Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-04-16
CHINA and its il ) Capita,. ,

The following is from Pekin letter 10
San Francisco paper: lr - a.l lrlgft
The walls OF Pekin are sixty feet high
and forty feet wide at the top,i forming a
nice promenade of nearly twenty five miles
around the city. A partition wall divides
the Tartar from the Chinese city; and four
gates, at the north, south, east, and west,
afford the only means for passing the walls,
and these are opened aud closed with the
sun. Inside the great wall OF the Tartar
city Is another wall, made of yellow bricks
and covered with epamelied yellow tiles
called the wall Of the Imperial city, which
Is inhaDited mostly bv Tartars and persons
connected with the Government. Inside Of
the Imperial city Is still another wall of red
bricks, surrounded by most enclosing the
prohibited city, in which the palace, tree
sury, aud public buildings immediately
connected with the L nperor's household,
aro lpcated.
10 uthese seered precincts Of majesty no
fore'ga foot has ever troll, aud the mystic
rries Of tho palace are only known 20 few
Of the most faithful and hon ,red serv Inis Of
the Msnchu dynasty. the colorsd roofs
(made of enamelled tiles OF blue, green, red !
and yellow, } are seen amid the deuse foliage
OF the forest which ornaments the palace
grounds. Here ihe Empsf0r OF China holds
his court, eoun oil ing Gully with the reg mt
mother, his teachers, on the few high .ffi \
GERS who are adm tie 10 his presence. Ia.
Ii reyered by the eope who please TO obey, ,
as the right Of petetiol to the throne l, re-
oognizsd as one of the most sacred customs
Of the Chinese Empire. Il was standing hg.a
gate over moat one day, in the vicinity of
vsnerable-iooking mandtrin wearing q
button OF high rank, and sought to engage
his attention. by comp ring the time 0f. day /,
bat he had the advantage Of M. as he had
two watches In his girdh', and 1 hat only
one. | intimafed o desire ~ view the pail
ace grounds, and, as oai,hed at my ignori
ance and impudsnce, he 20 nied 10 the sa-
cred enclGsare and then 20 usavsn. rsgnii
flying that ID was, iahabited BY gihe Son I
Heaven. The fnmatss df the prohibited
city are not supposed to ndIpber more than
n thousand, inclitding men, women children
eulnchs, aud ths little Emperor, iIisM
jssty Is not quite thirteen years OF sge. and
has not yet assumed The reinso goveramsnt,
DarIug his minority the actual regents Of
the Empire are his mothers, as he Il blessed
with several. The FIRST wife Of the late Il n
peror having failed to furnish an heir 10 The
throne, the PR sent Emperor Is the sJn d
one OF the auxiliary wives Of tho dsesas
.tIienfang. As u would be an infriagem sbl
Of Chinese custom for women to attend ts
any public business, the stiairso Of State, al
least with Foreigners, are conducted BY the
Plince OF Kung, uncle Of the Emperor, and
, recognized head OF she gayeFnment euiiDl
) his minority.
The wln,er, In Pelsin Is severe, and tn.
question Of fuel m2y properly ho asked. =
I. Coal 4 known oexist 10 great quautities u
. the vicinity. aud was used BY tho Chinese :
|, Thousand years ago % fuel; but they hav'
. never opened the mines By any undergoing
}. workirss lpF fear they would destroy lhl
. eqn iibrium OF tho earth, and turn The Cs
! ie-tIal Empire upside DOR, The qnestiol
o Of allowing ths coal mines 20 10 opened !
: now being dlseussedi aud if their preju
b dice aud snperstitionk could be oyefc Ime,
. great resource would be created, aud en-
y ploymeht gwen 70 an over-e'owded - pnl
h lion. Ths ust of gas II asyet a mystery !
4, the CelestiAls. lanterns, lamps, aud canils
snswsiUg their purposes as well as the
,, did their ancestors. stFtN TfaeH ffrf1
a. HanH ~ Hf f-.l ~ llf. gasf H