Y uen-jni l- struckghj&L and lying prostrate on the ground, buildings
— overturned, and trees torn up by the roots.
In the neighbourhood of Pekin, the gardens and pleasure
grounds of Yuen--min-yuen occupy a considerable
- tract of ground, of :which the circuit was, according to
the>observation ;©f Mr. Barrow, at least twelve miles.
That gentleman, who saw more j f f it than any; other
person of the Embassy, thought it “ a delightfuljmfce.
“ The grand and agreeable parts of nature -were sepa-
■ ‘ rated, connected, or arranged in so judicious a. manner,
“ as to compose onewhole, in which there was no in-
“ consistency or unmeaning jumble of objects; but such
j§ an order and proportion as generally prevail in scenes
“ entirely natural. No round or oval; square**©!1 oblong
“ lawns, with the grass shorn off ©lose to the roots, were
“ to be found any where in those grounds. The Chi-
“ nese are particularly expert in magnifying the real
“ dimensions of a piece of land, by a proper disposi-
“ tion of the objects; intended to embellish its surface ;
“ for this purpose, tall and luxuriant trees of the deepest
“ green were planted in the fore, ground, from whence
“ the view was to be taken; whilst those in the distance
“ gradually diminished in size and depth of colouring ;
“ and in general the ground was terminated by broken
“ and irregular clumps of trees, whose foliage varied as
“ well by the different species of trees in the group, as
“ by the different times of the year in which they were
" in vigourijcanff ohentimefe theTYfogetatioia Mas appa- Yuen-min.
Wateptly old and-stuHted. inakih^ with difficulty its way yue°'
“ through, ithe rcjifts 6f rocks y either; originally founds or
“ design edly.coffefcted'upon) the'spot,. The effect of in-
“ tricae^ and bonoeaiment^fefe(halso to be [well under-
|| stood by, thri,h)Hhese/.s At Yuen-bakisyprix, a slight
‘?]#ill wus, made1 to.dxtriSeeyitbe: idea o£i|sl|magriij¢
^huildhigyiwhen seen at ia certain distance!through the '
“ biianehieSyof w thicket. , Sheets.of made ^4tt%dn®tead
h iofibbihg, swtouhded by sloping/banks, like^bd'^aci'S
|h a fortificationy.'vyere.'ocoasaonally hemmed, in
l‘:Mfecialir©ck,S',:fseemingl,y indigenqusAo thyasoil.
onlyoircuihxfcmoeiwhkih.uiffkatod'against the
“ picturesque in the landsofipe of * the. Chd®@§b;f*w|>s the
‘jformal shape Uurd glaring colouring of-tjieir buildings!'*
‘ | Their hndnlatingroofs aTe, however, to
“ the first part, of the charge; and their projection th rows ■
“ :a softening,s'hadowTupori'bheccrlonnade which supports
l5,dt.oSome of those high towers; which Europeanshall-pa©
“ godasyasEe well adapted: objects for vastus-, aridbrdaceord“
“ ingly.'fof the most part, placed son elevated situations;
“ .Nofcwlthstariding'the justsideEts which the Chinese1
“i Gonefefve:of:ornamen1?al gasdemng,raradrthe taste with
“* which they dispose of i&weEy.'.’objSctfCo the greatest
“ advantage, they are imti only totally ignorant of.' the
“ principles of .perspective, and;of theogradations■ of
“ light and shade, but are utterly insensible-of their