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[[underlined]] Chapter V. [[/underlined]]         89.

[[underlined]] Disappearance of the Rampart. [[/underlined]]
According to old Chinese plans, the south wall of Old Ch'ang-an turned south to the west of the Fu-ang Mên and ran in that direction for some distance before it resumed its former east-and-west one.  We saw no indication of this; nor did we when, a few days later, Mr. Wenley and I traced the whole length of the outer face of the southern city-wall---an hour's ride at a slow trot ([[underlined]] cf. [[/underlined]] page 137).  As we now followed it to the westward of the second gap, it grew more and more eroded and worn away, until at last it practically disappeared save for a few uncertain traces.
Having, with the aid of Mr. Tung's younger brother, Kuang-lien, worked out the line of the ancient earthwork thus far, I left it and rejoined my companions, who with the carts had been proceeding slowly westward across the plowed fields to the north of it.

[[underlined]] Absence of Outworks. [[/underlined]]
Although the Chinese have from very early times clearly recognized that the gates of a city formed points of weakness in its defences, opposite neither of the two above-mentioned openings in the rampart did we detect any indications of outworks like those, often semilunar in form and sometimes crowned with towers, seen before the gates of so many existing Chinese walled cities.


[[underlined]] Reason for the Great Thickness of the Rampart. [[/underlined]]
Before we leave our discussion of the rampart, we may touch briefly on the probably reason for its seemingly needless thickness.
The parapet, as we have seen, extended back from the brink of the outer slope of the [[underlined]] agger [[/underlined]] for over 40 feet---originally, allowing for erosion, probably nearer 50 feet.  Such a space would appear to have been