Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-02-18
W FNRW ar
Secretary ofthe Treasury.
To the PRESIDENT ftke u. States.

NANktN.-As the wind continued
unfavorable, party of US sci out early
to explore within the walls Of the an
Gent capital orChina, and we me. with
no opposition, notwithstanding the late
edict from Pekin. The mpara;iye
liberty which we subsequently enjoyed
was to be attributed to the 6rma ess of
the ambassador, in resisting an attic mpt
to shut the gates upon him as he was en-
tering them this day during a walk on
shore; and we were glad to observe a
marked Improvement in the behaviour
OF our conductors, as the consequences of
this little adventure. On entering with
IN the wall, we walked 20 the top Of a
very high hill, whence we could see at
a distance the inhabited part of the city
and The famous porcelain tower; which
how ever, is porcelain in nothing but
the tiles with which it is faced. The
larger portion Of the area within the
wall, though no doubt, thickly inhabited
when this was the residence of the EN-
peror il now mer waste, or LAID out
in ga rdens vegetables with occasional
stumPs oftrees.-The space enclosed is
more irregular in shape than almost
any other city of China, no doub; owing
20 the equally OF the surface, as tho
northern part, where we were, is com
posed in great measure Of lofty hills
In the small population which the inhab
tied part bears 10 the whole a-sa of the
ancient walls, Nankin bears a striking
resemblance 10 modern Rome: though
the walls of Nankin are not only much
higher, but more extensive, being about
20 miles IN circuit. The unpeop ed ar.
cas- Of both these ancient cities are alike
ia as far as they consist Of hills and
remains Of paved roads and scattered
cultivation. But the gigantic masses of
ruin which distinguish modern Rom,
are wanting in Nankin, since nothing
IN Chinese architecture is lasting, ex
cepting the walls OF their cities As |
stood at Rome on the Coelian Mount, in
1897, the resemblance OF its deser.ed
hills (setting apart The black masses OF
ruins) to those Of Maxim struck me al
once, boun ded as they are in both in
stances by an old wall. The modern
town Of Nankin covers less than a hall
OF the immense enceinte Of its walls, and,
being at the southern extremity Of the
longshaped plain on which these are
built, was the furthest removed from US,
who were at the northern. In the course
Of our stay some Of the party walked as
far as the modern city, without inter
ruption, but we're deterreds from enter
ing by the immense crowds which came
pouring out to view the strangers. The
suburb on the outside Of the gate near
est 10 our boais was we'll built and po-
Pulous. Naokin is not precisely situa
ted on the kiaDg, but about three Eng.
lish miles from Il, though a communica.
ton exists with the south Of the city BY
a canal. All The ancient palaces, observa
tories, temples, and sepulchrcs we're
destroyed by the Tariars. The exsist-
ing city, however fallen from its state,
is as large and populous as most other
provincial capitals, and forms the resi-
dence OF the first vIceroy OF the empire,
the Governor General or the two Kianp
provinces.-It is celebrated as a seat Of
Chinese learning, and sends more mem.
beTs to the imperial college Of Pekin
than any other city. The books, the
paper, and the printing Of Nankin are
celebrated through the country. The