O th e r '
C it ie s .'
Edifices.
Roads.
Î T h e other iargê cities-of China are almoft innumerable*;/and many
ofth-e villag&'are of a furprifing fize. Among the cities may be mentioned
Sïhgan, the capital o f the province of Shenfi, Kayfong, that of
Honan, Tayyuen of-Shanfi, Tfinan of Shanton, Chingtu of Sechwun,
Vu chan g of Hüquaiigj' Nanchang of Kyangfi, Hangchew of Chëkyang,
lùichew ôîÿÉoky en,,.Qiiegling of Quangfi, Queyyang of Queychew,
and Yunnan of the weftern province fo called,' with Shinyan, ,the- chief
city :of the northern province of Lyautong, and Kinkitao of Corea,
a dependency of China. ~ O f thefè cities Singan is by fome efteemed
equal to Pekin. In general the' plan and fortifications are fimilar, ; and
a Mandfhur garrifon is carefully maintained.
The moft ftriking and peculiar edifices in China are the -pagddaTS/tif-
towers, already mentioned, which fo'metimes iffie to the hséi^hffpf nine
fti>fieSj tîf iöbfé than twenty'feet each.'_TTheJ:eiftplesv''àn the contrary,
'are commonly low buildings, always’open to the dèifoUt WOrl^^peis^óf
polytheifm. The whole ftyle o f Chinefe architecture is well known tö’
bedingular, lyid is difplayed with the 'greateft fplendouf in tffê^hrfpériat
palace a t Pekin, which7 is deferibed at gréât len g th -bÿ Du H a ld e ,-and
S ir G fe rg e Staunton. ’ T h e late emperor chiefly' refidetf in th*e fummer
a t th e palace yof Z tó h o p 'about 120 miles N. JE. -from- Pekin, in-'the
c o u n try -o f -the Mandlhurs, n ot far beyond the-'great wall, where th e '
various edifices o f the palaCe are, as ufual, fituated'ih a^plea■^ure:>•gî,(J^nd'
of wide extent. The architecture is élégant,’ and highly ornamented,
but ' the paintings of mean execution, as the Chinefe are ftrangers to
-perfpe&ive, and do not admit o f fliade, which they regard as a
bletnrftis ' ~
The roads are generally kept in excellent order, -with convenient
bridges.- That near the capital is thus deferibed by Sir George Staunton-.
“ This road forms a magnificent avenue to Pekin,- for perfon.s;and commodities,
bound for that capital, from the eaft and from the fouth. It is
■ perfectly level ; .the centre, to the width of about twenty, feet, is - paved
with flags of granite, brought from a confiderable diftance, and of a
fize from fix to fixteen feet in length, and about four feet broad: On
each fide ó f this granite pavement is à road unpaved,. wide enough for
carriages .to' crofs upon it. Th,e road was bordered in many places with
1 trees,
trees, particularly. willows- -of -a very uncommon girth. The travellers R oads
foon palfed over a 'marble bridge,, of which the Jiqnftrudtion appeared ■
equal to the. material. The. perfe£tio;ki of ;fuch-a...fabric may be coq-
fidered to confift in its being-made as like as poffible to that of which it
fupplies the want: and the prefent bridge Teems to anfwer that deferip-
tion; for it is very wide,- and fubftantially built, over a rivulet .not
fubjedt to inundations, and'is little..el^yated above the,level of the roads
which it conncdls together.”
- The canals of.China have long excited the envy and wonder of other r ’
nations. . As the two grand rivers of Hoan ho and Kian ku bend their
courfe from_ Weft to eaft, th.e;';.chief olijedl was to interfea the empire j jj
from- n-©$5 rito fouth ;, Wats in^glfat. measure a^qmgli/he,d^by
imperial canal. This. \vond.erful work,' which in utility and labour
excccds the ..enormous wall,; ;is faid tpy.hagg,
•' cefflmry- ho^llfillian^ era,, -hum hjajfing’. keep -eq-ipjoyqfl |iff „43
years in its completion. • • !■ > . . * - ' S
t # ‘eEhis differs, rfiucl^/som^fbiq, jfatvals fif-^Eprope,, which
are/'geneVaJhy 'protfkded. in ftraightHines^ within n-arrqw^bounds,! and
without i) current,-’ whereas that m China is? w ining oftem-ka, its^ourie,
of une^uakand fometimesr ebnfiderable'widdii ‘and its w-aters-are feldqna.
-,^gnahf.'ri;;-r^,n u : ' ■ j
W “iThe ground which intervened' .between the, bed artificial,
Flveri>and that the -Eu*hor was'cftt dqwo j fo the de|)fh?#f;abqut §§| 1
, feet, iw order .to permit the waters of the.'formerjto /flow , gentle
current into the latter. . Their defeent is afterwards checked occafionally,- ,
| by flood -gates thrown acrofs? the canal, wherever they .were judged: to
be neceflary, which was feltlom the -, cafe^fti; mem as -within a, mile of
each other, the current'of the water being -flow; in moft places. This '
canal has no locks like thofe of Europe. | The flood-gates arc litpple m '
{heir conftru&ion, eafily managed, and kept in repair at a trifling ex- 3
pence. ; They confift merely of a few planks, let down feparately one
upon: another, 'by grooves cut into the tides of the twd.Colid ahutmpn.ts,; ■
or piers of ft one, that proje6t one from each bank, leaving a- fpticein the
middle- juft wide enough to admit a paflage for the largeft-veftels. emo
2 ' floyed I
Navi