Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-11-21
rho Great Porcelain Tower Of
Chiaa Observation-Disclosures

Chiaa Observation-Disclosures
Of
LcEigence has already reached us that
i. alnous Porcelain Tower of China, one
# the wonders oe the world, has been de-
angel y the Chinese rebels. The fol-
bsing is an interesting description and his
pr of it, from The North China Herald.
1t appea:s, by the accounts published in
he North China Herald. and confirmed in
/ letter in our last issued, that the wonder
# China, the Nankin Pagoda, or so-called
Porcelain Tower exists no longer. Ourin-
%0rinant says it was blown mp by orders
from Hung Siu-tsiuen, about The time that
the head of Wei, the northern king, was
demanded of him by Shih Tab kai, the
assistant king, wide North China Herald,
30 $685., under the apprehension that it
enight be taken possession Of by one of
the ether leaders, fortified, and directed a.
%gainst the cify, which it commands.
It was built about the year I413, by
|E~oung-Ioil, the third Emperor Of the Ming
|6ynasty. Representations of it are found
h nearly all the school biographies of civ
iized nations; and well do many of us re-
member the school boy idea we formed of
lis milky whiteness associated with the term
porcelain; while in reality but a compare
lively small portion of it is white. Green
/ the predominant color, from the fact that
the curved tiles of its projecting roofs are
BIZ Of this color, while the woodwork sup
lorting these roofs is OF the most suhslan-
ial character, in the peculiar style of CHI
1ese architecture, curiously wrought and
fichlv painted in various colorS. The bo-
b. or shaft of the ediice is built of large,
srll burn; brick, and on the exterior sur
face tiiey are red, yellow, green and white.
Tile tiles and bricks are of very fine clay,
snd highly glazed, so that the tower pre-
senls a most gay and beautiful appearance,
Which is greatly heightened when seen in
ihe reflected sunlight. 1t has nine stories,
bud is 20O English feet high. At the base
I'D IL over 800 feet in circumference, each
sjle of the octagon being about forty feet.
after the first or ground story. all the 9th.
ers are quad,angular on the inside, instead
ff conforming TO the octagonal exterior
On each face is IN arched opening in which
cne can stand and look out upon the sur
bounding scenery but Il wooden grating
prevents YOU from stepping out upon the
ealIeries, which are not proriIed with bal
l,trades.
81 The inner walls of each story are form.
ell Of black, polished tiles, a foot square, on
Zach of which an image of Buddha Is moul-
led in bas-reIief, and is richly gilt. There
a., on an average, more than two hundred
tf 'hese images in each story, giving an
sggregate of near 1000 in all. A steep
~staircase on each side of each square apart
nrsnt leads to the one above, and bv this
rleaHs, YOU may reach the top, from which
magnificent panorama is spread ont be
kre ynu-tlle whole citr OF Naukin to
sali the north; but as it were, al your
fei-iis fine amphiIheater Of hill, yet not
@ high as to shut out a prospect beyond,in
some directions as far as the eye can reach
then three or four miles distant, north
xard, you see the noble Yang-tze-kiang ri
ser, from which a canal leads up TO the CT
u, and surrounds it, forming a moat.
TIE Acquisition OF CUBA.-The Wash
ington correspondent of the Courier and
Enquirer writes that the President is busy
With the preparation of his Message. 1t
d very likely that he may disclose the
most important proceedings relative to the
Island Of Cuba. The acquisition of that
kland is to be a darling object with MIR.
Buchanan's administration, and whatever
poIicy or craftsmanship can suggest to-
sards It's transfer from Spain TO the United
States, will be done, and much, it annot
be doubted, has already Teen done. How
ru.h Mr.. Buchanan has this object at
Ieart is shown by his very liberal offer of
$l50,000,O00 for it, while Secretary OF
State, and by the terms Of the Osten
Manifesto which was carefully prepared by
bin. in such IA manner as to justify the for
bible seizure of the Island if Spain should
eb>tinately continue to refuse our generous
ehEcrs for il. 1t is a remarkable fact, that
Ill., nearly incredible offer of more money
H. Cuba than has been paid for the whole
enormous quantity of our public lands, was
concealed from the knownedge of the
Putic for six years after it was made by
z}Ir. Buchauan. This, however, was in per-
fet accordance with the secretive charac-
Ter of that administration. Mr.. Folks
firSt Message disclosed many startling d.
flomalic movements on the Oregon and
Pther questions of which not the slightest
Suspicion existed while they were under
~adyiseneut. The President has passed
z~eeveral hours of every day for a week past
bit the State Department, preparing as Is
believed, that part of his Message concern
ing our foreign relations.
4 A MOVE IN THE RIGHT D%IRECTIoN.-
THE Wholesale drug dealers of this city,
have issued a circular to their country Gus
tOmers. stating that the following articles
Al -.f l. IL. e.. sssssSh