The Placer herald., 1862-12-27
The Great Wall of China.

For a short distance either side Of the
Lowan Psss the wall is constructed of brick,
with rubble in the center; but further away
it is composed almost wholly Of stone; in
fact, whatever materials we're closest at hand
would appear to have been made use of
Thus, at spots we visited, granite sboun.
ded in great profusion, so in the construction
of the great wall was it made the principal
ingredient, and for miles the wall consists
of large, shapeess masses Of granite, smooth
ell only on the outside. We observed but
one tower built entirely cf s.one-they being
with this exception, composed Of brick, with
foundation of hewn stone. The hight Of the
wall from the parapet is seventeen feet ten
inches at most parts, though occasionally,
where the parapet is highest. 1t measures
eighteen feet six inches its breadth is thir,
teen feet, and the hight of the parapet five
feet four inches. The towers thirty on 9
feet three inches high, and twenty eight feet
one inch broad. The rarapet is both creme
lated and loopholed, and the towers are
pierced for the discharge Of some projectile
From any elevated sight the scenery will re
pay one for the trouble of ascent; clear
streams are seen meander;ng down the pass
es, while on every side and looming far in
the distance are a succession of brown hill
tops, with small patches under cultivation.
Droves Of pack asses going and returning,
the former unladen. and the latter bringing
small kind of brush wood, which the Dor.
derers burn instead of the milet stalk in use
on the plains while in wild abundance are
scattered innumerable ash, poplar and fir
trees.
Offshoos branch out from the wall in oc'
casional places. For their construction it is
difficult in every case to assign reason, the
little town Of Lo'wan Eu is completely en-
circle1 by one, and on the opposite a double
wall winds upwards with the portions in near
ly parallel lines.
A visit, the following day, to the Pass OF
chapow; distant about twenty one leagues
from that of Lo wan, confirmed our surm ise
that in the erection of the wall the contract,
ors, if such they were; avaed themselves to
any extent of the building materials closest
at hand We noticed several guns, most of
which were embedded in the earth or rubble
forming the center OF the wall, one bore an
inscription recording 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 260 yearn old, and was
evidently fashioned after European model.
great many ofthe towers were in decayed
state, and the interiors Of some of them hav.
ing been cleared Of debris, were converted
into gardens and graneres.
The Chinese speak of the wonderful struct
ure as the 10000 lee old wall, and appear
to consider it extremely natural that stran-
gers should desire to visit it, the sight amply
repays one for the troubles and difficulties
of the journey; and when the fact is realized
that four thousands of miles this extraordina
ry product of masonic art pursues its serpenl
tine course, all others SO called wonders of
the world fade by comparison with the last
ing memento of a despot's folly and the
involuntary labor Of a submissive people.
Once Week.