New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02

next contains the official city and ereat deal
bJi oesloes, and inside Of that is the holy OF
n e les the forbidden City in which the 'Son
or Heaven lives and the old Dowarer reigns
Chs may not enter through the central part OF
me ne great gate at the end of the way between
me Two walls That is closed up for some rea-
son, ana barrieaded. and it is necessary to turn
aoout oy enc of the side entrances, After pass
IIs throuCh wall some thirty feet in thick
ness one enters a large circular space at the
other END OF which is the greatest gate Of all,
towering high above with q massive wooden
lower The wall here IS sixty feet thick, and
the entrance IS, therefore a short tunnel The
interior Of the wall is Of mud and broken stones
the OUTSIDE OF rock cemented solidly together.
1here is ore street in Picking which has been
macadamized. 1t is the street on which all
thoroughfare in the city upon which one can
ride with any degree Of comfort This i'm
provement has only recently been made.
INCREASING EXCLUs1vENEss.
One can go many miles IL this great city and
see not much OF anything but slate colored
walls, behind which is hlved the real life Of the
people There are high buildings and few
OF the walls OF houses or shops are in repair
During the last few years the Chinese have
denied more and more of their sights to the
foreign visitor. and il is yearly becoming more
GlIIlcult 10 be admitted TO the few that remain
The Confucian Temple takes a good half day
TO visit and is the only of any note which
can be seen at all. The Observatory and the
Examination Hall. situated near together are
more accessible
The Observatory Is built close to the second
wall and is notable. It was built by an En-
peror in the sixteenth century under the super
vision Of a French Jesuit Father. The instru-
nents are on the top of a square pavilion
where they are entirely exposed. and are all Of
bronze and of colossal size, and include a
gIooe or the heavens on axis. an astrolabe
ana other devices used more in astrology than
IN astronomy. The chasing and the carving on
me instruments and their bronze supports are
eAqulsite and at the same time massive The
top OF the Observatory is reached by a long
night OF broken steps and below, as you stand
on the top runs the huge wall either way
me Examination Hall is of equal interest TO
those who are at all acquainted with Chinese
institutions. It is the scene of the final agony
OF many thousand aspirants for political or
literary honors. The building, or the series of
buildings. accommodates ten Thousand candi-
dates who each sit in a separate cell They
are locked in here sometimes for three days,
and many have died under the ordeal. Some
times Il is impossible to gain admittance here,
and always liberal bribe is necessary
THE BOXERS SHOWING THEMSELVES
1t is not particularly safe for foreigners to
go anywhere in Picking or in the surrounding
province Of Pe-Chi-Li, where they are likely to
be isolated This is on account Of the uprising OF
a secret society popularity known as the Box
ers- This is a new manifestation Of an old
society wh!sh has existed for two hundred and
fifty years-ever since the Manchu dynasty has
ruled over China. The Boxers Of the present
day are fanatics who consider themselves in
Vulnerable. Their chief bond Of union seems
10 be their hostility TO foreigners in general
and missionaries in particular, reservng their
arch hatred for the Roman Catholics and their
converts among the Chinese. There are almost
daily rumors and many too well authenticated
reports Of the massacre of the last named and
the destruction Of their churches. The society
Is particularly strong at the capital of Pee Chilli
city named Pao-Ting-Fu. The country is filed
with refugees, who are fleeing from their
homes, and many have begged TO be taken in
size the mission compounds. In some villages
the Boxers parade the streets three times
day armed with knives, spears and other
tive weapons, and oblige the Christians 70 go
INSIDE their houses. They have already threat
ened many missionaries and the society seems
TO be increasing in size and fanaticism. There
IS evidence that IL has reached Picking. and II
seems IN all parts of the city that there is
something ornnCus in the air
The missionaries are heroically standing at
their posts with unrufied calmness. Their
courage is much to re commended. Il is in the
power of the Chinese Government to dueu this
uprising in short time. 1t is feared that the
Dowager, while posting bombasIic proclama-
tons on the front gates of a city, gives secret
orders 10 her Governors which countern1and
them, for none Of the threats have as yet been
carried out. though some Of the Governors
have shown q disposition of their own to in
rerfere With the Boxers pretensio-s and plots
At present the Boxers are the absorbing
theme OF thought and conversation in Pekng
and it is not improbable that by the time this
reaches the United States they may have per-
petrated some outrage against foreigners
which has called for the interference of the
Powers.