Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-28
First AmerIcan Letters from the Chinese
CaRital.

views in which Imperial etiquette was viewed
by the Americans and the natives, that the
treaty between the nited States and China,
was signed on the return ofthe embassy to the
city Of Pei.stang.
The New York Journal Of Commerce pub
fishes some very interesting but exceedingly
lengthy letters, written at Pekin, on the nth
of July and the 10th of August, by one Of Mr..
Wards suite, the spirit of which we shall en-
deayor, as far as possible, to reproduce in an
abstract, accompanied by occasional quota
tions:
Mr.. Ward commenced his journey to the capi.
tai from the city of Pei stang, on the Gosh Of
July last. He was accompanied by the follow
ing suite;
Wallace Ward, Esq his brother and Secrs-
tary of Legation; S W. Villa $, Esq later
prefer Of the Legation, aud Rev Mr., Mar in of
| Eingpo, and Rev, Mr.. Aitchison OF Shangh@,
Assistant Interpreters; George W. Heard, Esq !,
and John s. Lhrman, Esq, attaches; Lieuts
| Trenchard and Habersham, Capt. TAYLOR of
the Marines, Surgeons Fox and Sandford, Purser
Gallatin, Chief Engineer Stock, and the corres
pondeut with three marines, and several cooks
ami servants, amounting in the whole 10 twenty
nine persons.
The manner in which the first stages Of the
long march were performed, was novel, indeed,
Ito the Americans. Thirty chariots, or rather
carts, were drawn up in line, besides half a
dozen wagons for the baggage, while twenty
or thirty coolies carried packages and boxes
strung to the ends ofbamboo poles, thrown over
their shoulders Iu addition to these, there
were about twenty chariots occupied by Man
1arina ~ hfla nf nurnhar nf of led
the caravan. and the remainder brought up the
rear. Over the whole train high dignitary,
whose name was Tsung-hau, and whose inn
portant office was that of Breast Salt Cons
missioner" exercised undisputed sway,
That his office was by no means a sineeure,
the strangers had everywhere ocular proof, the
salt which is an Imperial monopoly, being piled
up like haystacks all along the course OF the
river Peiho.
/ The earlier part Of the ride was worse thar
I uninteresting The county was an uninhabited
aud uncultiVated mud plain, beneath the gelst
nous surface of which the carriage wheels sanh
to the hubs. The whole Of the vast region
from the coast to the capital, and fifty miles
beyond, is only few feet above the level oitht
sea.
In the afternoon of the second day, the trav
elers reached large town situated on the
! banks the Peiho, bearing the meme of Peiiang
or the northern grauaries, given it from 'h'
fact that large brick storehouses are erected
there for the grain which comes up from tn
adjacent county for use ofthe Empeor Here
49,. lara~ j-eLa aud ana a---si~s nSn. basdll
. bigger Than boat, were in readiness, the one
! designed for Mr.. Ward having been very hand
some in its day, and being of the very respecta
BILE size of one hundred feet long by twenty fiv,
: wide. 1t was built hundred years ago, an,
was occupied as house well as a mandariI
passenger boat, and had on board three genera
tions Of owners, viz the grandfather, aged sixty
and his two wives, and the sen and his tive
wives and four children, his own age beinl
forty. The Grandfather had IN Older brothe
on board aged sixty four years, aud fairly al
attache to the junk, since he was born in it, ha,
lived in it, and had never left it, and will no
ill bis body is borue from thence to the hous
of silence instead OF the noisy Babel 10 whic1
, he has lived so long The junk was an heir
loom, having belonged to tho family from tn
beginning.
The fleet was propelled up the river, not b.
wind OF steam, but by man power. A numbe
Of men, called CRACKERS" walked along eithe
bank, dragging the vessels by means OF rope
~ attached to the tops of the masis.
The country was now becoming beautiful =
The correspondent thus deeribes Il
alt fulfilled all which has ever been said !
praise of Chinese agriculture, and all which m
!. fancy had ever pictured 0orn milet was the
principal article, rising to twelve and fourtee
feet, and making forest of green vegetation
further than they eye could reach, and the row
in drills so straight and at such regular distan
= ces, that the most exact measurement mus
have attended the planting, while the Who'll
was clearer of weeds than any garden eve
entered. Then.came divisions OF lndian corr
but not as broad or as frequent; then breadtl
| Al. -. Ii a - ,,aill at 81
:, sembing oats in the stalk, and very rank an'
y then breadth of seaaTne, or OF hemp, and 81
ever alternating, probably from views of utility
= though nOthiag could be more tasteful an
beautiful to the eye. Solitary trees, also, a
: the willow aud the elm, bee anne frequent, Will
in the distance could be seen thick rows cover
ing three or four acres. but no forests"
The shores of the river were lined with vii
= lagos containing thousands ofinhabiiants VIII
rushed out to gaze at the strangers. The field
seemed alive with spectators. II was estimate
-- that 100, 900 persons crowded the banks, bu
strange to say; not woman was among IN
lockers on.
As the unks slowly moved up the wicdin
d stream, a range of lofty mountains, Tunnin
81 from the Northeast TO the Southwest, appeafe
in sight They were the range that separate
3 China from Tartary, along which the RreI
q Chinese wall stretches its now half ruinou
~ Iampars. AftH voyage Of five days, til
as party reached Tdh-Chow, the head of naviga
IN tion, on Tuesday evening, July 90 IL is oil
OF the second class, containing 100000 inhAt
IS itanls. and the port Of the metropolis. II
= surrounded by high and thick wall Of biic
to and earth, and surmounted by bastions. III
streets are paved with fiat stoues, which ar
at however, so much displaced ss to make Tidin
very dsagTeeabo and unssie. The amount {
= shipping "a great, being estimated et above leo
900 tons AT the time the legation visited i, thei
were at least 900 junks in the river before III
town, carrying on an average from 100 10 ls
tons of grain and rice up and down the rive
r,o and through the great canal which unitea wit
n the Pei he, little above TunR- Chow. The bull
=, ings Of the town were unattrsetive, and son
a. oIthe public edi6ees bore the marks Of decay
,SSt AS soon as the party landed, they were We
or eomed by a crowd Of Mandarans, who eecOrt'
them to carriages, in which, at seven the ne
morning, they set out for Pekin The writ
describes bis suAerings, from the horribly roul
ls roads, in 80 feeling manner, that We VI
fS1 suffer him to speak for himself. He says
MS "The road must have been msgnihcentin In
NJ, early days, and worthy Of the old Romans
lsY had been built above 200 years, since which
Al, has received no improvements or repairs. ~
earth had been thrown up TO such perfe
= level, that II was impossible to detect tho lea
u elevation or depression for the entire diStan
from TungchoW 70 Pekin A aoOT does II
n. exhibit more perfect level. The width of d
~ road is about 26 feet, the stones Of which 1t
ihs constructed being often lS and II feet long.
Ia ". NJ Il. a NTH asaah AZ