Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-08-26
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.
General Grants Visit to the Historic
Structure.

letter to the New York Herald, dated
Nagasaki, Japan, June q, says:
1t seems to be a duty incumbent
upon all who come to the East to visit
the great wall of China. General
Grant had planned a trip when we
were in Pekin, and Mr.. Holcombe had
made all the arrangements. The Chi
nese government had, with ready
courtesy, given orders as to our
treatment by the way, and the impor-
tant question as to how we should 90
had formed a living theme of talk
amid the depressing days of midsum-
mer weather at the legation. You
can go on horseback or on donkeys, or
In a cart or in a mule litter, and when
we had nothing.else to do we went
over the merits and demerits of each
form or conveyance. Our old friend
from the Nile-the donkey-whose
achievements gave us an exalted idea
OF his patience and endurance. would
have won the preference but for the
condition Of the roads, which seem
not to have been mended since the
Tartar invasion. Mr.. Holcombe told
me he had travelled all through
Northern China, and in every form of
conveyance, and that he found the
most comfort in the mule litter. |
noticed, however, that much residence
IN Chlna leads one to have moderate
ideas on the question of comfort, and
so long as you can get on YOU are
content. Some Of my rides in China
were over roads and under circum-
stances that would have filed me with
sense OF wrong at home and inspired
me to write to the newspapers and
denounce the authorities. But it was
what l expected to find in China. and.
suppose one was thumped about and
bounced and jostled, it is a small
matter, especially when you are going
around the world. The mule litter Is
swung on poles and carried by two
mules, one going ahead, the other
behind. 1t is long enough to enable
you to recline. You creep in and
huddle up, and your mules dawdle
away with you. Somehow it gave the
impression Of going to your own
funeral. The ordinary cart of the
country, without springs or seats or
cushions, in which you sit with vour
legs curied up or dangling over the
sides In torture. If we had made the
trip we should have walked most of
the way and had the carts and litters
for smooth roads and fatigue and other
emergencies. The more the Journey
was considered the less attractive il
became. We were under the cruel
stress OF unusually warm weather.
The thermometer was wandering
about above the hundred degree mark
Our journey to the Temple of Heaven.
to the city walls, to other temples. had
been attended with unusual discom-
fort. To go at all we should have to
travel at night and rest during the
day. This consideration decided Gen.
Grant. His journey would be not
alone to see the Great Wall, but the
people in the interior, and especially
to have glimpse Of Tartary. Travel
by night would prevent this, and SO
we gave up the journey.
About two o'clock in the afternoon
Lieut.. Sperry, the navigator, had an
experience that must have reminded
him Of Columbus discovering Ameri.
ca. lie had found the Great Wall
BY careful looking through the
glasses, in time we saw it-a thick
brown, irregular line, that crumbles
into the sea. The Richmond steamed
toward the beach, and so gracious
was the weather that we were able TO
anchor within mile of shore. All
the boats were let down, and as many
as could be spared from the vessel
went ashOre-the captain, the Off
GERS, sailors in their blue, tidy uni
forms, and an especial sailor with a
pot Of white paint to inscribe the fact
that the Richmond had visited the
Great Wall. The Great Wall is the
only monument | have seen which
could be improved by modern sacri-
lege, and which could be painted
over and plastered without compunc.
tions of conscience. From what |
read Of this stupendous achievement
u Vas built under the reign of a
Chinese emperor who hourished two
centuries before Christ. This en-
peroT was disturbed BY the consfanr
invasion Of the Tartars, hardy no.
madlc race, who eaAe from the hills
of Mongolia and plunderod lis pe0.
pie, who were indeed afterward to
come, if only the Emperor could
have opened the book Of fate and
kpoTH, and rule the country and
found the dynastg which exists after
a fashion still, So has maiesbg re-
solved to build a wall which Should
forever protect his empire from the
i1Eeder. The wall was built, and So
well was A. aQpe that here we come
wanderers from the aGtipodes, twenty
centuries after, and find it susst2n
tai, imposing, but in the light Of
modern science, Q useless wall tits
1850 miles in length, aRdit ig 0ply
when you consider that distance and
the incredible amount of labor il
imposed that the magnitude of the
work breaks upon you. We landed
On 2 sm oQtb, pebbly beach, studded
with shells which you'd have re.
joiced the eyes Of children. Wa
found small village and Saw tie
villagers grinding corn, The chill
dren, few beggars and a blind her.
son came to welcome us. The end OF
the wall which juts into the sea has
been beaten oy the waves into a rag
ged, sh0peless condition. There was
an easy ascent, however, up stone
steps. AT the top there waa a small
temple, evidently given to pious is llses
still, for there was a keeper who
die& cred about letting us in. and tho
walls seemed 10 be in order clean and