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[[underlined]] Chapter V. [[/underlined]]   87.

[[underlined]] Gateways of the Ancient City. [[/underlined]]
  As already stated, the cart-road from Hsi-an entered the ancient city enclosure through a gap in the southern face of the [[underlined]] agger [[/underlined]] close to its southeastern corner.  This opening, we felt certain for a number of reasons, must mark the spot where once had stood one of the city's gates.  None of the maps, as far as I have been able to find, indicates a gateway at this point; nor does it seem very probable that one should have been situated at this particular spot, almost at the extreme southeastern corner of the city.  Possibly the gap which we found had been cut through the rampart during some subsequent period of occupation of the city.
  Be that as it may, the track here mounted quite sharply, and when once inside the [[underlined]] enceinte [/underlined]] turned abruptly to the left or west.  This change in direction brought it parallel to a low ridge or rise in the ground directly across the opening and a short distance north of it.  Whether this rise represented what had originally been an earthen wall forming part of the defences of the city, we were unable to tell by inspection alone.  But had there been such a wall, its effect would have been to compel an attacking-force, once it had broken through the gate, to turn sharply to the left and thus expose its right or unshielded side to an enfilading fire from the defenders. [[superscript]] (59) [[/superscript]]
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[[superscript]] (59) [[/superscript]] Shields formed part of the equipment of the Chinese warriors of the time, as shown for example, on the famous Han "reliefs" from Shantung ([[underlined]] cf. [[/underlined]] fig. 1[[overwritten]] 3 [[/overwritten]]^[[6]]) and by numerous passages in the surviving historical records.
  The query suggest itself, in connection with what we saw here, whether the "spirit-screens" which extend across the gateways of so many Chinese houses today, though usually said to be of Buddhist origin, may not in reality be traceable to devices meant to hinder the ingress of more corporeal foes than demons.
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For some 400 yards to the west of the above gap, we found the gigantic [[underlined]] agger [[/underlined]] displaying in general much the same profile and thickness as those just described.  Then [[strikethrough]] at [[/strikethrough]] came a second great opening (C on the plan, [[strikethrough]] pl. [[/strikethrough]] ^[[fig.]]