ROBINSON CRUSOE. 437

measuring the windings and turnings it takes ; it 1s about four
fathoms high, and as inany thick in some places.

I stood still an hour or thereabouts without trespassing our
orders (for so long the caravan was in passing the gate), to
look at it on every side, near and far off,—I mean that 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
te keep out the Tartars ; which he happened not to understand
«5 I meant it, and so took it for a compliment; but the. old
pilot laughed. ‘O, Seignior Inglese,” says he, “you speak in
colors.” “In colors!” saidI; ‘twhat do you mean by that?”
“Why, you speak what looks white this way, and black that
way,—gay one way, and dull another. 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. I understand you, Seig-
nior Inglese, I understand you; but Seignior Chinese under-
stood you his own way.” “Well,” says 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 not they 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,” says he, “I know that.” The Chinese wanted
mightily to know what I said, and I gave him leave to tell him
a few days after, for we were then almost out of their country,
and he was to leave us a little time after this; but when he
knew what I said, he was dumb all the rest of the way, and
we heard no more of his fine story of the Chinese power and
greatness while he staid. ;

After we passed this mighty nothing, called a wall, some-
thing like the Picts’ wall, so famous in Northumberland, built
by the Romans, we began to find the country thinly inhabited,
and tke people rather confined to live in fortified towns and
cities, as being subject to the inroads and depredations of the
Tartars, who rob in great armies, and therefore are not to be
resisted by the naked inhabitants of an open country. And
here I began to find the necessity of keeping together in a
caravan as we travelled, for we saw several troops of Tartars
roving about ; but when I came to see them distinctly, I
wondered more that the Chinese empire could be conquered by
such contemptible fellows ; for they are a mere horde of wild
fellows, keeping no order, and understanding no discipline ot
manner of fight. Their horses are poor, lean creatures, taught