ftrenuous oppofers o f the meafure, having no doubt very
cogent reafons for wifhing- the continuance o f the 1 practice
T h e y affured the inhabitants, that i f human excrement was no
longer to be accumulated in the ftreets, to attraT the putrefcent
particles Boating in the air, they would find their way into
the human body, and a peftilential ficknefs would be the inevitable
confequence.
The police o f the capital, as we afterwards found, is fo well regulated,
that the fafety and tranquillity o f the inhabitants are
feldom difturbed. At the end o f every crofs ftreet, and at certain
diftances in it, are a kind o f crofs bars, with fentry boxes
at each o f which is placed a foldier, and few o f thefe ftreets are
without a guard-houfe. Befides, the proprietor or ^inhabitant
o f every tenth houfe, like the ancient tythingmen o f England,
takes it in turn to keep the peace, and be refponfible for the
good condudt o f his nine neighbours. I f any riotous company
ihould affemble, or any difturbances happen within his diftrift
he is to give immediate information thereof to the neareft guard-
houfe. The foldiers alfo go their rounds, and inftead o f crying
the hour like our watchmen, ftrike upon a ihort tube o f bamboo,
which gives a dull hollow found, that for feveral nights,
prevented us from fleeping until we were accuftomed to it.
It took us full two hours, as I before obierved, in paifihg
from the eaftern to the weftern gate o f Pekin. The clouds o f
duft raifed by the populace were here much denfer than on the
road, and the fmothering heat o f the day, the thermometer in
our little carts Handing at 96°, was almoft infupportable. Except
the
the great crowd on. every fide, we faw little to engage the attention
after the firft five minutes. Indeed, a fingle walk
through one o f the broad ftreets is quite fufficient to give a
ftranger a competent idea o f the whole city. He will immediately
perceive that every ftreet, is laid: out in the fame manner,
and every houfe built upon, the fame plan; and that their archi-
teilure is void o f tafte, grandeur, beauty, folidity, or convenience
; that the houfes are merely tents, and that there is nothing
magnificent, even in the palace o f the Emperor;— but
we ihall have occafion to fpeak on this fubject hereafter. A ik
a Chinefe, however, what is to be feen that is curious or great
in the capital, and he will immediately enter upon a long
hiftory o f the beauties o f the palace belonging to Ta-whang-tee,
the, mighty Emperor. According to his notions, every thing
within the palace walls is gold and filver. He will tell you o f
gold and filver pillars, gold and filver roofs, gold and filver
vafes, in which are fwimming gold and. filver fifties. All, however,
is not gold that glitters in China, more than elfewhere.
The Emperor, as I ihall hereafter have occafion to notice, has
very little furplus revenue at his difpofal, and is frequently dif-
treffed for money to pay his army and other. exigences o f the
ftate. And, though China has o f late years drawn from Europe
a confiderable quantity o f fpecie, yet when this is fcattered over
fo vaft an extent o f country, and divided among fo many millions
o f people, it becomes almoft as a drop thrown into the fea. M o f t '
o f the money, befides, that enters China is melted down, and
converted into, articles o f luxury or convenience. Few nations
are better acquainted with the value o f thefe precious metals
than the Chinefe j and few, i f any, can furpafs their ingenuity