Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-11-04

of loose stones, and kind of monument
which marks the actual frontier of China,
and this is most erroneously marked up
on all maps as the great WALL although
the latter is one hundred miles further
south and is crossed at twenty-five miles
from Pekin. From Callgan to Pekin
the country may be called chaos of
mountains, and, wherever house can
stand, an agglomeration of towns, all sur
rounded by high walls, some of which
have begun to yield under the weight of
twenty centuries, and others have been
buried to the top under the sand of the
Mongolian desert.
After passing under the Great Wall,
whence the view is truly magnificent, the
road suddenly goes down into deep and
narrow gorge all choked with huge blocks
of granite fallen from the broken noun
tains above, and here the descent, for
eight miles, is SO PERCEPTIONS that the
Mongols themselves have to dismount.-
Five or six minor walls are now passed,
and they might equally be called work
of giants, for no matter what the slopes
of the mountains may be, they rise from
the bottom of precipices to their very
SUBMITS, and are still fastened to them
like so many serpents. When the trav-
eler emerges from this gloomy defle, his
heart must beat within him as he directs
his eyes towards the great mysterious
city of Pekin; but there he will see
nothing but boundless plain Of sand,
with few scattered farms, woods of cy-
press, little rivers and not a patch of
green, whilst every other point of the
horizon is shut up by an unbroken and
majestic range of blue and dreary peaks,
rising like barrier between two worlds,
to the hight of five thousand feet. How
ever as you approach the city, of which
nothing at all can be seen until you have
passed under its very wall, the buzzing,
kissing, moaning of men, asses, women,
camels, gongs, and birds of prey, of mon
ster kites and pigeons, with melodious in
struments attached to them and carrying
back to Heaven the extravagant inspi-
rations of Chinese musicians in fact all
the noises and smells that come floating
upon the wind over this great wall, as il
: all the animal creation were breathing
within it, are things so strange to trav-
/ eler Just arrived from Paris that he can.
not describe them. Once be has passed
under the ponderous northern gate, meas
ured the thickness of the stupendous wall
and is fairly in Pekin, he will be utterly
bewildered; all before him is confused
q and dusty mass of colors, men, mules
: cabs, hundreds of camels with the wear
: Mongols in their once red gown, enthron
ed and fast asleep on their highest sum
h nit; an immensity of wide, perfect,
straight and endless streets; livin,
g ocean of the most degraded beggars, Q
). cooks, BARRIERS, blind men beating upo
y kettle drums, orators delivering speeches
,f then, right and left, brilliant shops, cafe
. and hotels surmounted by long poles c
% all colors, wooden walls beautifully carve
! and gilt all over; in fact it is a scene S
unique in the world, that no dream coul
10 ever be so eccentric.
i After travelling due south for four mile
If leaving on the left the splendid TENTS
=, street and its noble gate, towering lik
&c another Babel in the misty horizon, an
~ on the right the eastern wall of the In
. perial city, shutting it out from profar
= eyes, but over which the Imperial hill
;. lakes, kiosques, temples and cedars ma
= be seen at intervals, we come at leng
- to the northern limit of the Chine
: town.