The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-10-20

the mouth of the Peiho river. in northern
China, gives the following description of the
city Of Ten tsin, the scene Of the late nego-
tiations with China
The Pei-Ho, or White river, is half a
mile wide at its mouth, and in high spring
tide 10 nine feet deep. but in low tide, not
above three. There is great delay and diff
6culty in navigating the river. even with
small vessels, while with others il Is an utter
Steam gun-boats can ascend
as far as .rien-tsin, but the native junks on
" are adapted to the river. The banks are
uniformly low and the river itself most tor,
tuous, running a perfect zig-zag course, the
air line from its mouth to Tien-tsin being,
only twenty-eight miles, while By the chan.
nal il is above seventy. This river 10 said
to drain forty thousand square miles; for .
part Of the distance four fathoms and more
deep, or about thirty feet, and again it is very
shallow and while at its mouth il 10 half
mile wide, il often contracts to two hundred
feet. Numerous canals are cut into the
river. which the Chinese junks put into when
the wind is adverse, or the water low, or any
other occasion may require. In the winter
the river freezes over two and halt feet
deep, showing conclnsively that though this
Province is IN the Flowery Kingdom, It is
not always kingdom of flowers.
The Country about the river is in high
state Of cultivation. like very garden in the
United States, every rod being made TO pay
its tribute to the half-staryed population.
There are no rice fields here, the climate be-
ing too cold. As the latitude is about the
same as that Of Pennsylvania and New York,
the articles cultivated are about the same.
Fields Of corn, wheat, oats, and barley are
to be seen in all directions, and though the
potato is not cultivated, species of yam is,
which supplies its place. Sheep and cattle
are raised, and are good, 1T not abundant,
while chickens, geese, and ducks are both
plenty and fine. Various kinds Of fine fruit
are cultivated, and We have on our table
pears, nectarines, apricots, and apples. can
not commend them for their flavor; the
pears are of large size, but Coarse texture
and insipid flavor. They are Of last years
growth and without sign Of decay, and for
aught | can see might endure for years to
come.
"'fhe whole country is covered with
densely contiguous villages, small spaces
only intervening. But the houses are uni
formly small, mean and foul, being only one
story high and built Of straw and mud com
posed into hard substance. In the spaces
between are seen numerous mouads covered
up in pyramidical from. thirty feet high Of
ten, BY ten diameter at the base. while others
are not above three or four feet high. These
are the tombs of individuals, or more Ere.
quently Of families. and are kept with a re-
/ ligiOus reverence, though far from elegant.
Tien-tsin is walled city Of uncertain
dimensions its walls consisting Of earth
covered by large bricks. like Pekin and other
Chinese cities. The population is said to be
100000, but likely includes the innumera-
bic villages which make its suburbs. A river
passes through the city, most fortunately "a
carry off immense filth which otherwise
would deluge it. The streets are only a few
feet wide, two or three persons only being
able to walk abreast, aud the houses Of only
one story, and with the exception Of those
Of the mandarines, narrow, foul, and miser.
ably constructed.
"a large commerce is carried on in this
4 city. being on the route between the Gull
and Pekin, but the staple article is salt.
which is manufactured near the mouth Of the
river and carried up IN junks to Iien-tsin,
where the Grand Canal connects with the
river. on which it is conveyed to Pekin and
other ports Of the Empire. The trade in
salt is monopoly Of Government. from
which il derives an important part Of its re-
venue. and the qantity on hand in Tien-tsin
is always immense. tits put into Pyramid
cal heaps. forty feet high By twenty broad at
/ the base, which cover several acres. They
are covered with mats and mud to protect
them from rain; so slow are the Chinese in
abandoning or modifying old habits and
ideas"