New-York tribune., 1900-07-08
there, but sends certain officials to perform these
functions for him.

functions for him.
VILE ROADS.
The way over which we are passing. which
leads straight from the outer to the inner gates,
is paved in the middle to a width of some fifteen
feet. Without the previous experience of what
Chinese road be without paving the trav-
eller passing for the first time this way in
a Peklng cart would wish this pavement where
there is said to be another composed of good in
tentions. There abysses where stones have
sunk bodily and they are of good size; there
are humps where they have risen, from some
other, above the surrounding level
The temples. inclosed on either hand, passed,
you enter again a region of shops and booths
which lead up to the second gate in the great
inner wall. which commences to loom before
you. The sights and the sounds all around are
now of absorbing interest. This is the heart of
Chinese civilization, and TO the newcomer it
seems quite lncomprehenslble 1t IS TO the old
resident, too. No foreigner has yet been able to
get inside the Chinese mind
There are in front of the stores stands for
vending food and articles Of every description
cakes and potatoes and tea, and the whole list
of Chinese concoctions Coolies and other
passers by are standing and squattng on the
ground to eat these with chopstCks. There are
men passing laden with heavy burdens on their
backs or depending from the ends of poles,
barDers with their kits carried in the same
way; pack mules, camels and carts, hucksters
calling their wares, dirty infants playing in the
dust, men haggling over their bargains, others
laden with cash Fastening to conclude some
business transaction chair coolies bearing a
palanQuin in which the occupant, probably a
are the streets Of Peking filled. Add 10 this the
cries and imprecations Of the drivers, the shrill
calls Of the coolies who want everybody else to
get out of the way, the strident clatter of the
store keepers and the customers, the hOWs OF
infants, the fearful squeak Of the famous Chi
nese WheelbarrOW, which, like BarnumS steam
calliope can be heard mile away, all making
a bedlam Of sound, the dust and the piles of
refuse and filth and there is a poor, slight
picture Of Peking.
1t is well known that the city has three walls.
the outer one already mentioned, between which
and the next the two great temples; the
next contains the official city and great deal
more besides, and inside of that is the holy of
hoIies the Forbidden City, in which the Son
of Heaven lives and the old DoWager Teigns.
One may not enter through the central part Of
the great gate at the end Of the way between
the two walls That is closed up for
son. and barricaded. and it is necessary TO turn
about by Of the side entrances. After pass
ing through a wall some thirty feet in thick
ness one enters large circular space, at the
other end Of which is the greatest gate of all.
towering high above. with a massive wooden
tower The wall here is sixty feet thick and
the entrance IS, therefore, short tunnel The
interior of the wall is Of mud and broken stones
the outside of rock cemented sody together
There is one street in Peking which has been
macadamiZed. 1t is the street which all
the foreign legations are situated and the only
thoroughfare in the city upon which one can
ride with any degree of comfort. This i'm
provement has only recently been made.
INCREASING EXCLUsIVENEss.
One can 80 many miles IL this great city and
see not much of anything but slate colored
walls, behind which is hved the real life of the
people There no high buildings, and few
Of the walls or houses or shops in repair
During the last few years the Chinese have
denied more and more OF their sights to the
foreign visitor and it is yearly becoming more
difficult 10 be admitted TO the few that remain
The Confucian Temple takes a good half day
to visit, and is the only Of any which
can be seen at all The Observatory and the
Examination Hall. situated together are
more accessible.
The Observatory is built close to the second
wall and is notable. IT built by an EN-
peror in the sixteenth century under the super
vision OF a French Jesuit Father The instru-
ments are on the top Of a square pavilion
where they are entirely exposed, and all of
bronze and of colossal size, and include a
-9obe Of the heavens on an axis, an astrolabe
and other devices used more in astrOlogy than
In astronomy. The chasing and the carving on
the instruments and their bronze supports are
exquisite and at the same time massive. The