~ 



BRIDGE. 



preparing mortar, must have been known ; and, from 

 what will be detailed under the head of Pi u 



481 



will be <vit, that in preparing a proper foundation 

 for each pier,, the union and experience of various arts 

 quired; and that the society, in which works 

 of this sort, of any magnitude, were accomplished, 

 was far advanced, and had the commmnud of much 

 well regulated labour. The bridge over the Euph- 

 rates at Babylon, appears to have been constructed 

 after this last manner ; and there are many in different 

 parts of China.* 



With respect to the fourth mode, obtained by con- 

 structing arches of stone between the piers. If we may 

 credit the accounts given by the Chinese, they con- 

 structed bridges in this manner, many centuries before 

 arches were known to the inhabitants of the western 

 world. Those connected with their inland navigation 

 are numerous. 



From the accounts generally given, it is not easy 

 to form distinct ideas of the dimensions or construc- 

 tion of the Chinese bridges, or to what extent they 

 merit the appellations bestowed by travellers, of be- 

 ing great and magnificent. Duhalde informs us, that 

 " the stone bridges are commonly built like ours, on 

 large piers of stone capable of resisting the rapidity 

 of the stream, and sustaining the weight of the arches, 

 wide enough for the passage of large vessels. They 

 are exceedingly numerous, and the Emperor spares 

 no expence when the public good requires them to 

 be built. 



" Of these, there is one very remarkable at Fou- 

 tchcou-fou, capital of Ton kien. The river over 

 which it is built is half a league in breadth ; it is 

 sometimes divided into small arms, and sometimes se- 

 parated by small islands ; these are united in joining 

 the islands by bridges, which make altogether eight 

 furlongs or Chinese lys and 76 toises. The principal 

 of these has alone above one hundred arches built of 

 white stone, with bannisters on each side handsomely 

 carved, upon winch, at the distance of every ten feet, 

 are placed square pilasters, whose bases are very large, 

 resembling hollow barks. 



" But that which excels all the rest is at Sucn- 

 tchcou-fou, built over the point of an arm of the sea, 

 without which the passage would be sometimes dan- 

 gerous, even in a boat. It is 2500 Chinese feet in 

 length and 20 in breadth ; it is supported by 252 

 strong piers, 126 on each side. All the stones are of 

 the same bigness, as well those which are laid from 

 pier to pier, as those which are laid crosswise, inso- 

 much that it is difficult to comprehend how stones 

 of such an enormous size should be placed in that 

 regular manner, or even raised on the high piers on 

 which they lie. After this, there is nothing of the 

 kind worth mentioning." 



The only conclusion to be drawn from the fore- 

 going description of this work, which excels all the 

 rest, is, that two rows of large stones or piers, (each 

 row consisting of 126,) have been set up across the 

 shallow mouth of a river or arm of the sea ; that, 

 along the top of these, other long stones have been 

 laid horizontally, like wooden beams ; and lastly, that 

 long stones have been laid crosswise upon those lon- 



gitudinal beam*, in the manner n carpentry, 



or more probably cl> <mpo,m>; a com- 



pacted bed or roadway. By dividing ii.jOO, the total 

 length in Chinese feet, by 127, the number of open- 

 ings, it gives nearly L'O feet between centre and centre 

 ofthe piers, so that after the thickness of the pier n 

 taken away from the '20 feet, a moderate opening is 

 left for the lintel to cover. The dimensions crosi- 

 wise, correspond with the description as to the stones 

 being of the same si/.e, (at least as to length) ; for the. 

 breadth of the Bridge is said to be 20 feet, and taking 

 away the thickness of the two longitudinal beams, 

 leaves the dimensions of the opening to be covered 

 by the stones lying crosswise. It is therefore to the 

 carrying from the quarry and raising stones of this 

 magnitude, that the praise of ingenuity muat be at- 

 tributed ; there being nothing else in the mode of con- 

 struction which has a claim to refined science, or great 

 progress in the mechanical arts. The danger to boats 

 passing, must, no doubt, have arisen from the shal- 

 lowness of the water, and the frequency and violence 

 of the surfs. 



From the following relation, extracted from the 

 same work, there is reason to expect correct infor- 

 mation. It is entitled, " An account of the Journey 

 of the Fathers Boures, Fontenay, Gorbillou Lc 

 C'ompte, and Vesdelore, from the port ot Ning Po 

 to Pekin, with a very exact and particular description 

 of all the places through which they passed, in the 

 provinces of Tche-kiang, Kiang-nan, Chan-tong, and 

 Pe.tcheli. 



" It is in this agreeable place that the city of Chao 

 King has its situation. In the streets are a great 

 number of canals, which give occasion for such a 

 great number of bridges. They are very high, and 

 have generally but one arch, which is so slightly 

 built towards the top, that carriages never pasj over 

 them, which makes a great number of porters neces- 

 sary. They pass over these bridges by a kind of stairs, 

 of very easy ascent, and whose steps are not more 

 than three inches in thickness. There are other sorts 

 of bridges, made of stones 18 feet long, laid u .,01: 

 piles in the manner of planks. There are m. 

 these over the great canal very handsomely built.'' 



Again, " About four leagues from Hang-tctieou 

 we crossed a village called Tan-si. It is built on 1>< ;! 

 sides of the canal, on which are also two quays, abrut 

 400 or 500 geometrical paces in length. They are form- 

 ed of the same freestone which lines the sides of the 

 canal. There are stairs for the conveniency of every 

 house, which are much better built, and more uniform 

 than those in the city. In the midst of the village 

 is a fine bridge of seven large arches ; that in the mid- 

 dle is 45 French feet wide ; the rest diminish in pro- 

 portion to the descent of the bridge. There are two 

 or three great bridges of one arch only. 



" We crossed a great village or country town, 

 called Ovan Kiang King, of large extent. One part 

 communicates with the other by means of a bridge 

 of three great arches, very curiously built : the middle 

 arch is 45 French feet wide and 20 feet high." 



Of these arches, which are here termed large and 

 great, we find the span to be only 45 feet ; an extent 



Bridgf. 



In Fig. 1. of Plate I.XXX. \ve I:avc represented the probable step! by which the arch was nvente* 

 VOL. IV. PART II. 3 P 



