John Bell, Travels from St. Petersburg, in Russia, to Diverse Parts of Asia, 1763

“The nearer we came to the mountains we were the more surprised at the sight of the so much celebrated wall of China, commonly called for its length the endless wall. The appearance of it, running from one high rock to another, with square towers at certain intervals, even at this distance, is most magnificent.”((Bell, Travels from St. Petersburg, in Russia, to Diverse Parts of Asia, 1:410.))

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Having traveled about six or eight miles, we arrived at the famous wall of China. We entered at a great gate, which is shut every night, and always guarded by a [414] thousand men, under the command of two officers of distinction, one a Chinese, and the other a Mantzur Tartar; for it is an established custom in China, and has prevailed ever since the conquest of the Tartars, that in all places of public trust there must be a Chinese and a Tartar invested both in civil and military affairs. the Chinese pretend, that two in an office are sort of spies upon one another’s actions, and thereby many fraudulent practices are either prevented or detected. [415]

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