the inhabitants or their houses. The people had notice, by proclamation,
of my design to visit the town.

The wall, which encompassed it, is two feet and a half high, and at
least eleven inches broad, so that a coach and horses may be driven very
safely round it; and it is flanked with strong towers at ten feet
distance. I stept over the great western gate, and passed very gently,
and sideling, through the two principal streets, only in my short
waistcoat, for fear of damaging the roofs and eaves of the houses with
the skirts[23] of my coat. I walked with the utmost circumspection, to
avoid treading on any stragglers who might remain in the streets;
although the orders were very strict, that all people should keep in
their houses at their own peril. The garret-windows and tops of houses
were so crowded with spectators, that I thought in all my travels I had
not seen a more populous place.

The city is an exact square, each side of the wall being five hundred
feet long. The two great streets, which run across and divide it into
four quarters, are five feet wide. The lanes and alleys, which I could
not enter, but only viewed them as I passed, are from twelve to eighteen
inches. The town is capable of holding five hundred thousand souls; the
houses are from three to five stories; the shops and markets well
provided.

The emperor's palace is in the centre of the city, where the two great
streets meet. It is enclosed by a wall of two foot high, and twenty foot
distant from the buildings. I had his majesty's permission to step over
this wall; and the space being so wide between that and the palace, I
could easily view it on every side.