The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-11-01

The Porcelain Tower of Nankin.

Ino fOTColdlu IOWpr OF IN anK1n
We annex an account of an excursion
made by Mr.. LERoy. in componv will
Lieut.. HuNTrR and rursuer B.Rny. tc
the Porcelain Tower and the interior NJ
Nonkin.
Finding it improbable that any nor.
mission would be given by the autbori.
ties to enter the citv wc started from
the shin nj one o'clock on the 3Otb of
Nav. with the determination. if noss;ble
to see the ci,y and the far.famed Por..
cclain Tower. There was on board Mt
the time n number of Chinese officers
two of whom. said to be generals PROM.
iscd through our intcrpretcr. to act as
guides and take us to tho officer who
granted ncrmission to pnss through the
gates We went in the boat about half
mile TO the en.raucc of n canal which
was filled with junks, and landed in the
outskirts of small VILLAGE some distance
from the walls After leading us n short
distance through this village our zen.
erals left us and We saw no more of them
We then went on the northeast cotc Of
the ciiy. about a nile distant. and were
disaprointcd a, seeing it closed ON our
arproach. Neither rersuasion nor offers
of money were of any use and as no one
was allowed to enter while We were ,berc
50 that large crowd had collected wait.
ing TO 20 in. We concluded to keen on
and try another gate. hopinr that VIC
might meet with more success. we
then retraccd our stems for some dis
tancc and took n notb which we ;udnod
from its wcll.troddcn appearance' led to
another gate Following this path for
several miles. having moat filed with
water between us and the walls we came
to second gaze. after passing through
a very prctty country. Almost all the
houses on our way were deserted and in
ruins, but whenever we met any Of the
people we were treated politely, they
showing very friendly disposition
towards us
This second entrance 10 the city con
sisted of three distinct gates besides the
outer gate. which opened through the
main wall They were each covered BY
a solid arch some forty or 6ftv feet in
depth We walked through the first
and second without intcrrnption hut werc
st oppcd as we were about going through
tho third. We showed the peoplc M
the gate rough sketch of the tower and
made them understand that We wished
to 90 through the city to see il. Tbcy
told us that we could not 90 into the city
but that we could reach the tower bv fol.
lowing on outside the walls. We there.
fore continued on. our path now living at
the base of the walls. between them and
the water The distance to the next en-.
trance was about four miles. Before we
reached this third entrance We mot with
a detachment of several hundred women
Of all ages and sizes thcy nnncorod to
bo omploycd in carving rice and wore
accompanied bv only n few crav.ha;red
oM men. We were oo,in rcnnlsod ot
this cato. and still told 70 kccn nm ont.
side. Our path now changed 70 the nm.
posite side Of the moat. and after cross.
ing wide and very substantial stone
bridge. we proceeded on until we como
to a lookout station or watch fewer
where we at first thought our further
nrooress would bo stonnod W. wnro
however. beckoned TO enter and no one
preventing, we went to the ton Of the
tower, which was some seventy fee, higb
and were thus enabled to get a fine view
of the citv and the surroundino countrv
The Porcelain Tower appeared to he n.
bopt five m;les f,,thor on TL;s ,.,.L
tower was situated on the extreme end
of the insurgent lines in this quarter and