Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-09
WRITTEN OUT AT SEA.
City of Tung- -chow-End of Navigation-Junk
Lifo on the Pciho.

City of Tung- -chow-End of Navigation-Junk
L,fo on the Peiho.
L. S. FRIGArE PowHATAN,l
January l3, 1860.
EDlToRs OF THE TRAVELLERS AT length, af-
ter five days Cracking" on the Peiho-days
ever to be remembered, from the novelty of the
mode of travel and the perfect charm and ro-
nance enliven;ng every hour and every new
turn i'll the river, new scenery broke upon
the eye, and new villages were approached and
new crowds pressed upon the shore to gaze
upon us-we drew near the end of our journey
ing by junk. II was near sunset; beautiful
island lay in the expansion of the river, which
here was half mile wide while on the right.
at some distance from the river, and at gentle
elevation, stood Notifications of considerable
extent, the walls apparently thick, but neglected
and in decay, and a pagoda rising high above
the fort and the village or town around it, the
first we had seen from the Gulf to this place.
The sun was descending, pouring flood OF
light upon the shipping which filled the river
before us, and upon the great city which lay
upon the western bank Of the river, which came
close down to the bank, and spread back farther
than the eye could reach Here the end
Of navigation, two branches uniting here to
form the Peiho, each of which is of depth in
sufficient for junks, though small boats can ply
over them. tapering strip of land, with the
sharp point downward, lay between the two
branches at their junction, of which one, as it
seemed, must be canal. Both were filled
with junks, pressed together as close as they
could be.
The other day, near evening. as Mr. Ward
and some of us with him, left the junk for a
walk along the bank, two of the principal Off
GERS who conducted our escort left their hunks
-,.'~, "inen nom courtesy ana nonor always nj
lowed a little in the rear, and, hurrying on,
overlook us and walked along with u.s. This
was an act of the highest honor and civility,
inasmuch as these mandarins- never walk in
public that being considered disreputable and
disgraceful for men in their position. As they
were seen coming, Mr. Ward sent for his inter-
prefer to come also, in order TO carry on the
conversation. When they came up, they in
sisted furnishing a cup of tea at Junk
which was drawn up to the shore, which was
done accordingly, and detained us some time,
when the party proceeded again, the officers
walking at rapid rate, chatting, smiling, and
asking many questions, some of which showed
surprising ignorance of many things most fa-
miliar with us. Mandarins walking openly with
outside barbarians. 1t was a sight never, prob
ably, seen before. The head officer, Tsang,
Imperial Salt Commissioner, is about forty
years old, of good features and form, and free
| in conversation, as well as courteous in his
manners. His salary is sixty thousand dollars
more than twice that of the President of the
! United States, At the close of the stroll, when
our junk came up, he went on board with some
Of his sub-oihcials, to spend an hour, when
among other things he inquired about England,
saying he knew it was great commercial ma
ton, but added that "of all the nations of the
the West Amcricd was the frst-No. !" en-
phasizing it by holding up his right thumb
Another Mandarin asked if ratches rere cast
lie remarked in conversation that he could not
believe that all parts could move with such reg
ularity if they were made by the hands.
Soon after coming to anchor, line of junks
was stretched from the shore to our junk, over
which the officers of the city came to welcome
Mr. Ward and to pay their respects. They and
their attendants completely filled Mr. Wards
cabin and the rest of the junk. They sent on
board an ample dinner, embracing all the deli
cacies which the Chinese dignitaries serve up
on grand occasions At the same time rows o
paper lanterns were hung up in front of the
custom houses and other public buildings which
line the shores, which gave the only light to q
great city, except that coming down from the
stars The name of this city is Tung-chow
which has importance and notoriety not only
from its populousness, numbering about -four
hundred thousand, but from its being the pert
OF the capital, which is only twelve miles dis
| tant. IL Is surrounded Oy wall ABOUT thirty
feet high by twenty thick, mounted with can
non, and has gates quite massive and strong
| observed, however, in one place, that the in
ner face of the wall had fallen down for some
dozen rods where it would be easy to ascend
to the top. The walls of all Chinese cities are
built of hewn stone on each face, with the space
between filed up with earth. The form of the
city is quite irregular, and the distance from
wall to wall where we passed was about three
miles. The houses are compactly built, there
being not a single vacant lot, or court, or gar.
den, to be seen, from one side to the other. II
was mass of houses and shops crowded to-
gether with the utmost economizing of space
and teeming with people like hive with bees
Artisans squat upon their launches in the
streets, with their backs resting against the
walls of the houses, as they piled their humble
trades, while the open fronts of the shops dis.
closed still greater numbers using their bones
and sinews within. 1t was frghtful to see the
number of shops filled with huge cofns, whose
bottoms and sides were six inches thick, and al
painted in faring red, while the mechanics were
tasking their powers and industry to the utmost
to increase the stock. Sign-boards, hung per
pendicularly, and also painted red, were covered
with great Chinese characters in gilt, not giving
the names OF the owners of the stores, but con
tanning some favorite sentiment from the Chi
nese "classcs," or else rehearsing the gooC
qualities of the goods, and the virtues of thei
4 owner. / did not see any remarkable house.
or temples The city seemed devoted to traffic
and that on a small scale, and all the street,
and shops to be alive with the moving popula
dc bafn n