Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-11-15
NUMBER II.
The Great Wall Of China,

For short distance eitheriside Of the
Lo.wan pass the wall is contructed of brick
/ with rubble in the center but further
| away it is composed almost wholly Of
stone; in fact, whatever material were,
closest at hand would appear to have been
made use Of; thus, at the spots we visited,
granite aboundsd in greatest profusion,
80 in the construction Of the wall was it
made the principal ingredient. and for
miles the wall consists of large shapeiess
masses of granite smoothed only on the
outside. We observed but one tower built
entirely of stone-they being with this
exception, composed OF brick, with foun.
bottoms of hewn stone. The height Of
the wall from the top of the parapet is
about seventeen feet ten inches at most
parts, though occasionally, where the par.
apet is highest, it measures eighteen. feet
six inches its breadth is thirteen feet,
and the hight of the parapet five feet four
inches. The towers are thirty one feet
three inches high, and twenty eight feet
one inch broad. The parapet is both
crenelated and loopholed, and the towers
are pierced for the discharge of some pro-
jectile From any elevated site the sceu-
cry we'll repays one for the trouble of as
cent; clear streams are seen meandering
down the passes, whilst on every side, aud
looming far in the distance. are a success.
sion OF brown hiltops, with small patches
only under cultivation. Droves Of pack
asses are seen going and returning, the
former unladen, and the latter bring .
small kind of brushwood which the Dor.
Il ,fs h. n.
use on the plains, Wills. in wild abun.
dance are scattered innumsrable ash, pop.
lar, and tir trees.
Ofshooss branch out from the wall in
occasional places. For their construction
it is difficult in every case to assign a rea-
son; the little town of Lo'wan Eu is com.
plete!y encircled by one, and on the oppo.
site side of double wall winds upwards
with the portions in nearly parallel lines.
A visit the following day to the Pass Of
Chapow, distant about twenty one lee from
that of Lo.wan, confirmed our suymise
that in the erection of the wall the con-
tractors, if such there were, availed them.
selves to any extent of the building mate.
rails closest at hand. We noticed several
guns most Of which were partially i'm
bedded in the earth or rubbe forming the
center of the wall; one bore an inscrp.
tonlrecording that it was cast in the reign
of Wan Lee. the last Emperor but one Of
the Ming dynasty; it must therefore have
been upwards Of 200 years old. aud was
evidently fashioned atte. European mod.
el. A great many Of the towers were
in a decayed state, and the interiors
Of some of them, having heeu cleared Of
de5rjs. ,were converted into gardens and
granaries.
Thes Chinese speak Of the wonderful
structure as the 10000 loeiold wall, aad
appear to consider it extremely natural
that strangers should desire to visit the
sight amply repays one for the troubles
andidiHicultes of the journey and when
the fac: is realized that for thousands of
miesthis extraordinary pro1uc, OF masonic
art pursues its serpentin- course, all other
so.caled wonders of the world fade by
comparison with this lasting mennonite Of
a despots folly and the involuntary labor
of a submissive people. Once Week.