Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 6, CHI-Crystallization

CHI [
China, in bad condition, the poffeffor is inftantly punifhed^ if
a Chinefe, with 30 or 40 blows of a flick j or if a
6 Tartar, with as many ladies.
UfecAre- Though the ufe of gun-powder is certainly very
arms loft ancient in China, it appears to have been afterwards
and revi- totally loft, at leaft fire-arms feem to have been al-
Ved‘ moft entirely unknown fome centuries ago. Three or
four cannon were to be feen at that time about the
gates of Nanking ; but not a Angle perfon in China
knew how to make ufe of them j fo that, in 1621,
when the city of Macao made a prefent of three pieces
of artillery to the emperor, it was found neceffary alfo
to fend three men to load them. The utility of thefe
weapons was quickly perceived by the execution which
the three cannon did againft the Tartars, at that
time advanced as far as the great wall. When the
invaders threatened to return, the mandarins of arms
gave it as their opinion, that cannons were the beft
arms they could make ufe of againft them. They
were then taught the art of catting cannon by F.
Adam Schaal and Verbieft, two Jefuit miflionaries, and
their artillery was increafed to the number of 320
pieces at the fame time that they were inftru&ed
in the method of fortifying towns, and conlkuiting
fortreffes and other buildings according to the rules of
modern architecture.
The beft foldiers in China are procured from the
three northern provinces, the others being feldom call¬
ed forth, but allowed to remain at peace with their
families ; indeed there is not often occafion for exert¬
ing their military talents, unlefs it be in the quelling
of an infurreCtion, when a mandarin or governor ufual-
ly accompanies them. They march in a very tumul¬
tuous manner, but want neither Ikill nor agility in
performing their different evolutions. They, in ge¬
neral, handle a fabre well, and (hoot very dexteroufly
with bows and arrows. There are in China more
than 2000 places of arms 5 and through the different
provinces there are difperfed about 3000 towers or
caftles, all of them defended by garrifons. Soldiers
continually mount guard there j and on the firft ap¬
pearance of tumult, the neareft fentinel makes a fig-
nal from the top of the tower, by hoifting a ftag in the
day-time, or lighting a torch in the night ; when the
neighbouring garrifons immediately repair to the place
<>5 where their prefence is neceffary.
Account of The principal defence of the empire againft a fo-
wall^621 re’£n enemy is the great wall which feparates China
from Tartary, extending more than 1500 miles in
length, and of fuch a thicknefs that fix horfemen may
eafily ride abreaft upon it. It is flanked with towers
two bow-ftiots diftant from one another j and it is faid
that a third of the able-bodied men in the empire
were employed in conftrufting it. The workmen
were ordered, under pain of death, to place the ma¬
terials fo clofely, that not the leaft entrance might be
afforded for any inftrument of iron •, and thus the
work was conftru&ed with fuch folidity, that it is ftill
almoft entire, though 2000 years have elapfed fince it
was conftrufled. This extraordinary work is carried
on not only through the low lands and valleys, but
over hills and mountains ; the height of one of which
was computed by F. Verbieft at 1 236 feet above the
level of the fpot where he flood. According to F.
Martini it begins at the gulf of Lea-tong, and reaches
I
5 ] CHI
to the mountains near the city of Kin on the Yellow China,
river j between which places it meets with no inter- 1 “ v™"""
ruption except to the north of the city of Suen in
the province of Pecheli, where it is interrupted by a
ridge of hideous and inacceflible mountains, to which
it is clofely united. It is likewife interrupted by the
river Hoang-ho j but for others of an inferior fize,
arches have been conftrufled, through which the wa¬
ter paffes freely. Mr Bell informs us, that it is car¬
ried acrofs rivers, and over the tops of the higheft hills,
without the leaft interruption, keeping nearly along
that circular range of barren rocks which inclofes the
country j and, after running about 1200 miles, ends
in impaffable mountains and Tandy deferts. The foun¬
dation confifts of large blocks of ftone laid in mortar ;
but all the reft is of brick. The whole is fo ftrong
and well built, that it fcarcely needs any repairs ; and,
in the dry climate in which it Hands, may remain in
the fame condition for many ages. When carried
over fteep rocks, where no horfe can pafs, it is about
15 or 20 feet high, but when running through a val¬
ley, or crofting a river, it is about 30 feet high, with
fquare towers and embrafures at equal diftances. The
top is flat and paved with cut ftone j and where it
rifes over a rock or eminence, there is an afcent made
by an eafy ftone (lair. “ This wall (our author adds)
was begun and completely finilhed in the Ihort fpace
of five years; and it is reported, that the labourers
flood fo clofe for many miles, that they could hand
the materials from one to another. This feems the
more probable, as the rugged rocks among which it
is built muft have prevented all ufe of carriages ; and
neither clay for making bricks, nor any kind of ce¬
ment are to be found among them.”
To this account of the moft aftoniftiing produflion
of human labour and induftry to be met with on the
face of the earth, we may add, that if to its prodigious
length of 1500 miles, we affume as true, the probable,
conjeflure that its dimenfions throughout are nearly the
fame as where it was croffed by the Britifti embaffy, it
contains materials more than fufficient to ert£t all the
dwelling houfes in England and Scotland, even admit¬
ting their number to be 1,800,000, and each to con¬
tain 2000 cubic feet of mafonry. In this calculation
the huge projedling maffes of ftone called towers, are
not included, which of themfelves would ere£t a city
as large as London. To aflift the conceptions of our
readers ftill farther refpefting this Angular and ftupen-
dous fabric, we fhall only obferve, that were its mate¬
rials converted into a wall 12 feet high and four feet
thick, it would poffefs fufticient length to furround the
globe, at its equatorial circumference.
The whole civil government of China is managed Courts by
by the following courts. I. The emperor’s grand the
council, compofed of all the minifters of ftate, prefi-diVl1 §0'
dents and affeffors of the fix fovereign courts, and of*L™^I]t
three others, to be afterwards mentioned. This isged.
never affembled but on affairs of the greateft impor¬
tance ; the emperor’s private council being fubflituted
to it in all cafes of fmaller moment. 2. The chief of
the other courts furnilhes mandarins for the differ¬
ent provinces, watches over their conduft, keeps a
journal of their tranfaflions, and informs the emperor
of them, who rewards or punilhes according to the re¬
port he gets.
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