Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-24

to Pekin-the Ride and the Road-En-
try into the City, and Hundreds of Thou
sands ofPeople out-the Treaty all Right
tho Palace IN Which the Envoy was
Lodged
Correspondence u he Bosfos 7,urcierl
PrKlN, CulNA, Aug ., 1889.
little more than year ngo, as tho Puwhat
an l"y in the smooth waters ofthe Gulf of pcchole
amidst n powerful French aud English fleet.
which had just destroyed the forts ut tho mouth
Of tho Peiho river, and then taken tho Frsncl,
and English Ministers up to Ticn. tsin, II large
city Of 400, 900 inhabitants, seventy miles above
the mouth Of the river, whore tho American Rms
san, French aud English treaties were negotiated
! chaneed to meet with n Russian work giving
the most rcccut information about the great capl-
tai Of this old empire. which lcondens cd and scnt
to your journal. How little did dream then of
ever entering the city described Of spending
II pleasant fortnight in it, and living in n palace
once owned md occupied by the Primo Minister
Of tho Emperor. aud which was confscatcd to tho
government in III Of imperial passion, because
the minister had not defeated! the rebels who were
advancing upon the capital how little did
dream of 'nditing y letter for your columns in my
room in PckiD, with all the quiotness and comfort
md feeling Of homo So little do we know Of
our future
Tho occasion of such nm occurrence was the WIS.,
it Of our Minister Hon Jnhn T.. Ward, to OK.
change the ra,Gcalions of The treaty made last
year BY Mr.. Reel aud to nrcsent to the Emperor
the autograph letter II President Buchanan -
Through h- politeness being invited to make one
"fhis suite OF course most exuantly accepted
the Offer an! on he Goth of August leaving tho
ship, in company with twenty others composing
the suite, landed at town called pci-tnng. few
miles distant from our anchorage, mud containing
II population of IS 900 inhnbit ,nts. 1t is situated
on river ni about the size uf the Mcrrimark but
not equal lo'he lciho, which is considerably lar
ger than the Connecticut. and running for long
tune parallel with the Pchn. and only about ton
miles distant from it. Mt length mnkos n sweep to
the northeast. The town is situated on the right
bark Of tho river, starting from which with
cavacude of numerous horsemen and mounted
mHndatias. and other "ihcials with fifty carriages.
enr, drawnly twn mnes and forty or fifty porers,
carrying boxes. &c.,ss lies half d, z,n or moro
heavy wagons, containing our baggage, we pro-
CO. ded in direction nearly west. ero.sing coun-
t,y perfectly level. but in great degree barren,
the land being almost low rs the Gulf and III.
s,il of large portion No saturated mlinc matte
that the rlants growing up here and there Ind tie
taste of salt when touched by the tongue. At
the end OF the second day we Reached the Peihn
about eight miles above Tientsin. where we took
lunks thirty i've in the WHOLE and by the mid of
wind and human bones md sinews (lor the nncks
were all Drawn by trackers, ns they are cnlled
iu-t ms boats drawn by horses the Erie
anI other canuls), alter five days sailing aud
tracking through the most charming country the
eve ever fell upon. with scenes ever meeting our
eyes on the banks and in the crowded villages
OF the rarest nl most exciting interest. we reach
cl the great city Of Tung-chvw, mt the hca IF
nav CATION, and containing population Of 4oo
900 souls. The distance from Tung-chow to po-
kin is twelve mlcs the city being united with
the river by canal for the transportation of the
immense quantities OF salt and grain brought up
by the .unks, nnd also ly road for travellers
and the carry ing of lighter goods, which is bull;
Il 4 4. 4
masonry can make it. From tho wear and dis
placement oi the stones. in frequent nsiances, the
wheels of the carriages continually striking
asainst the uneven portions Of tho stones with
great violence, or else sinking into holes which
had been out by the friction Of their rolling
for ages. the ride was most painful and in
tolcrablc to OF our party, ho sprang to their
feet and walked good part Of tho way.
At length the mighty walls of this greatest Of
nl cities in the world, as it is SUPPOSED, be-
fore US, and, before wc Ind enterrd tho "s.nstcrn
Gate" its three millions Of people seemed to he
about us, mt least such represcn alton of them
rs satisfied las without seeing their constituencies.
| will not attempt h describe what We haw
OIL our route, ali 30 unlike u Whatever we had
seen before, tho imperial city. and what VIZ
saw in it. and whit we thought nnd did, and how
we fnred, MS all these matters require denil and
would fill sheets, to do justice to them or hIso
who might read them. Sumueh was there Of
not but often remark. when asked my opinion.
that it was worth crossing the Atlantic and Indian
Oceans, and the chinese aud Yellow Seas, just Ia
zee what We saw on the banks of the Paiho. As
soon as circumstances permit. the 7,apeiLrS
merous readers shall have The opportunity of see-
ing all, with the Disadvantages however, Of look-
ing through your carresp6ndent's eyes. Onr
quarters assigned US in tho Tartar City. "r
irperiul division, tho other division being occupi
ed by the Chinese almost exclusively, and c"nsis-
ted uf half dozen more houses, constituting
the Ialace, us | before marked, OF n former
Prime Minister. Is it not queer TINT articles for
the BistOn 1y0reler should 10 written in II hnc
room both sides Of which. from three feet Of bot
tom to the top, only great windows, without,
how ever, one inch Of glass, whose plnce 10 suppl
ed by u strong semi-trunsparent paper, fastened by
paste glue 10 lattico frames of elegantly carved
work. into which no eye can pry. and out OF
which no inmate can even the court and trees
before it, in which the wife may have lived
imprisoned existence. or the minister have writ
ten his ofcinl missives, which carried life deall.
t, tho utmost limits of an empire with popua
ton Of above four hundred millions? Many
thanks to the Prime Minister. or somebody cse
for the OF his sanctum, which doubtless gives
IL sncorer joy and comfrt to the ouler barbari-
an" your humble correspondent, tiaa it did To
t. legitimate occupant, who only saw and dren-
med OF the sword suspended by hair over his
bed, and which at last fell
Everything having been brought TO q successful
and honorable issue by the discretion. courage
and indomitable independence Of our Minister, we
leave the city tomorrow, returning by the same
route that we came. ....
Saying nothing Of the material interests Of the
commercial world, which may suffer deeply from
the outrageous conduct of Mr.. Bruce. the moral
and Christian agencies about to be put in opera
ton must suffer still more by the evaporation Of
the Chinese against the English. and the distruss
and aversion thus revived and reinvigorated To-
wards all Western nations.
Rev. Mr.. Atchison, who accompanied the suite