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A RECENT VISIT TO THE CLASSIC GROUNDS OF CHINA.

After an introduction, such as the foregoing pages afford, to the ancient sages and emperors, and all the worthies who figured in Chinese history and song as rulers, teachers, or authors, the reader will begin to feel a desire to learn more respecting the present condition of the country in which they lived. Were it possible, he would make a pilgrimage to the places of their birth, and the scenes among which they lived and acted. He would visit their tombs, and study the inscriptions on their Monuments.

The roads leading to those sites, made memorable in Grecian and Roman history, are always alive with enthusiastic tourists.

Scarcely a class in any college, but at one time or another has had its representatives in the lands of Homer and Virgil, longing to see with their own eyes every spot which has been immortalized by the historian's and by the poet's pen: yearly, for ages past, have fresh throngs of pilgrims appeared around the pyramids, and gone searching through the temple-ruins of Egypt: Palestine, with all its sacred associations, is still fresh ground to each

successive tourist: in later years Babylon and Nineveh are rewarding the search of the antiquarian: while China until lately, has kept itself shut in, and other portions. of the world shut out. Recently, however, the walls were scaled, and foreign scholars are now not only penetrating all the fields of her literature, but they are visiting the places where were enacted the scenes of four thousand years ago. They find the monuments which for thousands of years have withstood the ravages of time : they study and translate their inscriptions.

It is with peculiar pleasure that we are able to lay before the reader, ere he shall close this volume, the outlines of a picture of the classic grounds of China.

What we here present is compiled from the notes of a journey which was recently made through the regions which were traveled over by the renowned Yu, when engaged in redeeming the country from the desolations caused by the inundation; regions over which Confucius traveled on foot or rode in his chariot of primitive pattern; regions which are rich in monuments of a more hoary antiquity than any other land can boast.

That those monuments with their inscriptions are preserved perfect down through so many generations, will cause less surprise when it is known that many of them are within the temples, sheltered from the action of storms and sun. Another reason for their preservation is found in the permanent character of the population : the families do not move about from place to place, but as the old disappear, children succeed them, perpetuating the name and the occupation of the fathers from generation to generation. Should there be civil wars, still the tombs, ancient tablets, and monumental struc

tures are sacred, and no harm is allowed to come to them.

The quotations given below are from the "Notes of a journey from Pekin to Chefoo, via the Grand Canal, Yen-Chow-Foo, etc., by Rev. A. Williamson."

See Journal of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society; New Series, No. III, 1866.

The Journal says:

On the 18th October, 1865, I set off from Peking in company with a native teacher at Tung-chow-foo we obtained a boat to take us on to Lin-tsing-chow, the spot where the Grand Canal divides into two branches-the main branch leading to Hang-chow-foo and the river Yang-tze, the other, called the Wei-ho, to Ho-nan and the west. Two days took us to Tien-tsin, and our journey may be said to have begun.

Traveling along this portion of the Canal we found it in excellent repair, from eighty to one hundred feet wide, and from eight to ten feet deep. The towns along the banks were less flourishing than I had anticipated, many being little better than heaps of ruins; the only towns of real importance on the way to Lin-tsing being Tsau-chow and Yüh-chow, spelt Yi-chow in the Admiralty maps; the former incloses a large space of ground, but there does not appear to be extensive business carried on.

Arriving at Lin-tsing we found it to be an extensive market for all kinds of goods; the city had been burned down by the Taiping rebels several years ago, and had not been rebuilt. Here the Canal branches off in two directions, one to Ho-nan and south-westward, and the other, and formerly the principal one, proceeding south, to Soo-chow and Hang-chow. Here the famous locks

commenced, but they were now all out of repair, and the Canal all but dry; accordingly we had to leave our boats and hire carts. The road ran nearly parallel with the Canal, and so we had the pain of seeing its dilapidated appearance, every now and then; we were told that it was useless for between sixty and seventy miles, but receiving a supply from the Yellow River, it again became navigable, and continued so on to its ancient termination.

Proceeding onwards, we found cotton growing in great abundance, and whole families, and especially the female portion of the households, busy picking the wool. Here, for the first time, I met with numbers of those extraordinary wheelbarrows propelled by sails, familiar to most of us in written accounts of China, but seen by so few ; at first sight we hardly knew what to make of them-something moving along on dry ground with a sail set.

The next morning we came in sight of the fine bell tower of Tung-chang-foo, and at last reached the city about 8 o'clock, A.M. We found it to be a most important place; the city was in good order, well fortified, and with a fine bell tower in the center. But the eastern suburbs far exceeded the city proper in importance; they were most extensive, and the trade appeared enormous. I had seen nothing equal to them, unless it be the eastern suburbs of Shanghai, or the great north street of Tien-tsin. The city was nearly surrounded by water, partly by canal and the Yellow River. In summer time pleasure boats ply for hire all round the place.

Up to this point of our journey we found it somewhat difficult to identify places which are mentioned in the old books, but here the country began to be exceedingly

rich in historical associations; this feature increased every day, culminating in the Temple and Tomb of Confucius, though not ceasing there. This city is supposed to take its name from a very famous man called "Chang," who rose in rebellion against Chow, the last emperor of the Yin dynasty, and having defeated him, took the little Wang (king) Wan, of Chow, and founded the Chow dynasty, of which his son Woo was the first Emperor. He lived about B.C. 1100.

Having spent some hours in the city, we again set out, few objects of interest presenting themselves. Passing a village called Wo-chung, hills appeared in sight; we knew that the famous Yellow River skirted their bases, and so our enthusiasm began to rise. The road became extremely soft and clayey, and we were nearly stuck fast; this part of the country having evidently been recently overflowed by "China's Sorrow." Slowly the river dawned upon our vision, like a mighty yellow dragon lying at rest on the level soil: at two o'clock we reached the ferry; there also we found a military post, for it was said there were bands of mounted robbers in the neighborhood; the soldiers were very civil.

We found the river broad, rapid and muddy; though not so broad as we anticipated; much wider than the Thames at London bridge. There were multitudes of ferry boats of all sizes plying, and having selected one of the largest, had our cart and mules and ourselves quickly placed on board, as we wished to travel forty lí further that afternoon.

Our route lying direct through the scene of Great Yu's labors, I endeavored to pierce the mystery of that great flood which has so long interested Chinese scholars, and

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