The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-24

cend;ng them. And over all the gateways
there arc immense towers, as large as
great churches, and much higher, con.
structed Of these great burnt bricks. On
the top Of this immense wall there is q
railing, both on the outside and inside,
coming up to mans waist, which railing
itSelfis a wall, thus giving sense Of
security to person walking on the top,
The outside railing is made into turrets,
for the use Of cannon, in case of attack.
The entire top of the wall is covered with
strong burnt brick, twenty inches square,
resembling the tagging Of our sidewalks,
in large cities-only, as have said, these
walks arc fiIty.iour feet wide.
There Is no way ofgetting into the city
only to 50 through this immense wall
And wherever there Is gate for the pur.
pose Of getting through there is another
wall built inclosing square space, com.
polling all persons who 60 into the city to
go through ttro rails, BY passages at right
angles 10 each other. The walls are so
Immensely thick, that these passages
through them, arched over with cut stone,
remind one exactly of our railroad tun.
nclS in the United States. AT each oil
these gleat archways there Is an enormous
gate made of strong timbers, everywhere
as much rs ten inches thick, and covered
on both sides with plates Of iron, like the
sides Of our war ships. These gates are
skut early in the evening, generally before
shutdown, and not allowed to DO opened
during the night for any purpose. They
are fastened on the inside by means Of
strong beams Of timber.
/ have been somewhat particular in
describing this wall, because the genera
construction of al walls in China are SINH
lar to this one, although they are net all.
so high nor so thick. but there are proba-
bly, thousand walled cities in Chinn,
whose walls will average twenty-five feet
high and twenty feet thick, and another
thousand whose walls may be somewhat
less. Then there Is the great Tartar wall,
a little north Of Pckin, one thousand five
hundred miles long, and older than the
Christian era, thicker and higher than any
Of the rest. There are said to be one thou
sand five hundred pcrlectural cities in
China All these arc surrounded By
walls built by the government, besides
the great number Of cities whose walls are
made 1t theexIense Of the city govern.
ment alone. And when we have spoken
of the walls surrounding the cities, We
have by no means done with the subject.
For example, In Pekin, inside the inclos-
ing wall there Is another Of miles in ex.
tent, surrounding what is called the I'm.
p'riql City, Then, again, inside Of this Is
another Immense wall, surrounding what
is called the ProiiJitd Chy. Within
this inner inclosure Is the residence Of the
Emperor, and all the other buildings con.
nectCd with royalty. And SO the Altar
and Temple OF Heaven arc surrounded by
two concenttic walk, Of great extent and
magnitude, which must be passed by
means Of immense gates. Then there Is
the great wall covered with dry thorn
brush, surrounding what Is called the
Place Of Punishment, where criminals are
bcheadCd, and their heads exposed in cages
for terror to evil ddcrs, and where other
criminals are cruciEed, and yet Others
starved TO death, amid the most pitcous
meanings and insanp rawlings Tor food.
Again, the Hall Of Literary Examination,
where forty thousand men compete for
literary degrees, and where the longest
purse is more successful than the hardest
study, Is surrounded by another wall and
enteredby gates. Then all places Of idol.
atrous worship, and they are legion, in
these great cities, are surrounded by high
walls, The old city Of Nankin, on the
south banks Of the Yingtzc Kiang, Is sur
rounded by wall eighteen miles long.
The city Of TienSing, u the northerly por-
ton Of China, has a wall fifteen or sixteen
miles in length. Tie city of Foochow,
with one side exposed to the river Min,
I, surrounded by high wall. Wherever
stone can be had it is Used Tor these stfuct-
urcs. The city Of Ilmchack, also on the
south side Of the Ynagtze. Is surrounded
by n wall running oIer the top Of tho
mountain thousand feet high. also
saw, while ascending the Yangtzc, mon.
sttous wall surrounding an area on the
top Of mountain, whde the Chinese Of
that region took their wives and children
for safety during the terrible rebellion that
swept over a great part Of China a few
years ago. ... ..
Then in thousands and tens Of thousands
of Instances in China, high wal is built
right before the door OF private dwelling,
TO ward of spirits Of ancestors, who are
supposed to be blind, and obliged to move
in straight lines, and who will, consequent
ly, stumble against the will when they
come to It, and give up thcpursuit. After
giving good deal Of attention 10 the
subject, ! am satisfied that the whole
amount Of wall in China, u put together,
would build one twenty feet high and ten
feet thick, entirely around the globe, and
would require five thousand men 10 work
steadily for two Thousand years to &c.
complisl tue work.-5Bistop Rfagtlg.