Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-11-25
NEW SERIES, No l52.
The Great Wall of China.

A letter from Shanghae of the I'd August, in
the Moniteur, contains the following interest
ing account of visit to the Great Wall of
China
The treaties of Tien-sin having been ratified
by the Emperor Hien Foung, Baron Gros was
desrous of visiting tho Great Wall. and of
Judging from personal observation of the cor.
rectness of the statements respecting it as COM
mencing In the sea at the entrance of the Bay
OF Leo-Toung. At seven o'clock in the morn
ing OF tho llth July, the Ambassador, followed
by his secretaries and attaches, embarked on
board the small steamer the Pregent. The dis
tance of the Wall from the place where the
Audaceuse frigate was at anchor was thought
to be from thirty to forty leagues. Towards
evening, the weather not being very clear twas
thought prudent not to approach too close to
the shore. and the steamer came to an anchor
In the ofing. At day break on the following
morning, she again got under weigh, and soon
after the Wall appeared in view. It looked
ike long range of buildings of the same
night crenalated and traversng the plain from
the sea to the foot of the chain OF mountains
which run parallel with the coast, but u more
than league inland. An hour after, the wall
with its crenalated top, forts, ietties running
out into the sea, and the Pagoda on the shore.
were perfectly distinct in all their details.
we had before us the most picturesque pros
pect that can be imagined along the sea coast
the vast nain 10 oovorod ,r;tb Al -.1
ant vegetation. with numerous villages buried
In trees, and at the back q horizon of lofty
mountains. At the foot Of the Wall, on the
side OF China, were seen the white tents of
TWO Tartar campts, with their horses grazing
ut liberty around. Seen from the Chinese side
the Wall resembles all immense work in earth.
crowned with crenalated wall in brick. but in
very dilapdated state On the Mantchouria
slde' on the contrary, it is built of brick on a
foundation of stone. 1t has, along the whole
length, square towers at distance from each
other OF about two bowshots' length, 50 that
the enemy might be struck from either of them.
1t runs down into the sea by two parallel let
ties, the incline of which is 80 slight that per-
sons landing from boat may easily walk up
them The largest vessels may approach to
within about two miles of this spot. which is
the place where future tourists ought to land
Unfortunately. we were not then aware of this
lact' and we came to an anchor at a spot where
the landing was not very easy. The shore was
soon covered with Chinese from the ne,ebbor-
ing Villages. M. Marques, the Interpreter to
the mission, and Count 'Ozery, the command
mcnt o. the Pregent, were the first to 90 on
shore, in ordtr to confer with the authorities
and ascertain whether any objection would be
made to the landing of the party. A Manda-
rim, mounted on a white horse. and followed ly
two horsemen, arrived from the camp to in
quire what these men, come from an unknown
world, wanted. On receiving pacific assurances
from our interpreter, he said no opposition
} would be made to the Decentralization. When
, all were on shore, we proceeded direct towards
: the Wall. We had to cross several little riv-
uiets which ran down towards the sea, and we
were afterwards obliged to strike little more
t inland, in order to find ground rather less
e moist As we approached toward the Wall we
t observed the Tartars mounting their horses. and
y betraylng by their gestures and movements
d considerable emotion. They separated into three
y bodles-one remained on horseback in front of
the tents, thus cutting off tho road to the Wall
IS another proceeded on our left, where they
: aiighted among the high grass and the third
+ advanced at a hand gollop to meet us. They
@ asked whence we came where we were going.
n and told us that they could nat allow us to ad-
y vance any further. Their chief, they said, wa,
g absent, and they could not take on tbemsel.
the responsibility of permitting us to approa
II lou may Judge of our astonishment when \,
u learned from these men. encampcd as il were ~
g the very gates Of the capital, that they ha4
# heard nothing of their country having been -
It war with France and England. The taking {,
i Ianton, the bombardment of Iakou, and til
g peace concluded at Tien sin, thew were com
+ pi'tely ignorant Of After little negotiation
l. we thought we had got over our difficulty, and
o we were allowed to advance but we had no
: proceeded more than 800 or 400 yards when
some fresh horsemen advanced and urgently
Impressed on us the pIopriety of not going any
e further, With our escort of l2 men well
IS armed, and our revolvers, we might have kept
6 oft those 300 Tartar horsalnen and mounted
n the Wall in spite of them, but the Ambassa-
dor was anxious to avoid any dispute, and would
a not compromise his position for the mere graf.
If ihcation of curiosity.
: After having taken few sketches, purchased
: some fans from the Tartars, and astonlsbed a
whole host of Chinese by letting them taste our
: brandy, and look at our watches and oompasses
= Btron Gros returned to the boats. These Tar
i tar horsemen had neither bows nor arrows, but
s they all had matchbox guns slung over their
shoulders. Their powder appeared to be very
= coarse, and in addition to ball. they had in
: their cartouchboxes small pellets of lead
. Each man carried in his large boots his pipe
. and fan. Before leaving the coast, we went in
" the Prcgent to have another view of the coun-
i try on the other side of the Great Wall, oppo.
site the plains of Mantchouria which were
u covered with the most extraordinry yerdure.
only to be found in countries where the ground
;. after being long buried in snow is vivifed by
hot sun.
: A WARNING TO BRiDEcRooMs handsome
voung bride was observed to he in daan rafoot;,,,