New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-12
ON A CHINESE RIVER.
A LAND OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
PEKIN.

The characteristic dreariness OF the Chinese
landscape il seen in a marked degree as one ap-
proaches this city, all the way up from the Gult
of Pc Chilli. The Peiho River, up which one
travels fifty miles 10 this place, is one OF tine
crookedest and muddiest streams imaginable.
Throughout its entire navigable length it flows
through a level alluvial country Yet its current
is rather swift, and as q result 1t Is constantly
eating away It's banks here and building them ont
there, and changing its course and filling itself
m with mud bars aiId shadows IL also carries
vast quantities Of sediment down 20 the Gull ana
deposits them in bars ut its mouth forming serious
obstacles to navigation. Little is done TO over
come this evil by the apathetic Government, ana
indeed little could he done from the very nature
of the case The deposits Of silt are so great and
so constant that TO dredge them away is out OF
the question. Whether a deep channel could he
made and maintained oy jetty system is doubt
full problem. The result Of these conditions Is a
serious paralysis Of trade. The Peiho Is the great
highway Of commerce from Pekin aud the great
northern canals TO the sea. Yet almost every
vessel that enters leaves the river, if it be OF
any considerable draft, is subjected TO veXatlous
delays.
At the entrance 10 the river stand the famous
Teu forts, looking far more formidable than they
country that resembles Holland with none of its
redecming features. On every hand mud flats
extend to the horizon But they look as barren
as the heart of the Sahara Here and there are
villages Of mud nuts, which only accehtuate the
general tone Of desolation. Near by are clusters
of cone-shaped mounds, which are the tombs Of
the dead. They look scarcely more forbidding
than the houses of the living. The only objects
which remotely approach picturesquenesss are the
antique windmills, the canvas sails of which re-
vOlve horizontally. Yet these dreary eXpansas are
really very fertile and productive, almost every
acre yielding abundanty corn, millet and vegeta-
bes Throughout all these farms and gardens
artificial irrigation is resorted TO in the most prim-
tive fashion. There are bitches and cutters run
ming here and there all over the plain, and these
ere filed with water simply by baing il 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. Another important industry in this part Of
China is the production Of SALT of which this city
is the great market. For q mile along the shore
of the Peiho are to be seen huge piles of mating
bags filed with salt awaiting transportation.
The population here is very dense, and presents
the familiar phases Of Chinese life. The river
bank literally swarms with naked children, who
divide their time between eating green cucumbcrS
and swimming in the river. In this hot weather
most Of the workmen on the junks and docks are
also entirely destitute of clothing. Many of them
display magnificent muscular development. though
as rule the marks of poor food, unc!eanliness
and unsanitary conditions of life are painfully
evident. The native quarter of the city is laid
cut rather better than most Chinese towns the
streets being wider and straighter. It is, how
Il; 4 ,f,,tor rrIoa
The foreign quarter is, of course, much better
It's broad and wellkept streets are paved with
crushed stone and the houses, as a rule, are
large and comfortable. But there is little shade
or vegetation of any kind. Even few blades
Of grass are q rarity. The earth is bare and
brown under the burning sun. Indeed, Tientsn
is almost intolerabe as place Of residence. Yet
the city doubtless las an important future
1t is the seaport Of Pekin the capital; the centre
of trade of all the northern provinces, and the
principal depot Of commerce with Russia.
Pellin is sixty miles distant but the journey
thither is trying one. The overland roads are
very bad, even for horseback travelling. The
easiest way TO make the trip, although it takes
II long time, is to go up the river. The stream
is crookeder than ever and the current Is very
swift. And not only is progress thus necessarily
slow, but tie distance is very great The sixty
miles of direct distance are stretched into $50
as ore follows the snale-lille wndings Of the
river. One travels in n hOuseboat which is partly
propelled by sails and partly by polling, but most
of all by towing, a couple of coolies tramping
along the river bank and pulling the boat at the
end of q rope. The country along the river is
much like that between Tientsin and the sea, but
more human life and activity is visible. There
seems TO be less irrigation ana more cultivation.
The farmers work with the clumsest Of nipple
,neuts. and yet do very we'll. The heat in sum-
mer time is intense, often ranging for days To-
gether at lOj degrees in the shade
At Tuugchau one leaves the boat and makes the
rest of the journey over land. The distance 10
PelSin is only fifteen miles, but it seems fifty
There are two roads, and each is much worse than
the other. One Of them is called the dust road
II is simply huge ditch In dry weather it is
composed Of dust foot or more deep, ana as me
and dry as -four. In wet weather it is a river
of mud. The other is a stone road. IL Is paNeu
with huge rough blocks Of granite, no two of
which are within six inches of the same level.
To travel over such highway in SprnglesS
wagon Is torture that the Inquisition would have
rnvied Both roads grow worse and worse as they
approach Pekn, and the entry into that city Is
peculiarly unattractive The roads are lndescrlo-
ably bad and filth Of every kind is indeScribably
abundant Yet there are many interesting things
to be seen in the city. The great wall around 1t
is built of huge bricks that weigh sixty pounds
apiece. Outside the walls are fine Lama temple
and the temple of Confucius. There are also some
fine marble monuments The city has many mar
abe structures of various kinds, and rich and gro
tesuuc carvings and exquisite porcelain tiles are
seen everywhere. There are ponds llled with
water lilies and lotuses There are two interest
inc churches one French and one Portuguese.
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 rrt and squaor of the place are not visible.
and one only the picturesque roofs of colored
tiles But the city is exceedingly hot and uu-
healthy in summer, and every one who is able to
do so goes to the surrounding hills to live.
one of the most interesting places in the city
was n Chinese printing office, conducted just rs u
was centuries before the barbarous world outside
had nj .nff bn