caravan, for which the
leader of it for the day fined me about the value of three shillings;
and told me, if it had been three days journey without the wall, as it
was three days within, he must have fined me four times as much, and
made me ask pardon the next council-day: so I promised to be more
orderly; for, indeed, I found afterwards the orders made for keeping all
together were absolutely necessary for our common safety.

In two days more we passed the great China wall, made for a
fortification against the Tartars; and a very great work it is, going
over hills and mountains in an endless track, where the rocks are
impassable, and the precipices such as no enemy could possibly enter,
or, indeed, climb up, or where, if they did, no wall could hinder them.
They tell us, its length is near a thousand English miles, but that the
country is five hundred, in a straight measured line, which the wall
bounds, without measuring the windings and turnings it takes: 'tis about
four fathom high, and as many thick in some places.

I stood still an hour, or thereabouts, without trespassing on our
orders, for so long the caravan was in passing the gate; I say, I stood
still an hour to look at it, on every side, near and far off; I mean,
what was within my view; and the guide of our caravan, who had been
extolling it for the wonder of the world, was mighty eager to hear my
opinion of it. I told him it was a most excellent thing to keep off the
Tartars, which he happened not to understand as I meant it, and so took
it for a compliment; but the old pilot laughed: "O, Seignior Inglese,"
said he, "you speak in colours."--"In colours!" said I; "what do you
mean by that?"--"Why, you speak what looks white this way, and black
that way; gay one way, and dull another way: you tell him it is a good
wall to keep out Tartars; you tell me, by that, it is good for nothing
but to keep out Tartars; or, will keep out none but Tartars. I
understand you, Seignior Inglese, I understand you," said he, joking;
"but Seignior Chinese understand you his own way."

"Well," said I, "Seignior, do you think it would stand out an army of
our country-people, with a good train of artillery; or our engineers,
with two companies of miners? Would they not batter it down in ten
days, that an army might enter in battalia, or blow it up in the air,
foundation and all, that there should be no sign of it left?"--"Ay, ay,"
said he, "I know that." The Chinese wanted might