Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-22
ON ,HrsEsr RIVER.
A Land of -Cilimpses of
Pelxing.

ththhs
The Characteristic dreariness Of the
Chinese landscape is seen in a marked
degree as one approaches Tientsin, all
the way up from the Gulf of Pc Chilli.
The Peiho river, up which one travels
30 miles to this place, is one Of the crook
eldest and muddiest streams imaginable.
Throughout its entire nayigable length
it flows through level alluvial country.
At the entrance to the river stand the
famous Teku forts, looking far more
formidable than they really are. Then
for many miles one passes through a
country that greatly resembles Holland,
with none OF its redeeming features.
Throughout all this country of farms
and gardens artificial irrigation is re-
sorted to in the most primitive fashion.
There are bitches and cutters running
here and there all over the plain, and
these are filled with water simply by
bailing it up from the river by hand, or
at best by the use of an old fashioned
well sweep or an endless chain Of
buckets, these rude appliances being
worked by hand. The population here is
very dense, and presents the familiar
phase Of Chinese life. The river bank
literally swarms with naked children,
who divide their time between eating
green cucumbers and swimming in the
river. In this hot weather most of the
workmen on the junks and docks arc
also entirely destitute of clothing. Many
of them display magnificent muscular
| development, though, as a rule, the
marks of poor food, uncleanliness and
unsanitary conditions Of life are pain
fully evident.
The native quarter of the city Of
Iientsin is laid out rather better than
most Chinese towns, the streets being
wider and straighter. 1t is, however, u
particularly dirty and uninteresting
place. The foreign quarter is, of course,
much better. Its bread and well kept
streets are paved with crushed stone,
and the houses, as rule, are large and
comfortable. But there Is little shade
or vegetation Of any kind. Even few
blades OF grass are rarity. The earth
is bare and brown under the burning
sun. Indeed, Tientsin is almost in
tolerable as "A place of residence. Yet
the city doubtless has an important
future. II is the seaport Of Pcking, the
capital; the centre Of trade Of all the
northern provinces, and the principal
depot Of commerce with Russia.
Picking is 60 miles distant by the over
land route, and 100 by the snake like
river. The overland road is indescrib.
ably bad. There are many interesting
things to be seen in the city. The great
wall around 1t is built of huge bricks
that weigh go pounds apiece. The city
has many marble structures Eof various
kinds, and rich and grotesque carvings
and exquisite porcelain tiles are seen
everywhere. There are two interesting
churches, one French and one Portu-
guese. Perhaps the finest scene of all is
the general view of the city from the
astronomical observatory. and it is
charming, because from that height the
dirt and the squalor Of the place are not
visible, and one only sees the pic
turesque roofs Of colored tiles. But the
city is exceedingly hot and unhealthy
in summer, and every one who is able
to do 50 goes to the surrounding hills
| to live.