360 
PEKING. 
Chap. XXII. 
imitation of vases, and behind them, on a raised 
platform, a stone cross completes the arrangement. 
The high state of preservation in which these 
tombstones are at the present day is very remark- 
able. Many of them, from the dates carved on 
them, must have been placed there more than two 
centuries and a half ago, and they show no signs 
of decay. I noted that of the well-known Father 
Ricci, with “ P. Matthew Ricci, a.d. 1610,” carved 
upon it. The tomb of the celebrated P. Fernandez 
Verries, who taught the Chinese the art of casting 
cannon, is also here. Some of these marble stones 
rest upon the back of a tortoise carved in the same 
material. This form of stone denotes that it was 
a gift from the Emperor of the time, who took this 
mode of showing his esteem for the deceased and 
his desire to honour his memory. 
Pines, junipers, and other trees grow all over the 
cemetery, and throw a pleasing shade over the last 
resting-places of the ancient fathers. The Chinese 
seem to have charged themselves with the duty of 
keeping the place in order, and they have per- 
formed it well. When we left the cemetery we 
rode southwards along the side of the western wall 
until we came to the Chinese city. There was no- 
thing in this part to attract our attention except 
the high walls and ramparts of the city and plea- 
sant gardens in the suburbs. In our way from 
this point to the English Legation we passed the 
Roman Catholic cathedral, in which there are some 
foreign priests, who dress in the costume of the 
