U
'H
A MILITARY STATION.
A long the canals and public roads of China, great numbers o f military
posts are erected, at which eight or ten soldiers are generally stationed.
A d ja c en t to each o f these stands a lo o k -out-house, c om m a n d in g an
extensive p ro s p e c t; an d a d jo in in g are placed five cones o f p lastered
b r i c k w o r k , out o fw h ic h c e rtain combustibles are sa id to be fired, in
times o f ala rm from in v a s io n o r in su rre c tio n . I n fro n t o f the b u ild in g
is a s imp le trium p h a l entrance , on w h ich is a n in sc rip tio n suitable to
th e plac e. N e a r th is th e im p e ria l e n sig n is elevated ; an d o n th e left
o f th e house is a frame o f wood, in w h ic h are deposited different a rm s ,
as p ik e s , match lo ck s, bows. &tc.
T h e vessel p a s s in g b y w ith a do u b le um b re lla , co n ta in s some m a n d
a r in o f d is tin c tio n , who is saluted b y th e firin g o f th ree p eta rd s.* an d
b y th e g u a rd , who are d raw n o u t in a ra n k .
* T h e Chinese, o n these occasions, nev er use m ore th a n th re e g uns, which a rc always
fired p e rp en d icu larly , to prev en t accidents.