The middle gate of the south side opens into the em peror's palace, NI hiell is situated in the centre of the Tartar city. This imperial residence comprehends a vast assemblage of immense buildings, extensive courts, and magnificent gardens. It occupies a space about a mile in length, and three quarters of a mile in breadth, and is inclosed on all sides by double walls of red polish ed bricks, 20 feet high. Through the middle of this in closure winds a considerable rivulet, formed into canals, basons, and lakes, and adorned with artificial rocks, mounts, and grottos. This palace is peculiarly distin guished by the singular structure of its pavilion roofs, which are covered with varnished, tiles of so brilliant a yellow, as to hat e the appearance, at a distance, of being gilded.
Between the other two gates on the south side, and the corresponding opposite gates in the north wall, run two parallel and straight streets, each about four Eng lish miles in length, and 120 feet in breadth. Of the two streets which stretch, in like manner, from the two eastern to the opposite western gates, one is equally wide and straight as the other main streets ; but the other is interrupted by the north wall of the palace, round which therefore it is carried in its progress. The cross streets are only lanes branching from these prin cipal streets in right angles, exceedingly narrow, but filled with houses of the same appearance as the larger streets. The main streets are lined on every side with shops and warehouses, before which the goods are brought out and displayed in various groupes. In front of these shops, are generally erected large wooden pil lars, higher than the eves of the houses, with inscrip tions upon them in gilt letters, describing the nature of the wares within, and the reputation of the dealer ; and in order to attract the notice of passengers, they are hung with various coloured flags and ribbands from top to bottom, so as to have the appearance of a line of ship ping dressed. The sides of the houses also are painted with different colours, chiefly sky-blue or green, mixed with gold. The streets are not paved, but covered with sand and dust, on account of which the cross lanes are frequently At the points, where the great streets intersect each other, arc erected monuments or triumphal arches, in memory of those who have attained remarkable longe vity, or distinguished themselves in the service of the state. These structures consist of a large central gateway, with a smaller one on each side, covered with narrow roofs ; are built sometimes of wood, but generally of brick ; and are varnished and painted, like the houses, in a very splen did style. There are abundance of wells tin oughout the city ; but the water is extremely bad. Within the north ern wall, also, is a large sheet of water, several acres in extent, and a small stream running along the western wall, which supply the neighbouring districts. There are no common sewers to carry off the dirt and dregs of the city ; but, from the scarcity and value of manure in China, no kind of filth or offensive substance is ever thrown out into the streets. Every family collects its own t efusc into a large earthen jar, the contents of which are sold for money, or exchanged for vegetables from the gardeners. In consequence, however, of the preser vation of these various kinds of excrement in the houses, and the multitude of little carts employed in conveying it to the neighbouring fields, the air of the city is filled throughout w ith a very disgusting odour.
No correct idea can be formed of the population of Pekin, or of any Chinese city, from the extent of the in closing walls ; as they have, in general, within their com• pass large patches of unoccupied land, which often ex ceed the space of ground upon which the buildings stand. In that part of the capital called the Chinese city, seve ral hundred acres are in cultivation ; in the imperial re sidence, more than two-think of the whole are occupied by parks or pleasure grounds ; and under the north wall of the Tartar town, as has been already mentioned, is a large pond or swamp about 50 acres in extent. These spaces of open ground are supposed to have been re set red, as appears also to have been done in several of the celebrated ancient cities of Asia, for the purpose of yielding a supply of onions, garlic, and other pungent vegetables, during the time of a siege.
The external appearance of Pekin does not excite very high expectations in the mind of the traveller ; as none of the buildings can be seen over-topping the wall, and not even a chimney rises above the roofs of the houses.
Neither has the inside view much variety of aspect, as every street is laid out in the same manner, and et-el V house built upon the same plan. The streets and lanes are disposed in straight lines, and the houses all of the same height, seldom exceeding one story ; and, except the great shops, none of them have any windows towards the street in front ; so that the whole has more the ap pearance of a large encampment, than of an ancient city. But the bustle and number of its moving objects, pre sent a sufficient variety and succession of scenery to the view. The cross streets or lanes are said to be extreme ly quiet, and free of crowds ; but the great streets, which lie in the direction of the gates, and which are the only outlets to the city, are constantly thronged with people. The following striking description by an intelligent eye witness, will give the best idea of the busy scene. a The multitude of moveable workshops of tinkers and barbers, coblers and blacksmiths ; the tents and booths, where tea and fruit, rice and other vegetables, were exposed for sale, with the wares and merchandise arrayed before the doors, had contracted this spacious street to a narrow road in the middle, just wide enough for two of our lit tle vehicles to pass each other. The cavalcade of offi cers and soldiers, that preceded the embassy ; the pro cessions of men in office attended by their numerous re tinues, bearing umbrellas and flags, painted lanterns and a variety of large insignia of their rank and station ; dif ferent trains, that were accompanying, with lamentable cries, corpses to their graves, and, with squalling music, brides to their husbands ; the troops of dromedaries la den with coals from Tartary ; the •heel-barrows and hand carts, stuffed with vegetables, occupied nearly the whole of this middle space in one continued line, leaving very little room for the cavalcade of the embassy to pass. All was in motion. The sides of the streets were filled with an immense concourse of people, buying and selling and bartering their different commodities. The buz and confused noises of this mixed multitude, proceeding from the loud bawling of those who were crying their wales, the wrangling of others, and every now and then a strange twanging noise, like thy jarring of a cracked Jew 's-harp, (the barber's signal made by his tweezers,) the mirth and laughter which prevailed in every groupe, could scarce ly be exceeded by the brokers in the Bank Rotunda, or by the Jews and old women in Rosemary-lane. Pedlars with their packs, and jugglers, and conjurers, and for tune-tellers, mountebanks and quack-doctors, comedians and musicians, left no space unoccupied:" " The show of the embassy," adds the author, " was but an accessa ry. Every one pursued his business at the same time that he gratified his curiosity."* The cities of China are divided into three classes, Foo, Tcheoo, and Hien j each of which comprehends a certain number of square leagues under its jurisdiction. Besides Pekin, the capital of the whole empire, the province of Pe-tche-lee contains 9 cities of the first class, 40 of the second, and 103 of the third. Those of the first order are Pao-ting-foo, which is the most considerable city in the province next to Pekin, and where the viceroy has his residence. It is situated in a pleasant and fruitful district ; and is remarkable chiefly for a large lake in the middle of it, which abounds with the celebrated Chinese water lily, lien-wha. Hokien-foo, situated between two rivers, and noted for the cleanliness of its streets. Tching ting-foo, situated on the banks of a beautiful river, is a well walled town, about four miles in circumference, and is celebrated for the medicinal plants which are found upon the mountains in its neighbourhood. Shun-te-foo is placed in the midst of a fertile and populous country, full of lakes and rivers, which abound in excellent craw fish ; and its territory produces the best touch-stone in China, and also a fine kind of sand, which is used for po lishing precious stones, and which is sold in every part of the empire. Quan-ping-foo, in the south of the pro vince, is surrounded by a well-watered country. Tai ming-foo, of which nothing worth mentioning is record ed. Yung-ping-foo, situated near the sea and encom passed by rivers, yields from its surrounding mountains abundance of tin. Suen-wha-foo, an extensive, populous, and well built city, situated near the great wall, and sur rounded by fortresses. Its mountainous district yields very fine crystals and marbles, and a species of large yellow rat, the skins of which arc much valued by the Chinese.