The Daily Herald

From the Philadelphia North American.

Places and Things in China.—Pekin, the capitol of the Chinese empire, is in nearly the same latitude as Philadelphia. One who should go directly eastward from this city until he had passed somewhat more than half way round the globe, would arrive at Pekin. To reach Canton by going directly eastward or westward, one must start from the city of Havana in Cuba, or some place in that latitude. Canton lies on a river which empties into a bay, and its situation is somewhat like that of Philadelphia. The Delaware breakwater might represent the harbor of Macao. The bay of Canton is more divided by islands than the Delaware bay. The island of Chusan lies six or seven miles up the coast, or northeast of Canton, and Pekin six or seven hundred more. The climate of China is probably somewhat colder than the corresponding latitude of this country. An officer of the British Navy writing from Chusan under date of Sept. 28, says: —

We shall be very uncomfortable here in winter. Not a house has a fire place or the means of having one to give warmth. Nor is there such a thing as a pane of glass to admit light and keep out wind. The Chinese substitute a thin paper for glass; but nothing of the kind is to be had here, and all the old paper is broken, and instead of warming themselves by a fire, they clothe themselves with cloak upon cloak till they have a sufficient number to keep them warm, and when they feel too warm they take off one cloak at a time till they feel comfortable. The island of Chusan, or Chowsan, is, as has been stated in our columns, about 30 miles long, and 15 broad. It is surrounded by numerous islets and islands, the whole forming what has been called the Chusan Archipelago. At the southern end of the island is the town called Tinghae. The East India Company had a factory in Chusan till the middle of the 18th century. The ship Amherst visited Tinghae in 1832 and was well received. Ningpo is on the main land opposite the island Chusan, lying 15 or 20 miles up the river Tahea. The gulf of Pe-che-lee, which Admiral Elliot visited with his fleet, is a gulf of the Yellow sea far to the north; and into this gulf empties the Peho or Pekin river, on which stands the city of Pekin. A Naval officer writes: When at Pe-che-lee, we had a trip to the great wall of China with the Admiral. The end comes down into the sea about half a mile. There is a fort on the end of it with a large tower. It is one of the most stupendous affairs I ever beheld. It appears about 30 feet high, and about the same width. It has a watch tower about every mile of it. The land is very high in the vicinity, some of the hills about 3000 feet, and the wall goes completely over the tops of the mountains, and is seen as far as the eye can reach.