelling accommodation for passengers. 



couvryio- It is scarcely poSkible t procure hores upon the 

 *** roai;, especially m the southern provinces, but there is 



v -.: u 



no difficulty in finding abundance of palanquins, cart:, 1 

 hand barrows, and e ..-tit porters, who arc ^^~,~ w> 



chiefly employed in transporting baggage from one town 

 or stage to another. They arc united in bodies in every 

 town under a common chi' ; their engage- 



ments, fixes the price of their lali.mr-. 

 hire, and is responsible fo: These offices 



are all regulated by gover J maintain a corre- 



spondence with each other. T . r carries to one 



of them, before his departure, a liit c, . hick 



he withes to have conveyed, and which is immediately 

 entered into a book. Every thing is weighed before the 

 eyes of the chief; the fare is generally paid in advance, 

 at the rate of five- pence per cwt. for one day's carriage ; 

 aud the traveller, on his arrival at the next city, finds 

 every thing safely lodged at the corresponding office. 



There arc post-hou the gr.-at roads, Col 



but solely for the service of government ; and iu> one 

 but the couriers of the state- are allowed to use the horses 

 which are found at these M These posts or re- 



lays are by no means very numerous, and are frequently 

 80, generally 50, and rarely so little as 4J i- 

 from each other. The couriers carry the di-patches in 

 a roll or long bag, covered with yellow silk, and laid 

 across their back ; and either the horse ha; a bell at- 

 tached to its neck, or th: rider strikes upon 

 drum, to announce his arrival, that a fresh horse may be 

 ready without delay. Though th:- horses, which belong 

 to government, arc small, ill-fed, aud carelessly treated, 

 these couriers travel at a considerable rate, generally 

 100, and sometimes even 150, miles in the '24 hours; 

 and they have been known to pass between Canton and 

 Pckin in the space of 1 1 days. There are also cavalry 

 soldiers at every city, who are intended to carry the or- 

 ders and dispatches of the mandarins ; but who volun- 

 tarily take charge of the letters of individuals, which 

 they carry in a leather bag attached to their saddle. 



Guard-houses, as already noticed, are al-o placed ^uard- 

 along the roads for the protection of travellers, at inter- "* 

 vals of half a league, a league, two leagues, or even 

 more ; and the space between them is commonly mark- 

 ed upon a wooden door in their front. They are pro- 

 vided with a guard of five soldiers, and consist generally 

 of a lodging house and a stable ; sometimes accompanied 

 by a square tower about 20 or 25 feet in height, adorn- 

 ed with parapets, and having a small apartment on the 

 top ; or a small wooden cabin, supported by four very 

 tall posts, to which they ascend by a ladder ; or a square 

 building of two stories, or a rising gr .und with a small 

 open room on its summit. These towers, cabins, and 

 heights are used by the soldiers as places from which 

 they occasionally keep a look-out, and make signals to 

 the neighbouring guard stations, by kindling a heap of 

 straw in a brick furnace. The soldiers, however, who 

 ought to do duty at these watch-houses, are frequently 

 absent, and their doors shut. It is only when a manda- 

 rin is expected to pass, that they are sure to be at their 

 post ; and on such occasions the guard is drawn out, 

 their kettle-drum sounded, and three rounds fired. 



The gates of the cities are shut during night, and Police cf 

 carefully guarded during the day, so that every one, lhc Clt "'*- 

 who goes out or comes in, is observed and inspected ; 

 and if discovered to be a stranger, or suspected pi 

 is carried before a mandarin, by whom he is detained till 

 the will of the governor be known. There arc gates 

 also, or cross bar*, at the entrance of every street, which 

 are provided with sentinels, aud which are always closed 

 during the night. The cities are divided into districts, 

 each of which is under its own officer ; aud the house- 





