New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-07
TEF IMPERIAL CITY OF PEKLN.

Pssin 10 be north latitude 81 81 l3g, and lon
rude 1872 ~ 81" II is therefore almost IN precisely
BE latitude Of Philadelphia IL rs situated IN tne norm
ems part Of the Province Of Chill or Pecheelee' voc
most important Of the eighteen which eomPOSe sne
Empire, and containing population hAi d o Trt.i
n4oexeeedng considerably that OF the entire SiiSeI
Elafes The distance from the shores OF InS o p %
p.shela +, the east il about $50 miles by the River
peiho which IL uneO nalcd for it, crooks and tns ohI
NOT above 100 in straight line. ABOUT ~ lh,ee
the wet Of the city runs the gfeSt val, vino
DE- wall and the city there rses cham OF mountains
~ eorsi5erable elevation, in which several small
river. have their sources. One OF these streams,
e.lled the Tung-hwai, supplies the interior OF
fe,srisl Palace. forming several pretty lakes
m the Imperial gardens, and filling the ditch which
ems around the walls. We saw no bitches near
Ne gate which we entered the eastern but IN an eX-
,rsop made 10 the walls IN the interior, saw dteh
rertall, filed with water and running close 70 the
foundation Of the WALL, and also stream or canal
.oppetted with il striking into the heart OF the city
TIE waters of this riyer fan into the canal which
nnites with the Peho about eight miles east Of the ety.
canal mites the city with the port OF kung-chOW,
city containing about Geo inhabitants, situated al
ths head Of navigation Of the Pelho ana Twelve mues
east of Pekin. This canal we crossed ON good stQie
BRIDGES mile or two out of the city, and also three o'
four miles above Tungchow Coal IS found IN mex
hausble quantities, but of poor quality IN me noun
fans lying back Of Pekin OF which obtained spee-
mem, 1t answers quite well for culinary purposes
aud warming houses and comes IN as special pr0vi-
DENTAL provision in the almost total absence OF Wool
PekiD is situated in the middle OF vast low ana
mandy plain. The tide, which never exceeds lhe iees
al The mouth Of the Peiho is felt more than hundred
miles above; nothing like hill was 70 be seem ana
rarely gentle swell, which was perseptioe only upon
elose observation, while occasionally ridges oil Sind
formed by the wind, were no untrequent occurrence,
80 oere in the midst Of the most uxHriant crops Of
corn and nilet In many places wafer s stagnant IN
pools aud in others the surface is 80 nlry as 70 DC I'M
passable. On the east and south ths immense plan,
spresd out like the ocean, sweeps away beyond the
reach of the eve while the east and north, hills
begin 10 rise above the plain only few miles beyond
she walls and still further at large distance are seen
de uDtains which separate hatchoOIla from the fro
vince of Chill rising IN dark and solemn majesty Dul
stil most agree able and Inspiring on which the soul
poised itself and at the White Mountains tue
Green Mountains and the Catskll were all before me-
So level 10 the surrounding country, so thick the
trees and shrubbory and 30 crowded the temples,
Inouaseres and cemeteries with suburbs all ABOUT tne
ety. ss sensey built and peopedas inside oil the walls,
that nothing is Of the walls and towers ana hYn
structures of several stories above the gateways VII
all bursis upon tie eye bike an enchantment, only
when the visitor is close 10 entering the city OF
100000 Of inhabitants. The lofty walls and towers
make an imposing appearance, spnnging up as II oy
magic and not unworthy of the capital OF 80 great
an Empire. But when the stranger has once entered
the great gateways, and sent his eye forward INTO
the depths Of the city, the Illusion broken, ana adj
nraiiOn gives place 10 disappointment and VeXatlon
The street we entered is almost wide az a farm
er's field If that can be ascertained and, as L
iudged twice the width Of Pennsylvania avenue
in Washington City. But 1t IL unpayed, as
are all the other streets have vlnted, ana
wheels and horses feet sink deep into sand II 1t II dry
weather and into the mud when il is wet. The streets
are generally of good width and cross at right angles
but nothing struck my eye with pleasure as crossed
the threshold of this Babel, and moved slowly along
this immense street. wide, and so long fOur or nVe
miles,, and 20 crowded with stores, and houses, and
people except the nnumerable trees, tall and oil vide
spread branches-whch gave 10 the city the air OF
forest-aud an artificial hill, mount built up in the
EuperOrs gardens, which as cOnical in lts form aud
almost pyramdiCal whose submits and sides are COW
cred with trees amid which and under which are seen
seeripQ Out the Emperors Summer-houses, while little
nonds are spFead around the base. Ali this was pc
tnIesoue and charming can welt be conceived, aud
made all the beauty which came under the eye
The early history OF Pekin rs involved IN ooscnry'
The Imueral Court has been repeatedly removed from
one province to another, and established at Peklu
after the conquest by the Mongos by the celebrated
Kubai Khan about the year 1882 II was then called
Ghantiep or the city "0bedent 10 Heaven" the emu
petors tLen as SINCE mOdestly taking the name hea
ven synony nous with God for their title lie after
ward removed his Court to Hong-chow, a city about
$50 miles south of Shanghae, and now containing
POPULATION of 100000 The Chinese empeFors who
succeeded the Mongos held their court at Nankn on
the Yang-se-kiang also about lou miles IRON olaAg-
hse, but to The north when me court was asa%
Nan-kn means Southern Capital, and Pe-Nn Northern
Capal-tems applied from the Transferring oil tue court
from one OF these cities 10 the other fVr l0hg le
The city was surrounded only by Single wall W 1
baa ni1a gates from whence it called 1.-THE Cty
of Nine Gmes" Eventually another section was oull'
TO the south of the old CITY, The southern wall sun re-
manine The old and northern part OF II rs oiiei
called the Tartar Citys as tne Imperial ra.ace j.
within H. and formerly great part OF the population
were Tlrtars or MantchoOs, the terms beng usually
equivalent; while the new and southern division wa'
called the Chinese City, as the Chinese mostly oeeu
MED IT, and filed il with their ships houses, and mer
ehsrdfe. Az present. however, when the animosiIie'
OF Il TWO races have greatly subsidized but not beer
eradcaed, the people seem to locate promiseuously
IS taste or convenience may direct
1le northern Tartar division OF the city Is nearly
ascuate the eouthern part however, making shor
M eRtoitOn into the Chinese or southern division
which is parallelogTam, stretching out 40 equal dis
tRnces on each side beyond the width OF tue Tartar
city The four sides Of the northern division form the
four cardinal points extending from north 10 south
neout four miles, and from cast 10 west three miles
with sn area OF twelve square miles, while the Ch
ncte division, the southern, extends from east e
wet about six miles, and from north 70 south two
miles and one-haf embracing area OF fifteen sluar'
miles. Thus the of the whole city Is y square
miles, and the circumference n miles.
On one OCCASION attended only by an unarmed ma
rine, l pushed along through street after street
followed and prect ded by GROVE s which could not b,
numbered, ignorant whom was and indifferent wher,
was going, and only bent on seeing. AT length ia,
wall was seen in the distance, and though beckonec
back by soldiers and policemen, resolved 70 hold ol
ill | lad reached and examined il. Afler walk o.
about two miles, my object was accomplished, and
stood under the wall and gszed and examined i 10 my
hearts content and without the least annoyance great
Rsthe crowds were aroundme. Then walked along the
wall for two miles more til reachedth northeastern
gate the sde having entered the city by the
other carefully surveying the great wooden structure
over this gate the bastoDs the wall and the espa-
made leading 10 ia top. ditch of few feet deep,
or else road worn down by the endless rolling Of
carriages Of which some then in motion, drawn
by fine mues was carried along close 10 the walls,
and was partly filed with water. The foundation, or,
NJ least, the foundation appearing above the ground