1850.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



73 



LECTURES ON ARCHITECTURE, 



By SajMuel Clegg, Jun., Esq. ; 



Delivered at the College for General Practical Science, Putney, Surrey. 



(president, his guace the duke of buccleugh, kg.) 



Lecture III. 

 Chi.va. — Central America. — Celtic remains. 



We have hitherto been following the traces of the Agrioulturist: 

 in approaching China, we come upon tlie footsteps of the Pastoral 

 tribes, the dwellers in tents, — anionj;st wliom any great progress in 

 the science of Architecture may be looked for in vain. 



As it will not be necessary again to refer to China in the course 

 of these Lectures, I must be allowed, instead of confining myself 

 to an historical period, to speak of the architecture of this singu- 

 lar country as it exists at the present day; thus substituting dis- 

 tance of place for distance of time. 



In China, the adlierence to the original type of the tent is 

 everywhere apparent: their pagodas and towers resemble a num- 

 ber of tents placed one over another, instead of side by side; the 

 houses of the mandarins chiefly differ from those of the lower 

 orders by covering a greater extent of ground; and the palace 

 of Pekin is merely like a camp within an outer encampment, 

 formed by the tent-like houses of the city. Owing to the frail- 

 ness of material and peculiarly slight style of buihling, it is not 

 likely that the Chinese edifices could long resist the devastating 

 march of time; indeed, it is supposed that with the exception of 

 the Great Wall, and perhaps a few pagodas, no building exists in 

 that country more than 300 years old. Any description of the 

 ancient architecture of China would, consequently, he merely 

 conjectural. But from the religious and political thraldom to 

 which the Chinese are subjected, from their natural repugnance 

 to change, and from the simplicity of their present style of build- 

 ing, there is no reason to suppose that it differs in any material 

 respect from that of 3000 years ago. 



Elevation of Chinese House. 



Timber, crude and burnt brick are the materials most in use ; 

 the bamboo, which in China grows to a remarkable height and 

 size, is also employed. Stone and marble are rare, and are only 

 partially used even in the public buildings and tombs. The cha- 

 racteristics of Chinese architecture are extreme lightness and 

 giiety of effect, the tent-like form, the coloured and varnished 

 r ofs, and variously-tinted walls — giving, as Sir William Ciiambers 

 observes, "a pretty and toy-like appearance" to their buildings. 

 The height and size of each dwelling-house must be in exact 

 accordance with the caste of tlie proprietor; and even the details 

 are regulated by law. A mandarin, who had ventured to erect a 

 mansion of superior elegance, was summoned before the emperor 

 to answer for his presumption; and thought it wise to raze the 

 ol noxious structure to the ground, in order to avert fine or other 

 punishment. 



The roofs of the Chinese buildings are convex in their sides, 

 spine, and ribs, presenting the appearance of a pliant material; 



'50.— Vol. XIII.— .March, 1S50. 



they are supported by wooden columns without capitals, having, 

 instead, ornamental consoles projecting from the sides, which give 

 additional support to the verandali. The roofs turn up at the 

 eaves, and are finished with a si)ike, like the hook or fastening of 

 a tent; and this part is frequently decorated with the figure of a 

 dragon, which is the national emblem. The wooden columns being 

 the main support of the roof, the side walls are very slight. The 

 window frames are filled-in with open rectangular patterns, inter- 

 secting each other; tlie railwork of the balconies and verandahs is 

 formed in a similar manner. The interior walls are gaily orna- 

 mented with variegated matting, and painted paper or silk. Some- 

 times, in the upper stories, the partition walls are partly formed of 

 cane trellis-work covered with painted gauze, admitting light and 

 air. The aperture leading from one room to another, or from the 

 corridor to the garden, is frequently a lunette; a circular opening, 

 instead of a rectangular doorway, giving a picture-like effect to 

 tlie vista beyond. As these round doors are considered lucky, the 

 evil spirit not being supposed to be willing to enter by them, there 

 is always one at least of this form in every Chinese building. The 

 gardens are cultivated with great taste and skill. 



The houses of the lowest class are miserable and poverty- 

 stricken, being nothing more than mud or crude brick huts, and 

 covered with straw or rushes. The farm-houses are not much 

 better, having generally a mud floor, and the apartments frequently 

 being only separated by mats hung from the ceiling. The custom 

 of plastering the inferior kind of houses with mud gives them a 

 dingy appearance. Lime is a scarce commodity in the country, 

 the only kind being prepared from shells and stones cast up by 

 the sea. 



The cities of China are by no means imposing in effect, as the 

 surrounding walls are higher than the buildings they inclose — the 

 Taas or towers being the only lofty structures. These towers are 

 formed of several tent-like 'stories, diminishing in size as they 

 ascend; and they are gaudily decorated, and hung with little 

 tinkling bells at each angle of the many roofs. 



The celebrated porcelain tower at Nan-king is of nine stories, 

 forming a height of 216 feet; the roofs are covered with pale 

 green glazed tiles, whence it derives its name. Tlie pagodas are 

 surrounded by courts and vestibules, the cells of which serve as a 

 residence for the priests or bonzes. The Chinese have a great 

 taste for gay and fanciful decoration: the glazed tiles of the roof 

 are frequently arranged in the form of fishes' scales, and the pa\e- 

 ments occasionally formed of shells laid in a pattern like mosaic- 

 work. The timbers of the roof, which are always left exposed, 

 are, in the habitations of the higher castes, formed of costly woods, 

 or inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl. 



As engineers, the Chinese were skilful in very early times; their 

 bridges and canals bear as ancient a date as those of any of the 

 great eastern nations, and th.at they were not ignorant of the art 

 of building in its most solid and imperishable form, the Great Wall 

 remains to testify. This stupendous undertaking separates China 

 from Northern Tartary, and was completed about 21 1 B.C.; its 

 length is computed at about 1500 miles; and a curious calculation 

 has been made, that the materials of this wall, including the earth- 

 work, would be sufficient to surround the world with two walls 

 each six feet high and two feet thick. It is said that every third 

 man in the kingdom was summoned to assist in its construction. 

 It pursues a direct course over hill and valley, passing the rivers 

 on arches; the only interruption is a ridge of lofty mountains in 

 tlie province of Pe-tche-lee, and the broad river Iloang-ho. The 

 foundation is formed of large stones laid in mortar; upon this ;s 

 raised a mound of earth, cased in some places with brick, in others 

 with stone. On the elevated ground it is only from 15 to 20 feet 

 high, but along the valleys it is raised to the height of 30 feet. 

 It is paved on the top with flat stones and is wide enough for six 

 horsemen to ride abreast. In the valleys, and those places most 

 open to attack, projecting towers are constructed witlyn bow-sliot 

 of each other. Notwithstanding the enormous extent of this wall, 

 it is said to have been finished in five years. — The Imperial or 

 Grand Canal is a work of nearly equal magnitude, traversing a 

 length of 900 miles. 



There is so very little really interesting or instructive in Chi- 

 nese architecture, that I shall pass on without further notice 

 of it. 



The countries of which mention has hitherto been made are 

 contiguous, or nearly so, so that mutual intercourse and inter- 

 change of ideas has aided the progress of civilisation : I have now 

 to s]ieak of a far-off country, and to describe ruins tliat lie amidst 

 the forest and jungle till lately unknown and uiithought of, unless 

 in the dreams of the poet. 



11 



