. An encyclopaedia of architecture, historical, theoretical, & practical. New ed., rev., portions rewritten, and with additions by Wyatt Papworth. n and dust have muchinjured in the course of three centuries. The staircase within is small and inconvenient, therisers being extremely high. Each floor is formed by transverse beams, covered with planksforming a chamber, whose ceiling is decorated with painting. The walls are hollowed fornumberless niches, containing idols in bas-relief. The whole work is gilt, and seems ofmarble or wrought stone ; but the author thinks it of brick, which the Chine
. An encyclopaedia of architecture, historical, theoretical, & practical. New ed., rev., portions rewritten, and with additions by Wyatt Papworth. n and dust have muchinjured in the course of three centuries. The staircase within is small and inconvenient, therisers being extremely high. Each floor is formed by transverse beams, covered with planksforming a chamber, whose ceiling is decorated with painting. The walls are hollowed fornumberless niches, containing idols in bas-relief. The whole work is gilt, and seems ofmarble or wrought stone ; but the author thinks it of brick, which the Chinese are ex-tremely skilful in moulding with ornaments thereon. The first story is the highest, but theiest are equal in height. I counted, says M. Le Comte, 190 steps, of ten full incheseach, which make 158 ft. If to this we add the height of the basement, and that of theninth storv, wherein there are no steps, and the covering, we shall find that the wholeexceeds a height of 200 ft. The roof is not the least of the beauties which this tower consists of a thick mast, whose foot stands on the eighth floor, and rises thirty feet from. FiK. 75. Chap. II. CHINESE. 47 tlie oiitsicie of the l)uililliig. It appears enveloped in a large spiral hand of iron, clear l>yseveral feet from the pole, on whose opex is a gilt globe of extraordinary dimensions. 106. The word tower has ))een vaguely applied to all these buildings ; but in China(here are differences in their apjilication, which are classed under three heads :—1. Tat, orplatforms for astronomical or meteorological olservations, or for enjoying the air and land-scape. 2 f/oM, such as that just described in detail, being edifices of several stories, isolatedand circular, si|uareand polygonal on the plan, built of different materials in diHerent Ta, which are sepidchral towers ; these are usually massive, of strange but simple forms. 107. The Pay-l ou, or triumphal arches of the Chinese, are to be foimd in ever
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