In Plate CLV. is given an elevation of a Taa or pago da of this sort, which is situated upon the shore of Ta-ho (great river,) between Canton and Hoang-Pour.
Respecting the imperial palace, Duhalde furnishes a description, given by a missionary who was admitted in to the presence of the emperor in his own apartments, of which the following is the substance : The southern gate never being opened but for the emperor, he enter ed by a western gate into a court which lay to the south of the palace. Its form was a double square ; at each extremity was an edifice of an oblong form, two stories high ; the lower story having three openings like the gates of a city, the court from north to south was more than 200 geometrical paces ; it was paved with coarse bricks laid on edge, and intersected by walks paved with large flat stones. In passing from this to a second court, a canal lying cast and west was crossed by one of six bridges of white marble, erected near its middle, and facing four vaulted gateways, which arc surmounted by a large platform or turret, and upwards of 20 geometrical paces in breadth. At the entrance of the bridge leading to the middle gateway were two large round columns of white marble, placed on pedestals, in closed by a balustrade of the same material, and having two lions, seven or eight feet high, standing upon plinths, and apparently all of one block. This second court is scarcely 100 geometrical paces in length, and about half this in breadth. At the entrance of the court are other two columns of white marble, decorated with dragons in relief, and two small wings placed a little below a flat and very large capital. From this there was a passage into a third court, twice the length of the second, and a little wider, by five gateways similar to the former. The gates arc very thick, and covered with iron plates, which arc fastened by means of rows of coppersiails, with hea05 larger than a man's fist. All the),c buildfr gs arc elepted on a socle or plinth about the heiglebf a man, built with pieces of reddish-grcy marbly badly polished: All the courts arc surrounded by covered with yellow tiles. At the termination of tholithird court was an edifice of moderate length, flanked with two pavilions, each two stories high, priccripassed by galleries. ?hese
arc connected by wings terminated by two pavilions si milar to the former. Thc.lircr story of this edifice is raised on a platform of brick about 35 feet high, crown ed with a parapet with sinnFinclosures. The base of the platform, to within six feet of the lower story, is built with marble; its lowest pant is pierced with vaulted aper tures, shut by gates similar to those already described, only that the brass nails and fastenings arc gilt. I laving passed these three courts, a fourth, of about 80 geome trical paces square, is entered: qiik is encompassed by galleries, occasionally intercepted ry small open saloons, opposite to which are staircases With balustrades of white marble. This court is intersected by a small canal, lined with white marble, and having marble balusters along its edges : there are four 'or five bridges over this canal, each of a single arch of white marble, decorated with mouldings and has reliefs. At the extremity of the court is a magnificsjg
by three staircases similar to thdlE alreadyjlescribed. In a fifth court, of dimensions and shape srinil'itr to the last, is a square perron of three stories, and at each story encompassed by a white marble balustratle, the height is about 18- feet : It is built on a socle or plinth of coarser marble, about six feet in height; the ascent is by three staircases, the middle one of which is the most considerable. Eight bronze vases, about seven feet high, adorn the summit of this perron. At its base, near the principal staircase, arc two enormous figures of lions in bronze; this edifice stands oiipositc a magnificent hall. From hence passed throdgh two other courts differing little from the last ; and from thence through a door on the right into an eighth court, about 200 paces in length; at the end of this, a large open hall on the left ; and from thence into a ninth court, rather smaller than the last ; at the extre mity of this, there was an edifice of an oblong form, of two stories high, like th