Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-11-09
III 7 s. OIN IA Il A n y Q
A c HINESE MUSTER.

note appended by the French translator to
a work of the Russian Consul, on China, con-
tains description of great review of the
Chinese army, which took place in the plain
OF Yan-chen-va, league and half southeast
OF the city. This account is given by NJ
Leontiei1, who resided for long time a. Pc
kin:
'We sci out (says he) at two hours pas,
midnight, and were drawn over the frozen mud
IN the streets without meeting living soul.
The watchmen only seated in their boxes,
lighted by small lamps, struck their slafls on
hearing the sound of our carriage.
"Ihe soldiers going in single file and the
officers in the (cabriolets) were proceeding TO
the place OF the review Some soldiers had
BOWS and arrows III their hands, others carried
va si.~;- i---t-i.-~ ----------- ~ -. \, n
ers, who went probably only to increase the
number, had no arms at all. At the gate of
the city, which was only half open, the guard
examined, by the aid of paper lanterns, those
who presented themselves to go out. In this
way we passed through the narrow streets
which led to the plain of Yanchen. In this
open plain was long file extending from east
to west OF great lanterns, OH which were hung
leaves of red paper bearing the Inscriptions
which indicated the names Of the divisions
there assembled. These lanterns were sus-
pended on poles before each division, be-
ginning from the east at the division of the
red flag. The soldiers, who were pressing
about the lanterns, appeared occupied in as
semblng and arranging themselves according
to their rank. Our carriage stopped at the
west of a mound on which was great blue
tent, turned towards the south AT the east
and west OF this tent were great lanterns hung
on long poles, serving TO give light to the tent
at the southeast and west smaller tents had
been arranged for the military chiefs.
"Aiter having examined what was passing
on the hill, we went towards the troops, and
we had not gone more than hundred PAGES
when we approached the cannon. was Gu
rlous to examine these pieces, as at present
there is 10 one in the Chinese empire capable
of casting them, and the Chinese artillery (if
1t deserve this pompous name) employs pieces
taken from the Dutch in Little Bucharia, or
rather those which were made under the d.
rectlon of the missionaries more than a centu-
ry ago | examined them, and saw that they
were mounted on wooden four-wheeled car
riages and fastened by cords full of knots !
passed to other pieces, and my surprise was
increased on seeing that the carriages were
only kept together by ropes tied about them.
The iron and bronze cannon were not more
than ten decmetres long they were placed
on the high ground before mentioned. Three
OF these pieces were prepared for firing, and
the others placed beside them were hidden by
old mating. Was this TO conceal their miser-
able condition, or only to protect them from
the dampncss9 | leave others to Judge.
did not dare to prolong my examination FOR
fear of awakening suspicion. There were al
so large Kettle drums, each carried by four men
on sticks disposed Ikea cross. The soldiers
then began TO place themselves in rows be-
fore the blue cloth tents destined for the off
GERS.
I'll returned to my carriage and awaited the
arrival of the officers. in the east, the hea-
vens began to grow pale--tle moon became
dim, and, jnclining toward the west, finally
disappeared. The lanterns before the lines
were all taken down and extnguished. At
last the person appointed by the Emperor TO
inspect the troops arrived in palanquns and
entered the tent which was on the hill. The
troops were then arranged in three very long
lines, extending from east to west. The three
cannon mentioned above were each dscharg
ed in succession. The recital am about to
make, will, think, create surprise.
'sFo load cannon they put in a certain
quantity Of da-ydo, IA coarse powder, compos-
ed principally of charcoal mixed with small
portions of nitre and sulphur.) They ill up
the touchhole with finer powder, in which
ntre predominates they set fire TO it with a
match Of twisted paper. The fire having
reached the charge, the da-yao begins TO
crackle; the cannon moves back and forward,