Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 106

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Sketches of China.

PED

f feeding its vast population with the produce of more fertile provinces and districts. The most ancient portion of Peking is that area to the north which is now called the Tartar city, or city of nine gates, the actual number of its entrances. To the south is another inclosure, less strictly guarded, as it does not contain, like the other, the emperor's residence. The whole circumference of the two coinbined is not less than twenty-five miles within the walls and independently of suburbs. A very large portion of the centre of the northern city is occupied and monopolised by the emperor, with his palaces, gardens, &c., which are surrounded by their own wall, and form what is called 'the prohibited city.' What Rome was to Europe, Peking is, or has been, to the larger portion of Asia, especially when it became the scat of Zenghis and Kublai Khan, the masters of the eastern world. While the territory of Rome, however, has degenerated into the few square leagues that constitute the patrimony of St. Peter, Peking maintains the greater portion of its ancient sovereignty in an integral state. The former city has shrunk into a corner of the area comprised by its ancient wall; while Peking has doubled its original extent, within a new and additional wall, and pos- sesses considerable suburbs without the walls. It was naturally with feelings of considerable interest that we approached this singular place.

"At the distance of about six miles from Tungchau, our cavalcade, which like most large bodies moved slowly, halted, as it was beginning to grow dark, for refreshment. The place at which we alighted was for all the world just like the stable-yard of an inn, and the knight of La Mancha himself would never have taken it for a castle. On a table in the middle of this yard stood a most uninviting repast, which some of our party very properly deno- minated a mess of broken victuals.' The principal part of the entertain- ment consisted of half-plucked, untrussed, fowls, in a boiled state, and al- together so nasty, that few, if any, of our party could be induced to touch What them; and there was plenty of water to be had in wooden buckets. seemed to make this unseemly treat the more inexcusable was the fact, that two of our principal conductors were with us, and therefore could not plead ignorance of its nature.

of its nature. Some of the Chinese, however, had such elevated notions of English refinement, that they supposed, or at least said, that it was in conformity with the customs of our country.'

"As the kinchái stated that we could not arrive at Yucuming yuen before the next morning, I felt no desire to pass the whole night in the saddle, and exchanged my horse for one of the wretched little Chinese tilted carts. But we had not proceeded half a mile before I had abundant reason to regret the choice, for the convulsive throes of this primitive machine, without springs, on the ruined granite road, produced an effect little short of lingering death; and the only remedy was to get out as often as possible and walk. Our expectations had been raised by Kwang's assurance that the gates of Peking would be kept open beyond the usual hour for our reception; and when we had passed on for about half an hour through a handsome suburb, containing shops whose fronts were richly carved and gilded, we actually reached the