Gützlaff, China Opened; Or, A Display of the Topography, History … Etc. of the Chinese Empire

Shanxi province: “The Great Wall has always attracted the notice of foreigners, and constituted, for a long time, the boast and confidence of the Chinese. If, however, any human structure deserves notice, a wall of 1,240 miles long, of unequal thickness and height, running from the Gulph of Pechele along the northern confines of three large procinves — Pechele, Shansee, and Shensee — over mountains, rivers, and crags, fully claims our admiration. Several hundred yeas antecendent to the birth of our Saviour, the Chinese had begun to build walls, a favourite employment of theirs in several of the frontier places, which were not sufficiently fortified by nature. The gigantic genius of Tachehwangte conceived the plan of drawing a line of battlements and [95] fortifications along the Mongolian frontier, to fortify his country against the inroads of the Tartars. This happened between 215 and 220 before our era. He joined the walls that had been previously built, but was not able to finish this immense structure, which found in his successor a zealous promoter. Several emperors aftwards enceavoured to repair the breaches made by tiema nd the enemy, and the work was gradually brought to the state in which we now see it; yet, as the present generation, slumbering in their security, fear no enemy, it is left to decay, and will very soon fall into ruins. That part which runs along Pechele, and joins another wall of palisades between Seaoutung and China, is built of brick, cemented with excellent mortar, and resting ona basis of square stones six or seven feet high, the whole rising from etighteen to twenty-wfeive geometrical feet, whilest the towrs measure about forty feet, and have a basis of twelve or fifteen geometrical feet square. It has nuvermous ates, many battlements and towers, with a flight of stpes on the platforrm between the parapets, but it has also a great numebr of breahces, which are filled up with earth to the height of the wall. In its progress along the boundaries of Shanse and Shense, it is a mere mud wall, and scarcely to be compared with that of Pechele. Tachehwangte builit it into the sea, in lat. 40,2 long 3, 22, east of Peking, having to the east the fortress of Shanhaekwan, and to the west Shanhaewei. To lay the foundation, immense rocks and ballasted vessels were sunk, by which the waves of the sea were set at defiance. Numerous forts, mostly built of earth, are scattered all along; but they are now deserted, and several of them mere heaps of mud. That of Shanse is only fifteen feet high, and has so many breaches that it is almost lost to the eye of the traveler.((Gützlaff, China Opened; Or, A Display of the Topography, History … Etc. of the Chinese Empire, Revised …, 1:95–96))