traffic with carts, horses, and camels, which stirs up the dust at a later period of the day and renders the streets almost impassable, had not yet. commenced. Turning into one of the long wide streets which stretch from south to north, we rode slowly onwards in a northerly direction towards the Yan-ting or An-ting gate. At some little distance on our left was the Imperial city, with the yellow roofs of its palaces and temples glittering in the morning sun. A curious building, known as the Drum Tower, was also on our left. Shops and stalls lined the wide street, but there appeared little of interest in either to attract our notice as we went along.

Passing through the An-ting gate, we were soon in the open country. This part is well known to those of our troops who took a part in the late Chinese war. Here the troops were posted ready to take the city at a moment's notice. A little distance beyond the gate we came to the Russian cemetery, in which lie buried the bodies of poor Bowlby, the special commissioner of the Times' newspaper, and some other gentlemen who had been treacherously murdered by the Chinese during the late war. Their bodies lie side by side, and a

headstone records their names and their sad fate. It is intended, I believe, to remove their remains to an English cemetery, as soon as a site has been granted for this purpose. The Russian cemetery is a small, unpretending spot, situated amongst some high trees, and surrounded by a wall. At

its upper end there are a considerable number of foreign tombs.

The Lama temple, situated in these northern suburbs, is a very large establishment, and was occupied by the force under Sir Hope Grant when it marched on Peking. It appears to have been a kind of caravansera as well as a temple. I observed a number of priests lounging about, clothed in robes of the imperial yellow colour. The most remarkable object in the grounds is a fine octagonal marble monument, richly carved with figures in high relief. Like the Like the mosque I have already noticed, it is unlike anything one sees in China; it is quite Indian in form, and the characters and figures are probably Thibetian. Leaving the temple, we galloped along a grassy plain to the north-east corner of the city; then passing southward under the eastern walls, we entered the city again by one of the gates on this side, and went home by a different road from that by which we came out. Before we reached the English Legation all Peking was up and astir,-horsemen were galloping about, carts were jolting along the dusty streets, long trains of camels with bells jingling from their necks were toiling along, and clouds of dust were filling the air and rendering locomotion far from pleasant.

After rambling over this great city in almost every direction, I may mention the following as being its peculiar and most striking features. As an eastern city it is remarkable for its great size,

and for its high and massive walls, ramparts, and watch-towers. Its straight and wide streets are different from those of any other Chinese town which has come under my observation. Its imperial palaces, summer-houses, and temples, with their quaint roofs and yellow tiles, are very striking objects; and the number of private dwellings, situated amongst trees and gardens surrounded with high walls, give a country or park-like appearance to the great city. The trees and gardens of the palaces, with King-shan, or "Prospect Hill," are objects of considerable interest, as is also the Lama mosque, suggesting, as it does, some connexion in times long gone by with Thibet or India.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A journey to the mountains Long trains of camels and donkeysPagoda at Pale-twang Large cemetery Curious fir-tree · Agricultural productions - Country people - Reach the foot of the hills Temples of Pata-tshoo Foreign writing on a wall- A noble oak-tree discovered - Ascend to the top of the mountains - Fine views - Visit from mandarins Early morning view Return to Peking Descend the Pei-ho- Sail for Shanghae Arrange and ship my collections - Arrive in Southampton.

ONE of the principal objects I had in view in coming thus far north was to get a peep at the capital of China. Another inducement, and perhaps a greater one, was the hope of being able to add some new plants of an ornamental kind to my former collections. And considering the cold winters which are experienced in this part of the world, anything of that kind would have been almost certain to prove hardy in our English climate. As the nursery-gardens I had visited both at Tien-tsin and Peking were filled with well-known southern species, and as the plain through which I had passed was nearly all under cultivation and contained few trees, I was anxious to visit the mountains which bound this plain on the north and west, where I hoped to find something new to reward me for my long journey.

374

SUDDEN CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE. CHAP. XXIII.

Amongst these western mountains there are some celebrated Buddhist temples, well known to the inhabitants of Peking, and often visited by them. The Buddhist priests, in all parts of the East, preserve with the greatest care the trees which grow around their houses and temples. It was therefore probable that those at Pata-tshoothe name of the place in question-would have the same tastes as their brethren in other parts of the empire, and I determined to visit them in their mountain home.

Having engaged a cart for the journey, I had it packed with my bedding in the usual way, and started one morning at daybreak. Atmospheric changes are very sudden in this part of the world. The temperature, since my arrival in Peking, and even when I went to bed the night before, had been mild and warm, although not oppressive in any way. This morning, however, a north-west wind had come suddenly down, and the summer seemed to change instantly into winter. The wind was bitterly cold. Sudden changes of temperature are common in every part of China, but I never experienced such a change as this was. Greatcoats and blankets, which would have pained one to look upon a few days before, were now most welcome, and were eagerly sought after.

As I preferred walking to being jolted in a springless cart, this change of temperature was far from being disagreeable. Passing out by the Fow-ching-mun-a gate in the western wall of