Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-02-13
Avisit to the Great Wall of China.

AVisit to the Great Wall Of China.
Mr. Fonblanqne communicates to the Lon
don Times graphic description of visite to
the Great Wall of China The following are
extracts
Accompanied by Mr. Dick, an excellent
Chinese scholar, and attracted as interpreter
to the COmmissarat, | left Tientsin on the
18th of March, and after q three days ride
through as uninterestng country as can
well be conceived, came in sight of the fine
solid wall which fmcloseS the struggling mass
of ruin, dirt and decay, called Pekin.
Chinese Villages are, at best, dreary aud
squalid looking, but on this rout where the
dogs of war have so recently been let loose,
there is something narrowing in the misery
and desolation of the scene. Has grinding
oppression aud long suffering deadened the
heart of the Chinese peasant to all senses of
injury? Or has he, after all, Christian feel
ing, of forgiveness towards his enemies, for
which no orthodox churchman would give the
Pagan credit j cannot explain it,, but /
own to something like sense of shame hav-
ing come over me as we two solitary unarmed
strangers passed through crowds of women and
children standing by the charrcd ruins of their
homestead and among their shattered house
hold gods, without being met by single an
cry look or gesture-nay, mora, always receiy-
ing a ready and friendly reply to every ques-
tiou. Perhaps they felt grateful that we had,
at any rate spared their lives, which is more
than they can expect from their countrymen,
the rebels, when they paid them visit,
Some of the villages along our road were
mere heaps of rubbish Others retained more
or less the semblance of human habitations.-
In the larger ones,as Ho-si-woo, which, it may
be remembered was for some time in occupa-
tion of our troops, the late enemy's incription
on doors and walls seem to be piously preserved
as agreeable relct, and such familiar garrison
words as Officers Quarters" Canteen,"
" Fane's Horse" Commissarat," General
Hospital" d., meet one at every turn; though
one cannot but remark with regret that the
building which appear to afforded shelter to
the invaders are sadly devoid of everything
in the shape of woodwork which was probably
used as occasion required for cooking dinners
and boiling water A celebrated and impos-
ing pawnbrokers shop, which was +" looted I"
here has not yet recovered itself But let it
be borne in mind that in pillage, as in wanton
destruction, the Chinese themselves far excel
the BIRTHS or even the French soldiers the
bonds of restraint once removed, and Celes-
tial mob have no patriotic or religious scru.
Piles as to the property of mandaran, priest,or
peasant-at they fully exemplifed at the sack
ing of Yuen ming-yuen and the Llama tenn
pie, the sacred proceeds of which are to this
day openly offered for sale at more or less ex-
orbitant prices in the shops of Tinu-tsiu.
A FRENCH BISHOP IN CHINESE ATTIRE.
At Ho-si-woo we met French missionary
bishop on his way to Europe, after having
passed twenty-five years in China He was
dressed in the native costume, even to the pig
tail, and appeared to be treated with great
reverence by the unbeleving crowd who focked
in to see the "Mandarian priest" The self
devotion, the zeal, and, as very general rule,
the pure and simple lives led by the French
missionaries in China (and their number
throughout the empire and the kingdom of ST.
am exceeds 1900 are not without their effect
upon the people although this is not displayed
by wholesale and indiscriminate conversation
to nominal Christianity. ... .-..