The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-05
From Russia 10 pekjn,

North China Herald a rambling account Of ar
overland trip from the Russian frontier to III,
CITY oil Pekin, In China, which furnishes some
interesting, though not altogether satlsfactor,
Information concerning that region of country
anu the great Chinese capital The write,
selected kiakta, which lies due South from
Lake Baikai, in Russia, for his point of de-
parinre, instead of Nerichinsk some distance
10 the Northeast, where the postal road from
81. petersburg terminates, but for what reason
does not appear. From kiakta to Urra. th,
capital OF the Chinese province of Mongolia
and which is located near the northern bor.
uer OF that province, the country is very
mountainous; from Urga to the frontier OF
u SH,na proper Is level, hard, sandy desert.
- ~. aIop OF water, or house, but peo-
pieo ny nospitabie Mongols, who live in tents
Ihrhish horses, cames, mutton. and water
preserved IN cisterns, and will divide all they
hase WAth The weary traveller Here the cold
. =. Min'er Is terrific, the wind blowing in hur-
hsahess "niis during the short summer the
neat neat Is quite African, and the sand storm.
Wlli tear the skin off and blind the traveller
VI ~ me way ihenceforward to the Imperial
eity, aud OF the city itself we have the follow
ing animated sketch:
r. az me frontier of China proper, 900 miles
- - ND" , ts tne desert stops short in such an
~ .taoIdihary manner as 10 make this one OF
,ae most remarkable spots on the earth
Alter gradual ascent OF ouOG feet from Jfrpa
IL rs suddenly broken like n cliff facing the
souini an immense amphitheatre of noun
.aihs, rivers, trees, and farm houses suddenly
ou,sis upon the view, all bathed in sunlight
sho smoking, as 1t Were. with heat; at a great
ueptn below, but twenty miles Off and not
, yos visible, lies the great town of Ciouan Hua-
iou, ctiied "Callgan'' by the Russians and be-
yoho II, bounding the horizon on the south a
iour.ioio range of precipitous mountains rise
iar INTO the air; the first range is of a choco-
W coior, the two next have violet and
ha gt r,.;t y
ofernauging the plain OF Pekin on the north
is OF a light and hazy blue. Here, where we
now s'ano, Is a large wall built of loose stones,
ana kind of monument which marks the
actual frontier of China, and this is most
cfroneouSly marked upon 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 Call
gan TO fekin the country may be called
chaos OF mountains, and, wherever a house
can stand, an aggiomeration of towns, ali
surrounded by high walls, some of which
have begun TO yield under the weight of TWEEN
" centuries. and others have been buried 10
the top under the sand of the Mongolian de-
se1t
After passing under the G treat Wall, whence
ihe view is truly magnificent, the road sud
nenty goes down into a deep and narrow gorge,
all Checked with huge blocks of granite fallen
from the broken mountains above, and here
The descent for eight miles, is plecipitous
THAI the Mongols themselves have to disnount
Five or six minor walls are now passed, and
they might equally be called a work of giants
Tor no matter what the slopes of the noun
tains may be, they rise from the bottom Of
precipices TO their very submits, and are still
fastened 10 them like so many serpents. When
the traveller einergeS from this gloomy Gefie
his heart must beat within him as he directs
his eyes towards the great and mysterious city
OF Pekin; but there he will see nothing but IA
houndiess plain OF sands with d few scattered
farms, woods OF cypress little rivers and not
patch of green, whist every other point OF
II hV a n n N hr,I o
majestic range OF blue and dreary peaks,
rising like a barrier between two worlds, to
the height OF five thousand feet. However,
you approach the city. of which nothing al 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 monster kites, and pigeons with melo
uiOuS instruments attached to Them and carry
ing back to heaven the eX tray agan ins pirations
OF Chinese musicians; in fact, all the noises
and smells that come foating upon the wind
over this great wall, as ii all the animal crea-
tlon were breathing within it, are things SO
strange To traveller, just arrived from Paris.
that he cannot describe them. Once he ha.
passed under the ponderous northern gate.
meas ured the thickness of the stupendous wall,
and is fairly in Pekin, he will be entirely be-
Wlldered; all before him is a confused and
dusty mass of coiorS, men, mules, cabs, hun
dreGS OF camels, with the weary Mongols in
their once red gown, en- thro ned and fast asleep
on their highest summit; immensity OF
wide, perfectly straight and endless streets; q
living ocean of the most degraded beggars of
cooks, BARRIERS, blind men beating upon kettle
drums, orators delivering speeches then, right
and left, brilliant shops, cafes and hotels sur
mounted by long poles of all colors, wooden
walls beautifully carved and gilt over; in fact,
it is scene SO unique in the world, that no
dream could ever be SO eccentric.
After travelling due south for four miles.
leaving on the left the splendid Tien-Tsin
street and its noble gate, towering like another
Babel in the misty horizon aud on the right the
eastern wall of the Imperial city, shutting it
ont from profane eyes, bat over which the I'M
perial hills, lakes, Mosques, temples and
dars may be seen at intervals, we come at
length to the northern limit of the Chinese
town.