p. XIX. 
VINEYARDS. 
go-lin-tsin’s wall and ditch, an immense earth- 
work which encircles the city and suburbs of 
Tien-tsin. This work was intended by the Chinese 
commander to defend the place against the attacks 
of the Allied force, on its march through the 
country en route to Peking. It occupied two years 
in construction, and was of no use after all, as 
every one knows who is conversant with the 
movements of the French and English troops 
during the late war. It is now best known to 
foreigners as “ San-go-lin-tsin’s Folly.” 
Passing through an opening in this earthwork, 
we observed the vineyards we had come to visit a 
short distance ahead of us, and were soon in the 
midst of them. Narrow lanes, bounded on each 
side by fences, intersected the ground, and divided 
the different vineyards from each other. Inside 
of the fences the vines were trained on flat wooden 
trellis-work, about ten feet from the ground, and 
looked like so many bowers or arbours. At this 
season (Sept. 9th) the grapes were ripening, 
and the crop appeared to be a most abundant one. 
It did not strike me that the natives were good 
cultivators. The stems of the vines were too 
crowded and rambling, and, apparently, but little 
care was expended on their training. Yet the 
pretty lanes, the green trellises, and the hanging 
bunches of grapes, had a pleasing appearance, and 
well rewarded us for the trouble we had taken to 
visit the place. These vineyards covered a large 
tract of land in this part of the country, and 
y 2 
