Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 203

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ally spoken of as the Pahtú river, or 'north_ford_river.' At the eastern angle of the city of Ningpo, this twin tributary unites with the river of T'sz’kí and their joint waters flow northeast and north in a deep channel, until they enter the open sea at Chinkái. From the fork down to Chinhái, the river is generally the Yung river. It is also not unfrequently named the 'Tátsieh' river, and some parts of it are known as the ‘Siáutsieh.' In English charts and descrip- tions it is written the Takiah, or the Tahiah river; but the correct pronunciation, as has just been represented, is Tátsieh.

The entire circumference of the city-walls, does not exceed five miles; the average height is 25 feet, exclusive of the parapet which is five feet high; the width at the top is 15, at the base 22 feet. The materials of which the wall is built are solid, although some parts are now greatly dilapidated; and on every side it is so overrun with grass and weeds, that one occasionally finds some difficulty in threading his way.

There are six gates in the wall. Five of these are situated at the four cardinal points of the compass, there being two on the eastern face. The sixth opens at the northeast section. These are well known to those who were engaged in the late expedition, as the north and south, east and west gates. The second gate on the east face is called by the English the Bridge gate;' and the northeast gate is their 'Confucius gate,' or the 'Artillery gate.' In addition to these principal gates, there is, close by the south and west gates respectively, a water gate or small sally-port intended chiefly for the ingress and egress of boats that ply about in the city canals.

At one time the south and west gates had each a drawbridge outside the walls. But this has become a fixture. It is a wooden bridge thrown across a narrow canal. Bridge gate' is so called because there is a floating bridge thrown across the river opposite to it, 200 yards long, and 5 or 6 broad. It is made of planks firmly lashed and laid upon lighters, of which there are sixteen closely linked together with iron chains. The bridge is occasionally opened for the passage of large boats plying up and down the river. There is a busy market upon it, and the passengers are so thick that no man has time for gazing about. It leads into a bustling and populous suburb on the opposite side.

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The six pincipal gates are double. Each inner gate is support- ed by an outer one, which is 20 or 30 yards distant from it. The line of wall, that runs off from the one side of the inner gate towards