Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 462

444

Topography of Chile

14. – Sian chau, having 15. Ki chau, having

16. Shin chau, having 17. Ting chau, having 18. Kaupe tán, having 19. Cháhár, having

Avg.

5 districts:

5 districts:

3 districts;

2 districts;

3 districts;

I district.

Peking, Tientsin, Je hỏ, and Pei hỏ, have already been described, in former numbers of the Repository. The description of Peking, occupying forty pages, and accompanied by a map, will be found in vol. II., p. 432, and the sequel. Omitting as far as possible to repent what has been before said of the abovenamed places, we proceed now to notice the several departments in their order.

I. The department of Shuntien is distinguished from all the other divisions of the empire by being the KING-sz', or residence of the imperial court. According to governmental measurement, it extends 600 li from east to west, and 488 from north to south. On the north and northwest it is bounded by the Great Wall, from which it extends to the sea, east of Tientsin. Its shape is that of a quad- rant, the radii of which are three or four rivers, running under the Wall, and from thence converging to the point where they disem- bogue in the gulf of Chilf. The most eastern of these rivers is called, where it intersects the Wall, Kiú hó: it rises not far beyond the Wall, and descends almost due south, passing near Kí chau, and receives the waters of several minor streams. The second, proceed- ing westward, has two sources on the north of the Wall-first the

Cháu hó, and then the

Pe hó, or White river, usu-

泃河

ally written “Pei ho:" these unite just below the district of Miyun ; then take a southerly course to Fung chau, near Peking; and thence the river forms the great thoroughfare to Tientsin and the sea. The third, a river of soine magnitude, is called

Sangkien, on the north of the Wall, and

Yungting on the south. The fourth, Both of these, the Sángkien aud Tungting, west of Tientsin,

and last, is the Kuma.

巨馬

the Kiima, flow into the lake near which place they unite with the Pe ho, and with it flow into

the sea.

From this notice of the rivers of Shuntien, it is natural to infer, what travelers affirm, that the whole of the country north and west of Peking is mountainous, while in the opposite direction the surface stretches out in one broad plain.

The prefect of this department resides at Peking, which comprises