Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-02-07
A Sketch Of Pekin.
4 VIEW or Tue CITY AFTER ITS CAPTURE

corital is two cities, known as the tartar
(north,) and the Chinese South } the latter an
oblopg stretching between four and five miles
from east to west, while from south to north it
is m lch over a mile wide; the former nearly
three and one half miles So care, and resting on
the centre Of the southern CITY, 50 as to produce
with it T-shapcd figure, with dspropor ION
ateIy scout perpendicular. North Of all IS q
large earth work, the north outline OF which Is
exactly parallel to the north wall OF The city,
and distant from il perhaps mile. From ITS
exlemities fall the east and west faces Of the
enclosure, aIigning themselves with the east ana
west walls Of the city. Thus you have a figure
somewhat Of the form Of three paral logfams,
rising above each other. A being the earthwork,
B the north city, and the south city In the
centre Of b again, stands an inner city, walled
and gated, and in the centre Of this the inner
most precinct Of the Emperor, also walled and
gated, and guarded by numerous iunctlonorlrs
and men alarms.
TO return to Pekin as you approach it from
the north, the walls some sixty feet high and
in good order, with very high buildings over
topping the gates, decidedly imposing
You draw nearer, and are moved to laughter at
John Chinaman's consistent adherence to his
babylke fashions in matters of war These
great gates seem to YOU far Off to be provided
with FIVE tiers Of guns, which you cannot imag-
inc would ever be fired without bringing down
the whole tower. Nearer inspection satisfies
you that the tower il in no danger FROM this
cause, at least, The embrasures, which are as
crowded as in an old line-oI-battle ship, are
simply apertures closed with shutter, on which
is painted a circle with bulls eye. On occu-
plying the gate the force did fnd, right and left
ofit some very nice guns, laid as if, up 10 the
last moment, thoughts bad been entertained OF
resisting this introduction Of bayonet-bcaring
barbarians with the holy Of Chinese holes
Tho coup all from the north walls is ndis
Iutably gratifying. Past experience Of Chinese
cities will have prepared you for an absence Of
what We call public buildings in the view below
you Still there is the Imperial Palace pro-
testing in this case against your rule. and, be-
sides the gate.towers, fair sprinkling Of lofty
temples. the whole nterpcrsed with much
wood The palace seems to have almost park
OF good, middle sized trees about is artificial
lakes and tidges that have been comely, and
-..n, s.------.. .'. 49,. 49, .le
whole you feel layoraby towards Pekin But
descend into the streets, and you become pain
fully sensible that there is not 4 more squalid
collection Of houses in an Arab village or in the
old city Of Limerick. Tho streets are wide,
aud have been in some instances paved, but
they seem to have been long forgotten By the
Macalam of these parts On a dry day their
soft loan sends up a cloud Of dust tia, puts
your face and whiskcrs past the recognition of
Your most intimate friends. lftrains, you are
kuecdeep in mad, and journey along the dis
.oiutei stone elausss is service Of real danger
to your horses letlocks
Tie bulk Of trade belongs 10 the southern
city, which is trayersed from north to south by
a few broad streets at right angles to ono or two
crossing it from the east gate to the west The
lesser feeders Of these, say, take me back to
the banks Of the shannon twenty years ago,
and even in the larger arteries ihere is not, as a
general rule, the regularity or substance which
you will find in the west suburb Of Canton or
the show streets OF Ningpo. We see the place,
it is true, at disadvantage. Many of the
wealthy and respectable have fed, and are but
now beginning to return but the poorer classes
and even the middle ranks are more poverty
stricken looking than any Chinese have seen,
except at rientsn.
Supplies Of all kinds are, Of course, Just now
high. priced, but Pekin must always be an ex-
pensiye abode,as it has positively nothing within
hail, and from its official position the demand
is immense Its meat is driven in from n con-
siderable distance its luel--coal at least,
travels slow ly in from the south and west the
coal Itself on camels, n noble breed the coal
dust, which is compounded with earth for the
use Of stoves, on mules not less noble in their
way Rice, as we all know, should arrive by
way of the canal, but the canals machinery
has been in aboyaucc this many year, and
rebels flank it here and there. Grain does
come, to be sure, by sea, 50 long as no one cares
to block the Peiho but the position of the
Yang-lsc Kiang Valley prevents the transmits
sion of copper from the far southwest, and the
dearth of this metal has cntailed on the govern.
ment resort 10 iron money, than which moth.
Ing can be more terrible, except, perhaps, the
government paper.
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PAPER NEcK-TIEs AND CoLLARs.-The Scien-