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Show TSI CELESTIAL CAPITAL A Graphic Description of Pekin's Streets and Buildings. The city of Pekln la by no mum the lout remarkable of the sights of China. It la In every respect a contrast con-trast to the other capital of the world I'ekln comprises In reality three distinct townships The first. known as the Chinese city, lies to the south, while adjoining It la the larger Tartar city, which encloses the email r Imperial, or 'Purple Forbidden City," containing the palaces and royal demesne. Though only elevated ele-vated to the position ot Celestial capital capi-tal In 1421, I'ekln possesses a history which dates from over a thousand rears back, and Ita antiquity Is evl-4ent evl-4ent from Ita faded giandeur and decreased de-creased population. 'It Is Impossible In the epaee alntted 4re to enter Into all the details ot the history ot I'ekln, and so lmp-ir-et are Its records that such an ic-Mont ic-Mont would be Impossible, with iny Aeiree of exactness When an I by whom the city waa founded Is n mystery, mys-tery, I'ekln la a ery ancient city. Centuries before tho Christian era It was the capital of the kingdom of Yen, ut when this kingdom waa over-, over-, Orown by the Tsln dynasty In 222 49 c, the seat of government waa re-anoved re-anoved elsewhere About 938 A I). It gain became the capital of the Kltan dynasty In 1.15 It waa captured by tlenghle Khan and In 12(1 became the residence of Kublal Khan. The native raperor. however, who succeeded the Mongol dynasty, removed the court to Kankln. but the third emperor ot the Utng dynasty In 1421 once more made Ptkln the Imperial residence. The elty waa repeatedly pillaged, Its popu-leUon popu-leUon slaughtered. Ha defenses raicd, and Ita sacred temples defiled. Of alt the cities of China none appear (o have Wen the scene ot so many successes and misfortunes The Tartar city la planned on a More Imposing scale that, the Chinese tut Ita many fine buildings and gorge-us gorge-us temples havo mostly fallen Into state of ruin. Among the most noteworthy building In this encloa-r encloa-r Is the Tsungli Ynmen, or foreign office, established after the ratification of the treaty of Tlcn-Tsln In 1SSI a cne-storled building reaembllng a tempi tem-pi rather than a government office In appearance. In the southeast corner ot the Tartar city are the foreign legations, lega-tions, clustered together, each surrounded sur-rounded by Its wall, where reside the ministers accredited to the court ot r Tekln by the powers. The Imperial city, lying In the center cen-ter of that above described Is regarded regard-ed by the Chinese aa sacred ground on which none but the elect may tread. This holy ot holies Is of considerable eitent It la strongly enclosed, the walla having a circumference of six miles, and contains a aeries of palaces and Imperial temples and buildings, most ot which have not been explored by Europeans Indeed, except on the few occasions when the emperor hsa granted an audience to the foreign minister In I'ekln, the Purple Forbidden For-bidden City" haa never been trodden by "barbarian" feet The only detailed description ot the "Forbidden City" la given by Br B Wells Wllllsms In his ' Middle Kingdom King-dom " lie says that In the great tower above the south gate ot the enclosure en-closure Is a huge gong, which Is struck whenever the emperor passes through. Here the Imperial ruler receives bis troops when they return In triumph, and here ho confers gifts upon vassal potentates and viceroys Passing through this gate one finds himself In a large court, where a small stream Is spanned by Ave marble bridges These bridges cross over Into a second sec-ond court, which Is paled with marble and flanked by pillared corrldora and porticos At the head of this court Is a superb msrb e structure, known as the (late ot Kxtenslve Peace, 110 feet high. It Is n sort ot balcony where the emperor on New Yeara day and other festive occasion receives the horns re of his courtiers. Ascending a atatrway and passing another gate, ono reachje the Tranquil Palace of Heaven, In which Is the Imperial Im-perial council chamber, and wherein candidates for office are presented to the sovereign This Is the richest. BTTIEET IN THE TARTAR CITY. loftiest and most magnificent of all the palacea. In the court beneath Ita walls Is a small tower of gilt copper adorned with a great number ot statues. stat-ues. Deyond thla building Is the Pal- a sTtinrrr in the city proper. ace of Kirilin ttiio.e which accommodates accommo-dates the- Imperial Inrern, superintended superin-tended by the empress. Iletwren this palace and the north wall of the For- v. t a ENTRANCE TO THE FOIHIIDDKN CITY. bidden City are the gardens appropriated appro-priated for the me ot the Inmates of harems-tbe wlvea of the emperor, the eunuchs, and other attendanta Theae gardens aro adorned with pavilions, temples, and beautiful groves ot trees, Interspersed with canals, fountains, and other ornamental artifices. The walled Imperial precinct la a veritable city of the Arabian Nights, and Its truthful annals might compose many a volume ot fascinating and romantic ro-mantic Interest. It Is surrounded by n deep moat, and the eastern part ot It contains, among other buildings, the office of the cabinet and the treasury. North ot these ofllcea Is the so-called Hall of Intense Thought, where periodical peri-odical sacrifices are made to Confucius and other sages, and near by Is the Hall of the Literary Abyss In other words, the library which publishes from time to time a catalogue of the best Chinese literature up to date. At the north end ot the eastern division are numerous palace and buildings occupied oc-cupied by princes of the blood royal and their relative and families In ths same quarter 1 a small temple to which the emperor torn nt regular Intervale to perform derations before the tablets of his ancestors There are upwards ot 200 palace In the two Incloaurr ot the Forbidden Cltr and the Imperial City Much gor-genuine gor-genuine Is assembled within a email area but not even the sacred dwelling ot the emperor htmselt haa modern plumbing and the convenience deem ed nutentlal to comfort In Orient, countries ore conspicuously absent If the rnyat domicile and other build lng Everywhere there la glided squslor and dirt thinly covered up II the Kuropeana make their way Into the prohibited quarters, there will be such a houm leaning a haa not been dreamed of for thousands of year In the private quarter of yellow royalty. How some of the missionaries' wives would relish getting at the muss wlh brooms snd scrubbing brushes, aoap and dusters Contont for lUrbln. To fasten putty suitable for carriage painters' use the following cement: Soak plaster of Parla In a saturated solution so-lution of alum In water; dry and bake la an oven; mix with water and apply. ap-ply. It set very firmly, |