Page:China- Its State and Prospects.djvu/169

Rh mount, the summits of which are crowned with pavilions, and the sides ornamented with walks, and shaded with trees. Game of all kinds enliven the scene, and thousands of birds please the ear, with every variety of song. Corresponding with this mount, is a lake,about a mile and a half long, and one third of a mile broad, crossed by a bridge of nine arches, built of fine white marble. Its banks are ornamented with a variety of trees, and its bosom garnished with the flowers of the water lily; so that in the estimation of Father Hyacinth, "the infinite variety of beauties which the lake presents, constitute it one of the most enchanting spots on earth." In the midst of the lake, is a marble isle, adorned with temples, and surmounted by an obelisk; affording a delightful view of the surrounding gardens. A temple, dedicated to the discoverer of the silk-worm, stands near these gardens, where the empress, and the ladies of the court, attend to the cultivation of silk; in order to encourage a branch of industry, on which China mainly depends for its wealth and elegance. In these gardens, the arrangement is such, that the whole seems the production of nature, rather than the effect of art; and affords a pleasing retreat for those who would retire from the symmetrical disposition of the imperial palace, to enjoy the mildness of natural scenery, in the midst of a dense and crowded capital.

In this division of the city, and nearly fronting the imperial palace, are the courts of the six grand tribunals of the empire, which have been before described; together with the office of the astronomical board, and the royal observatory. At the south-east corner of the northern division of the capital, is the grand