This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1827 edition. Excerpt: ...besides several thousand draw-bridges and others. Innumerable canals are cut from this main canal, and the whole empire abounds with canals, rivers, lakes, and rivulets. These canals are cut through any kind of private property, gardens, plantations, or pleasure grounds; not even the gardens of the emperor, or ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1827 edition. Excerpt: ...besides several thousand draw-bridges and others. Innumerable canals are cut from this main canal, and the whole empire abounds with canals, rivers, lakes, and rivulets. These canals are cut through any kind of private property, gardens, plantations, or pleasure grounds; not even the gardens of the emperor, or any of his governors, VOL. III. o are exempted: but when the work arrives at the garden or pleasure ground, the governor, or even the emperor himself, digs the first spade of earth, and pronounces with an audible voice: " This is to let those of an inferior situation know, that no private pleasure shall obstruct a public good." There are bridges over these canals of three, five, seven or more arches, to open a free communication with the country. The middle arch is generally very high, that barques and barges may pass under it with their masts standing. When the water is high, and liable to overflow the neighbouring fields, they take care to open the sluice to convey it away, and to keep it at a certain height in the canal. There are inspectors appointed to survey the canal, and visit it continually; and workmen always ready to repair the damaged places. Father Magallante tells us, that there is a passage by inland navigation, from one end of the empire of China to the other, being a space of 600 French leagues, or 1800 miles; and that a traveller may go this whole distance entirely by canals or rivers, except a single day's journey by land, to cross a mountain; an advantage which this Jesuit, who made the voyage himself, observes is not to be found in any other kingdom or state in the universe....... In China, one large canal generally runs through every province, and a vast number of smaller ones are cut from that large one, ...
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