Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-10-31
On 4 CHINESE RIVER.
Land OF Dreariness- Glimpses oi
PcAinS.

Land OF Dreariuess Glimpses oi
PcAinS.
The characteristic dreariness of tbs
ninese landscape is seen in a marked de
e AS one approaches Tientsin, all the
ray up from the Gulf of Pc Chilli. The
'sho River, up which one travels sc
.iles to this place, is one of the crook
lest and muddiest streams imaginable
throughout its entire navigable length il
lows through a level alluvial country
Vt the entrance to the river stand the
famous Teku forts, looking far more for
,nidable than they It llly are. Then foI
many miles one passes through country
that greatly resembles Holland, with
none of its releeming features. Through
cut all IT, s country Of farms and gardens
artificial irrigation is resorted 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 tn"
river by hand, or at lest by the use of an
cid fashioned well sweep or an endles,
cham of buckets, these rude appliances
being worked by hand. The population
here is very dense, and presents the ia.
niiar phases of Chinese life. The riveI
'Ank literally swarms with naked chill.
lon, who divide t. air time between eat
green Cucumhers and swimming il
9 river In this not weather most OF
The workmen on tie iunks and docks are
also entirely destitute of clothing Many
Of them display ma "nificent muscular de
,riopment, though as rule the marks OF
poor food, uncleanliness, and unsanitarN
conditions of life a e painfully evident.
The native quart II of the city of Tien.
ism is laid out raj ,er better than most
:'hinese towns, the streets being wide,
aud straighter. 1t is, however a partic
ularly dirty and uninteresting place.
the foreign quarter is, of course, much
better It's bread AID well kept street.
are paved with crushed stone, and the
houses, as a rule, are large and comfort
able. But there is little shade or vegeta.
ton of any kind. Even few blades OF
grass are a rarity. The earth is bare ana
brown under the burning sun. Indeed,
Tientsin is almost intolerable as place
of residence. Yet the city doubtless has
IN important 1utuie. luis tne seaport OF
of Peking, the capital; the center OF
trade of all the northern provinces, ana
the principal depot of commerce with
Russia.
Peking is 60 miles distant by the over.
land route, and l 0 by the snake like
river. The overlar road is indescribably
bad. There are many interesting things
to be seen in the cl,y. The great wall
around it is built of huge bricks that
weigh so pounds apiece. The city has
many marble structures of various kinds,
and rich and grotesque carvings and ex.
quiste porcelain tLes are seen every
where. There are two interesting
churches, one French and one Portuguese.
Perhaps the finest scene of all is the gen.
.ral view of the city from the Astrono.
nical Observatory, and it is charming,
because from that height the dirt ana
he squalor of the place are not visible
and one only sees Il picturesque roofs Of
:olored tiles But tile city is exceedingly
hot and unhealthy in summer, and every
ne who is able to do SO goes to the sur.
'ounding hills to live.