The New York herald., 1869-07-07
SKETCHES OF CHINA.

Mixed POpulatiOu-The Foreign Embas-
sies-ReliRious missions-En Route 20 tho
Great Wall-The Work Itself-Keturn 20
Tientsin. oo
Several lines OF steamers ply between snanghae
And other ports. Three lines-one French, one
American and one EnglIsh-connect 1t with Hong
Kong; there is a daily line with Ningpo ninety miles
distant; nine first class steamers under the stars
ind Stripes pay well In running to ana from Han
kow, 600 miles up the YalRtse. and stopping on
their way up and down at Chm -Kiang and Ku-
Kang; the subsidiary line to the steamships of the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company ply between Shang-
hae and Yokohama, Japan as well as the French
nnd English mall steamers; there is a Zine (Ameri-
cam to ana from Nagasak. Japan and one except
from November TO April, TO and from TIentsin, the
seaport OF Pekin In the summer Of 1865 we ira
yelled on this last line (Amercanl from Shanghae to
TienIsn. arriving there In three days and half.
Tientsn Is situated few miles up the Peiho river,
has fine foreign settlement and does large i'm
port and export trade. having the double advantage
OF being the seaport OF Pekn ana the northern ter
minus OF the grand canal.
Our party was most Hospitality entertained on our
arrival by one OF the reading American houses, and
were provided with sedan chairs to Pekin seventy
Two miles distant After TWO days of travel through
fiat, unnteresting sparsey cultivated country.
we came, at about two hours from sunset, In sight OF
the walls OF the political and literary centre OF one
tird or the earth's inhabitants and soon ael pass
1ng through extensive suburbs and the southern or
Chinese CITY, arrived at the American embassy
fekln lnort1ern caplta Is situated In latitude 30
degrees 81 minutes north ana longitude ll6 degrees
Fl minutes east. in The midst OF sandy plain In
summer the thermometer 10 lO6 III the shade,
and in winter siaks to 20 below zero. the climate -
dry, healthy and bracine. The city Is surrounded
by sold wall thirty feet hlgh TWEEN ty-fye thick at
the base and twelve at the top. There are
Square towers, one every sixty yards, which
tne walls, and enc OF these towers is on
each side OF each gate, OF which there are are sixteen.
or Tartar and the southern or Chinese and contains
about 2oGO, 600 inhabitants. Ine Northern CITY IS
ing each, the inner about two miles square, beng
devoted to the imperial palace and surrounding
cached TO the government ana private dwellings,;
e hOn wah Is nG 1l Large o
exceed In beauty the various paaces bridges, pa
closure many OF tnem being OF white marble, most
eXqulsitey carved and rooted win the most bril-
liant porcelain tiles the prevailing color being vel
low. Each bulding s surrounded by tasteiudy aid
out pleasure grounds, and ali are surrounded by a
handsome well kept wail covered with brilliant
sellow tiles
The various temples and public buildings of Pekin
well deserve description. The Astronomical Obser-
Vaory Is near the southern part or the Tartar city
and contains an immense globe OF copper, mounted
On a copper framework and covered with the varl-
Gus consultations most accurately placed. various
5ner astronomical instruments were also there, all
being the construction OF Freaeh Jesuit fathers
about Two centuries gone by Ihe Temple OF the
Great Bell is about three miles from the western gaze
or the northern CITY, and o the bell ilself Is a
cred with religious Cnnese characters inside and
outside. 1t was cast at one casting about 800 years
ago. The Temple OF Heaven mas splendid come,
nearly 100 feet nigh, maze TO resemble the vault OF
heaven ana is surrounded by handsomely lald out
reached on the lour sides by white marble
steps thirty feet high and the dome Is
composed OF deep blue porcelain tiles, to resemble
ihe heavens. The altar To heaven Is separate from
the dome, aud is also composed of wnte marble
steps and balustrades the top being an open plat
form Will an altar, near which are furnaces Tor The
purpose OF burning the various animals used in sac
rliice. The Temple OF Agriculture II situated
short distance from the Temple oi Heavens II Is also
surrounded by handsome grounds, and contains the
altar TO the gods oil husoandry, the building where
the plough and other agricultural implements which
the Emperor uses on State occasions as an encour-
.'Son OF Heaven" occupies on such occasions TGere
also the Temple oil Truth. the temple OF the sun,
the Temple OF the Moon, two extensive Llama TEN
pies or monaseres, Monammedan temples, one
wei worth seeing temple to Coniucius ana other
Ihe avenues OF the southern city are wide and
unpayed; in dry weather they are extremely dusty,
In wet weather almost impassably muddy. The
streets crossing them are generally narrow un-
paved and iltily. The streets present most busy
appearance, from the number oil hawkers and ven.
dors OF every KIND and calling, crying Out their
various wares The shops have no windows put
the whole front is exposed to the street 10y sliding
back the shutters each morning, and the sign
boards, which are brilliantly painted ana gut are
mot placed horizontally, like ours, buf on edch side
the store, reaching from the caves Oh The houses
tall one = ory) 10 the ground.
. Ia Iekln you frequently meet With representa-
dives IRON every par OF the empire; from the remote
far OF Ihlbet the M0namueuau Ifom III,
near the borders OF Iufkistan; the wild looking
Mougoian IRON the table land OF the northwest. and
Other wilder Mancnurian from the Immense plains
stretching the confines Of Siberia all gathered
ther capital 10 pray or traffic, or II government
officials pay their respects and receive orders ut the
centre OF power OF the most extensive and the
most pOpuOus empires on eartD.
The foreign embassies are situated within the
Northern city not from the that lead TO tue
Southern CITY, The principal are the American The
French the llussan anu tae English. Tne embassies
were generally well lald out aud furnished and the
tntercourss between the ministers ana their iaieS
was OF the most agreeable description. u was usu-
ally said thar tue Russian embassy was the best fur
pished, the British the best built, the French mad the
best looking attaches and the American was the IA
Sorite rendezvous, social and politlcal, for all.
During our stay at the American Legatloa noticed
by the frequent visits OF Chinese officials Of fle nigh
people arc held by the thlnese government.
There are two Roman Catholic missions, under
french auspices; the missionaries, priests aud pnns
dress and i've as Chinese, are succeeding wel ana
are building fine cathedral on some plots of ground
IN the Northern CITY, which formerly belonged TO
them, but now connscated, the splendid church
then erected on them being rzed to the ground The
plots have been recently restored by the influence Of
The French Minister
Arter spending a week in sightseeing we,
trip to the treat Wall, the lanes in
sedan chairs, the gentlemen on mule back; our
provisions IN the same way. About eight miles IRON
Pekin, the northwest We passed the pub c gardens
called Yum Ming YUM They are about twelve
rustic bridges, winding walks, lakes scrpe tine
rivers and rockeries. In some places the wlldness
Or nature rs well simulated; In others The highest
state OF cultivation rs observed, aud here and there
you come upon isms,ie KOS. or an Imperial
havl utyfi fs Walks groves, statues FOUNTAINS,
80 4s these gardens are several centuries old and
we nave only adopted siustape eaTaehias III
tine present century, ~ but IAN 10 lnler tha, We
have copied this, as well as many other matters,
from the Chinese. on the second cay We passed an
extensive coal mine region stretching over many
miles aud rudely worked IN order to partially supply
Pekin wIlh fuel What speculation these mines
will be for some YanSee company with energy anu
Capiial when China fully opens her doors oy anu
by on the third day, III the AFTERNOON, we
sighted the Great Wall. The country was monn-
ora
Siuh aud dipping down INTO deep lavnes lor niles
a. far as tue eye could reach. THIS slupendous
Tork was built by the Emperor Tsin Cnihwangt
1g years before the Christian era and - IRON INC
seashorc on the coast OF Sianfung when it runs
ina uArIl Ilnrn