Washington telegraph., 1854-11-01
The Porcelain Tower Of aankin.

2
made by Mr.. Leroy, in company with 1 ut
/ Hunter and Purser Barry, to the Porc4 Jain
Tower and the interior Of the city.
Finding il improbable that any permis-
sion would be given by the authorities, To
enter the city we started from the city at
| o'clock, on the Both Of May with the de-
\ termination, if possible, to see the city and
I the far-faned Porcelain Tower There
was on board at the time number of Chi
nese officers, two of whom said to be gene
: rails, promised, through our Interpreter to
act a. guides, and take Us to the officer
who granted permission to pass through the
gates We wen. id the boat about half a
mile to the entrance Of canal which was
filed with junks and landed in the outskirts
Of small village some distance from the
( walls. After leading us short distance
through this village our generals left
US; and we saw no more Of them. We
then went Oh to the northeast gate Of the
city about mile distant, ana were disap-
pointed at seeing it closed Oh our approach
v Neither persuasions nor offers Of money
were Of any use and a. TO one was allow
ed to enter while we we're there. so that a
large crowd had collected waiting to 20 in.
we concluded to keep on and try another
/ gate, hoping that We might meet with more
I success. We then retraced our steps for
some distance aud took path which We
/ judged, from it. well trodden appearance,
lcd to another gate. Following this path
for several miles having uioat filed with
wafer between us and the walls, we came to
a second gate, after passing through a very
/ pretty 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 4 very
n friendly disposition towards H..
N This second entrance iO tile citv consist
ed of three distinct gates beside tie outer
\ gate which opened through the main wall.
I They were each covered by solid arch
some forty or fifty feet in depth We walk
I ed through the first aud second without in
\ terruption, but were stopped as we were
\ about going through the third. We show.
\ cd the people AZ the gate a rough sketch Of
VI the tower. and made them understand that
\ We wished to go through tile city They
told IL that We could not 20 into the city
u
I ing ON outside the walls. We, therefore.
continued on, our path now lying at tie base
I Of the walls, between them aud tie water
Y the distance to the next entrance was about
\ four miles. Before We reached the third
\ entrance we met with detachment of sew
\ ural hundred women of Ill ages and sexes
\ they appeared 10 be employed i'll carrying
rice, accompanied by only few gray y-hair-
ca Old men. Newere again repul$ed at this
gate, and still tod to keep outside. Our
/ path now change TO the opposite side of the
m1at. and after crossing a wide aud very
substantial bridge, We proceeded Oh until We
c;ilDe Il a lookout station or watch-toWcr.
where We first thought our further progress
would ID stopped We were, however,
beckoned 10 enter. and no one preventing
we went to the top Of the tower, which was
some seventy feet high, and were thus ena-
I bIed To get fine view OF the city and the
surrounding country. The Porcelain tow
er appeared To he about FIVE miles further
on. Inls watch tower was situated On the
extreme eLd of the iusurgent lines i'll this
quarter, and was defended by several can
mons mounted behind stockade, through
which we passed. by means Of gate which
was opened for Us by the soldiers on guard
Leaving this ttockade We walked through
an open country for at least five miles. to
another stockade battery which surrounded
tLe suburbs w tile fourth gate. il which
tile Porcelain tower was situated. we
We're escorted into this blockade by num-
Der Uf soldiers, whom we met, and who led
US to the house Of one Of their generals.
After remaining there a short time. the
general acting as our guide, took us through
the fourth galc inso the city, passing BY the
tower.
This structure i still an object Of very
great interest, from its age and appearance,
though comparatively in ruins; fur when
the city was taken By the rebels the interi-
or Of the tower was burned and defaced,
aud the lower part was so filed with rub
bish that an entrance is impossible.
After entering the city our guide led US
along in n. w. direction to the house Of
a still higher general where we remained
nearly two hours. The distance from thc
gate was three miles II least the first
part Of the way was through what ap-
pcared to be the female quarter Of the
city, for we saw there several thousand wo-
men. and no men but those who were fol-
lowing after us. The streets we're wider,
aud better paved than most Chinese cities,
and the houses were in much better condi-
iion, than at either "Chn- -kiang-fu" Or
"Wu-fu." We passed at different distances
gates which were probably used to separate
the male from the female quarter. At one
corner We saw several human heads hung
up, with Chinese characters cut on the faces,
the meaning Of which we could not under
stand
| On ln....,.... "A L. .rn.,n...l L.. - -