" Some rivers, instead of a bujuco bridge, are pass ed by means of a tarabita ; as is the case with regard to that of Alchipichi. This machine serves not only to carry over persons and loads, but also the beasts them selves; the rapidity of the stream, and the monstrous stones continually rolling along it, rendering it imprac ticable for them to swim over.
"The tarabita is only a single rope made of bujuco, or thongs of an ox's hide, and consisting of several strands, and about six or eight inches in thickness. This rope is extended from one side of the river to the other, and fastened on each bank to strong posts. On One side is a kind of wheel, or winch, to straighten or slacken the tarabita to the degree required. From the tarabita hangs a kind of leathern hammock. capable of holding a man ; and is suspended by a clue at each end. A rope is also fastened to either clue, and ex tended to each side of the river, for drawing the ham mock to the side intended. A push, at its first setting off, sends it quickly to the other side.
" For carrying over the mules, two tarabitas are ne cessary, one for each side of the river, and the ropes are much thicker and slacker. On this rope is only one clue, which is of wood, and by which the beast is suspended, being secured with girths round the belly, neck, and legs. When this is performed, the creature is shoved off, and immediately landed on the opposite side. Such as are accustomed to he carried over in this manner never make the least motion, and even come of themselves to have the girts fastened round them ; but it is with great difficulty they are at first brought to suffer the girths to be put round their bodies, and when they find themselves suspended, kick i.nd fling, during their short passage, in a most terrible manner. The bridge of Alchipichi may well excite terror in a young traveller, being between thirty z,nd forty fathoms from shore to shore ; and its perpendicular height, above the surface of the water, twenty-five fathoms." A third mode of bridge building is, by constructing piers of stone at a distance to be reached by single stones or beams of timber ; if used in shallow streams. and composed of rough stones, laid without mortar, it is likewise a very simple operation, and such as would readily occur to a very rude people ; but if the stream was at all times deep and rapid, and the piers composed of hewn stone laid with or even without mortar, the case was very different ; workmen must have previously been accustomed to quarrying, hewing, and transport ing large stones, also building them in a regular man ner; working in metals, and preparing mortar, must have been known ; and, from what will be detailed under the head of Practice, it trill be seen, that in preparing a proper foundation for each pier, the union and ex perience of various arts are required ; and that the society, in which works of this sort, of any magnitude, were accomplished, was far advanced, and had the com mand of much well-regulated labour. The bridge over
the Euphrates at Babylon, appears to have been con structed alter this last manner ; and there arc many in different parts of China.* With respect Co the fourth mode, obtained by con structing arches of stone between the piers. If we may credit the accounts given by the Chinese, they con structed bridges in this manner, many centuries before arches were known to the inhabitants of the western world. Those connected with their inland navigation are numerous.
From the accounts generally given, it is not easy to form distinct ideas of the dimensions or construction of the Chinese bridges, or to what extent they merit the appellations bestowed by travellers, of being great and magnificent. Duhalde informs us, that " the stone bridges arc commonly built like ours, on large piers of stone capable of resisting the rapidity of the stream, and sustaining the weight of the arches, wide enough for the passage of large vessels. They are exceedingly numerous, and the Emperor spares no expence when the public good requires them to be built.
" Of these, there is one very remarkable at Fou ichcou-fou, capital of Tou-kien. The river over which it is built is half a league in breadth ; it is sometimes divided into small arms, and sometimes separated by small islands ; these are united in joining the islands by bridges, which make altogether eight furlongs or Chinese lys and 76 toises. The principal of these has alone above one hundred arches built of white stone, with bannisters on each side handsomely carved, upon which, at the distance of every ten feet, are placed square pilasters, whose bases are very large, resembling hollow barks.