" and the other "New Town," or "Commercial Town," and "Military
Town." We first entered the latter, which was built by the Emperor
Khang-Hi, to defend the empire against its northern enemies. The town
has a beautiful, noble appearance, which might be admired in Europe
itself. We refer, however, only to its circuit of embattled walls, made
of brick; for inside, the low houses, built in the Chinese style, are
little in unison with the lofty, huge ramparts that surround them. The
interior of the town offers nothing remarkable but its regularity, and a
large and beautiful street, which runs through it from east to west. A
Kiang-Kian, or military commandant, resides here with 10,000 soldiers,
who are drilled every day; so that the town may be regarded as a garrison
town.

The soldiers of the New Town of Koukou Khoton are Mantchou Tartars; but
if you did not previously know the fact, you would scarcely suspect it
from hearing them speak. Amongst them there is perhaps not a single man
who understands the language of his own country. Already two ages have
passed away since the Mantchous made themselves masters of the vast
empire of China, and you would say that during these two centuries they
have been unceasingly working out their own annihilation. Their manners,
their language, their very country--all has become Chinese. It may now
be affirmed that Mantchou nationality has become irremediably
annihilated. In order to account for this strange counter-revolution,
and to understand how the Chinese have been able to fuse their conquerors
with themselves, and to get possession of Mantchouria, we must look some
way back, and enter somewhat into detail.

In the time of the Ming dynasty, which flourished in China from 1368 to
1644, the Mantchous, or Eastern Tartars, after a long series of internal
wars, concurred in the selection of a chief, who united all the tribes
into one, and established a kingdom. From that time this ferocious and
barbarian people insensibly acquired an importance which gave great
umbrage to the Court of Peking; and in 1618 its power was so well
established, that its king did not fear to transmit to the Emperor of
China the statement of seven grievances which, he said, he had to avenge.
The daring manifesto finished with these words: "_And in order to avenge
these seven injuries_, _I will reduce and subjugate the dynasty of the
Ming_." Shortly afterwards the empire was convulsed with revolts in all