The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-23


ried houses. very dirty, and very unat-
tTsctive-On every side there Is tie same
appearance Of negIec,-unsw5p pit streets.
stasLant sewers, very dirty crowds, evil
doors. Whatever architectural beauties
nay exist and all houses Of wealthy men.
are concealed within high walls, which
represent only a dull, dead face u the
outer world. and make . walk or drive
through this city OF magnificent distances,
siEguiarly GnattrCctiye.
En Iilusiye View.
There is, however one way one can OBJ
tain quite an Elusive impression OF PeldH,
namely. by looking down on the city non
its majestic walls. Then all the squalor.
and dirt. and dust which are so painfully
prominent at all other times, d.sapp ar,
and you find yourself overlooking rich bow
ers Of gTeoEeTy, tree tops innumeraJle,
/ from among which, here and there, rise
I quaint ornamental roofs OF temples, CT
Eaud3TiEs' houses, with roofs o. hzrmCni-
/ Gus gray tiles or OF briEht-giszed porcelain
I which CLEANS IN the sunlight. Then you
realize how many cool, pleasant homes
wealthy citizens COntrIve to reserve in the
midst OF these dIngy, grey densely crowd
ed streets, of which you only catch
glimpse here and there just enough TO
give a suggestion OF life 10 the whole zee
wall which divides the Tartar city from
the Chinese. it is scarcely possible to real
iZe that one is looking down on the dwell
ings Of Shout 1900. eco human beings. OF
these 9G0.evO inhabit the Tartar city. which
seen from the walls is apparently a beau
/ tlful park, richly wooded and now clothed
in 5sUsest midsummer foliage And yet so
enectusLly Go high walls incl0se these snu-
melSGs shady gardens that an enormous
. =
/ trUe-pTrbably scarcely know that such eX-
ist, as TIE people never dream Of coming
on 10 the walls. from which alone these are
visible.
Looking over the wall on the other side
into the Chinese city. is certainly more
suggestive Of the prese nee OF human be-
ings, as there are fewer trees. for in Pekin
the luxurious folk who dwell in palaces
I with shady courts are all Tartars. whereas
the Chinese are the working bees. and
their poor mud huts are ccEsely packed all
along the Grain Tribute Canal. which is led
quite round he Tartar City and almost
round the Chinese City Happily for our
Elusive impressions Of Pekin as seen from
3 the walls, We cannot al this distance dis
/ Germ the unutterabIe filth Of its stagnant
I waters. Blu in the distance the houses
I again lose themselves in tree tops. for We
are locking toward the great parks of the
! Temples % Agriculture sud Of Heaven and
/ the lovely blue porcelain roofs Of the latter
are plainly visible.
Now turning 70 the opposite direction
I and jcoking into the Tartar City from this
elevation CT about fifty feet. the brilliant
Z yellcw-tiled roofs Of the Imperial Palace
/ are most conspicuous and very beautiful
/ as they rise above the dark green foliage.
/ y considerable number OF ornamental
{ buildings. all yellow rooted and cleaning
/ Ike FURNISHED gold. are scattered in every
. direction through the imperial pleasure
+ grounds. and with the aid Of good opera
/ glasses che can distinguish details very
fairly. bat. OF course. when winter has
stripped the trees the view must be far
J more distinct
The greenfield roofs OF the British Ls-
/ cation ere also conspicuous. and some in
pCT-aut grey roofs also tOWe. above the
/ trees, and fa- away On the horizon lie a
range Of distant hills. on whose slopes
; nestle beautifully situated tem-.es and
4 Buj.lIst ClCuGs-Cries.
'Ol course. as you travel right round the
I walls, the view changes considerably. one
. lot Of ro--s giving place to another. 50 that
/ you obtain g birds eye view Of the situa-
/ tlea CT the Dcst q the points O. interest
/ in the city. L wOJ.E. however. take re-
( ally good walker L. sc the whole round OF
Z tGe walls. IS the Tartar City forms
square four miles IN every direction. ad-
Joining the Chinese City, which is en- OBJ
= long thi-t1-l miles il circumference Il
. does not, however. follow that there are
. twenty-Gine miles Of outer wall. as three
. 7Dc q half o. the SCutA Tartar wall does
. C-10ie duty
IL IS only when thus licking down f-0m
the walls that yoI sea the actual width OF
/ Any 81 tnC main streets For. as I said at
7 first, these being about ninety feet wide
4 tEf people establish rows Of booths facing
. the permanent shops. consequently no OGs
Cn the street ever sees more tlaa one
4 size C Il az q time. Thee booths are lust
. @ framework O. wool covered with mat
II II which are sold -e15y-Ua1e clothes.
+ fco's. candles. fans. birds IN cages. and
{ a.! manner Of cheap goods TIE true street
has moderately ornamental WOODEN
frontage. some Of the shops being G-corat-
( q WIKI very elaborate designs. but though
J hese were once -ls9,eEEelt with gold and
4 scarlet they are row 50 diCgy and dirty
{ as -sarcely to look ont Cf keeping with the
r.-.ai7 opposite. From these carved fronts
project gigantic po;es with dangling signs
TJTrese1tiEg tie trade OF the owre-. and
H sided dragons uphold very varied sign
boards. OF course. the shops are all en-
/ TREY open 20 the dusty street. glass win
! dCUs being unkuo@-n IuZG-ies.
/ The Foreign LeEntIons.
! From the time when we passed the
I huge Gate Tower AID entered the Tartar
I city about enc hour Of severe joIeing
/ brought Us to the British Legation. a fine
old palace Cof the bungalow type) once an
( imperial residence. which about two hun
! dred years ago vas bestowed by the En-
peror on one Of his th!rty-three sons.
/ whose descendants bear 4 tide equivalent
10 Dukes Of Lesrg. and their palace was
called LeanE- k0oag-foo. This place and
! near to the quarters assigned 10 the en-
voys Of the Misunderstanding nations" that
! when troublesome foreigners insisted on
sending ambassadors Is the Emperor Of
. China it occurred TO the authorities that
II thsy established the foreign legations
I here It would appear to the ignorant pub
lie as if these great nations were simply
new vasssl5 Of the Celestial Empire.
so the LeauE-kOC1E-fse was made over
% Britain in perpetuity ct an annual rent
Of 2TCo. and is now known as he "a
F. King kOo-f0o. or Great England Country
Palace. Sites in he same quarter were
assigned T. the French. Russian. German
and american legations so they have The
great advantage OF being near together
and forming a pleasant little society Of
their Owu-a real privilege in this exile,
and one which fully COmpensates for being
apparently classed as tribute bearers.
The grounds Of the British Legation
which cover about three acres. are inciOSad
BY q hish wall, aCree2bIv to Chinese ideas
OF seci sion. and greatly 20 the comfort Of
the i'm R:es. Part Of this is laid out as a
ga den and the buildings are in seDarsfa