The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-28 00:00:00

TOWNS.

PEKIN, the capital, stands in a corner of this vast em-
pire, about 40 miles only from the Grent Wall. It con-
sists of two distinct parts, the Chinese and Tartar cities,
in the latter of which is the Imperial Palace. It is about
12 miles in circumference, and completely surrounded by
lofty walls. According to the most credible accounts, the
population is about 2,000,000. It is divided into regular
streets, the principal of which crosses the whole city, and
is about 120 feet wide, unpaved, but carefully watered,
and nearly three miles long. The streets arc • much
crowded, as. the Chinese spend much time in the open air.
Its position renders the climate comparatively- cold, anti
frost and snow prevail generally for three or four months
every year. The palace, also, is surrounded by a wall,
with a few sentinels at the gates. It, in fact, forms a
small town, inhabited by the great officers of state, and
numerous mechanics in the service of the Emperor.
The Russians have a college here established in 1728.
It consists of six priests and four lay students, who remain
for ten years to acquire the language. The Chinese go-
vernment have built a chapel for their use.

NANKIN, tha ancient capital, is a very superior city, but
has greatly declined since the scat of Government and the
Courts of Justice were transferred to Pekin. It is the first
town in the empire for manufactures and learning. Its
silks, paper, and cotton goods, bearing its name, are pre-
ferres to those made elsewhere. It is called the scat of
Chinese learning ; its libraries are numerous. and here is
the principal medical school of the empire. It is situated
on the Yang-tse Kiang, near the mouth. Nankin is remark-
able for its pagoda, or porcelain tower. It consists of nine
stories, ascended by 884 steps. The galleries are filled with
images, and set round with bells, which jingle when agi-
tated by the wind. To the south of Nankin, al3ng the
Great Canal, stands the beautiful city of Sou-cuou.nott,
which the Chinese extol as their earthly paradise.
Branches from the great canal traverse it throughout
And render it, like Venice, a city of waters. Here all the
classes, n hose functions are to minister to pleasure, arc
trained to their respective vocations—comedians, dancers,
jugglers, and females destined to fill the harems of the great.
The females here are i eckoned to be fairer and more grace-
fully attired than those of the northern cities. The ad-
joining province, Tar-Kiang, is the finest inChina. It pro-
duces vast quantities of mulberry trees, and is distinguished
by containing the great city of Hang-tchou-fou, situated at
the point where thc great canal joins the river Tcheentang,
which he re spcads out into an ample salt-water lake. This is
the city described by Marco Polo, as the capital of southern
China, and as the most splendid he ever saw. Even in its
present decline, it still rivals Pekin. The varied beauties
of its lake, the numerous pleasure parties which cover
its surface, the gilded barges with floating streamers,
and the acrid mansions with which the margin of the
lake is studded, form a magic scene which fully bears
out the glowing description of that celebrated traveller.
In the adjoining province of Kiang-si is the Poyang
Lake, surrounded with numerous and populous cities;
ono of the most remarkable is Kan-tchang-foul said to
contain 1,000,000 of inhabitants. It is in the centre of
the porcelain manufactures, and like some of our best
inland manufacturing towns, its site is marked by the

4' See some very beautiful views drawn by Mr. Graham and
lately published.