New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-11-03
n. nh. crnnt wi OF china.


A letter from Shanghai Of the % August, IN the
Paris Moniteur, contains the following interesting
| account Of a visit to the Great Wall Of China:
Tbe treaties of Tentsin having been ratified BY the
/ Fsmnernr Hen. Fonng, Baron Gros was deslrons OF
visiting the Great Wall and Of Judging from personal
observation Of the correctness OF the statements
respecting IL as commencing IN the sea at the en-
trance Of the Bay of beoToung.
All o'clock on the morning Of the 18th July the
Ambassador followed by his secretaries aud attaches,
embarked on board the small steamer the PreIent.
The distance Of the wall from the place where the
Audacieuse rfgate was at anchor was thought to be
from thirty to forty leagues Towards evening, the
weather not being very clear it was thought prudent
not TO approach too close to the shore, and the
steamer came to au anchor in the offing, At day.
break the following morning she again got under
way, and soon after the wall appeared in view. 1t
looked like long range of buildings of the same
height creneated, and traveTsing the plain from the
to the foot of the chain OF mountains which run
parallel with the coast, but ct more than league
inland.
An hour after, the wall, with its crenelated top,
forts ettes running out into the sea- and the pagoda
the shore, were perfectly distinct in all their de-
tails We had before US the most picturesque pros
poet that can be imagined Along the sea coast the
vast plain is covered with the most luxuriant vegeta
ton, with numerous villages buried in trees, and at
the back a horizon of lofty mountains. At the loot
of the wall on the side Of China, were seen the white
tents of two Tartar camps with their horses grazing
wall resembles an immense work IN EARTH crowned
with crenelated wall in BRICK but in very diapi-
dated state On the mantehufia side, on the con-
trary tits built Of brick foundation of stone.
Ii has, along the whole length, square towers at a
distance from each other OF about two bowshots'
length so that the enemy might be struck from
either of them. 1t runs down into the sea by two
parallel ettes the incline OF which Is so slight that
persons 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 fu
ture tourists ought to land. Unfortunately we were
not then aware of this fact and we came to an anchor
at spot where the landing was not very easy
The shore was soon covered with Chinese from the
neighboring villages NJ. Marquese the interpreter
to the mission, and Count d'0zery, the commandment
of the Pregent the first to go shore, in order
to confer with the authorities and ascertain whether
any objection would be made TO the landing OF the
party. a mandarin, mounted on white horse and
followed by two hOrsemen, arrived from the camp
to inquire what those 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 riyulets which ran down towards the
sea and we were afterwards obliged to strike little
more inland in order to find ground rather less moist
As we approached towards the wall we observed the
partars mounting their horses and betraying by
their gestures and movements considerable emotion.
They separated into three bodes-one remained on
horseback in front Of the TENTS thus cutting of the
:
where they alighted among the high grass and the
third advanced at q hand gallop TO meet us. They
asked whence we came, where we were going and
told they could not allow us to advance any further
Their chief, they said was absent, and they could
not take on themselves the responsibility of permit
ting us to approach.
You may Judge Of our establishment when we
learned from these men, enCamped as it were at the
very gates OF the capital that they had heard nothing
of their country having been at with France and
England, The taking OF Canton, the bombardment
of Ta60u and the peace concluded at Tien-tsin they
were completely ignorant of. After little negota
ton we thought we had got over our difficulty, and
we were allowed to advance, but we had not pro-
eeeded more than three or four hundred yards when
some fresh horsemen advanced and urgently impressed
on Us the proprety Of not going any further With
our escort OF twelve men, well armed and our reV0lV-
ers we might have kept off those three hundred Tar
tar hOrsemen, and have mounted the wall in spite of
them, but the Ambassador was anxious to avoid any
dispute, and would not compromise his position for
the mere qualification of curiosity.
After having taken afew sketches, purchased some
fans from the Tsytars, and astonshed whole host Of
Chinese by letting them taste our brandy and look at
our watches and compasses, Baron eros returned to
the boats.
These Tartar horsemen had neither bows nor ar
rows but they all had matchbox guns sung 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 car
ried in his large boots his pipe and fan.
Before leaving the coast we went in the Preggnt to
have another view Of the country the other side of
the Great Wall, opposite the plains Of Mantchura
which were covered with the most extraordinary YER
dure only to be found in countries where the ground
after being long buried in snow is yiyited by hot
sun. The wall was seen growing up as it were out Of
this exubeant vegetation and ascending the side OF
The mountain to follow for more than six hundred
leagues the half savage countries which extend as
far as the confines Of Mongolia and Kou-KouNoor
After having some time contemplated this magnificent
scene Baron eros gave the signal for departure and
the Pregent steered for the To Islands, where the
Audacieuse frigate was waiting for us.