on account of the insufficiency of the funds for the troops. Trade does not flourish at Ningpo, and those ports.

Emperor. I have heard that it is not good at Ningpo and Amoy, and at Shanghae too. From this we see that prosperity is always followed by decay.

Answer. The English barbarians were in a bad state last year in their own country, where they were visited by an epidemic; and in Hong Kong last year upwards of a thousand people died from the hot exhalations.

Emperor. In all affairs prosperity is followed by decay! What avails the power of man!

Answer. Your Majesty's divine fortune is the cause [of the decay of the English power].

Emperor. You are a bannerman, one born and brought up in the capital, and must know the common saying of the old women: A thousand schemes, ten thousand schemes [of man] are not worth one scheme of Old Heaven [du bon dieu].

of

Answer. Yes, Sire.

Emperor. To-morrow present your name for an audience.

Audience of the 10th day.

Emperor. It is hard to get good people. You, as Criminal Judge, have not yet entered on the duties of your post.* I, my own accord, appoint you Superintendent of Finances. It was my wish to employ you; and so I had you called in, that I might judge of you. On seeing you yesterday I considered you a very proper man; and, finding from your official autobiography that you are not at all young, I thought you ought at once to be employed without reference to your seniority. You must be consistent in your conduct, and not show yourself forgetful of my kindness.

Answer. I shall most certainly never dare to be forgetful of Your Majesty's divine favour.

* There is a discrepancy. He had previously been two months in Canton as Criminal Judge. (This and the following notes were appended to the official translation.)

Emperor. It constantly happens that those who have behaved well in the first part of their career behave ill in the last; that those who are not haughty of themselves become haughty; those who are not extravagant, of themselves become extravagant. The historical classic says: In good government permanency is esteemed. You must know this. You have been most intimately connected with the Governor General and the Governor, and it is impossible that you should be inefficient in the transaction of business. Now in all business the superiors must not seek merely to gain the approbation of their subordinates. If they get all their subordinates to praise them, they will certainly have left themselves without the power of rousing the latter to exertions. I am not wishing you to treat them harshly. The annals of Tse* say of Tse chan, "Who will kill him ; who is there to take his place." [Here follows a passage forming apparently some twelve or thirteen sentences, but containing in the copy furnished me so many false characters and evident omissions that educated and well read Chinese cannot see their way with sufficient clearness as to be able confidently to correct the one and supply the other. It can, however, be made out that the Emperor was inculcating the advantage of being severe, though not harsh, in the discharge of official duties, and that he had illustrated his subject by reference to several historical personages as the Tse chan above named; Kwan chung a minister of the Tse earldom in the seventh century before Christ; Ling seang joo, an officer of the Chaou principality, who, about 280 B. C., undertook a dangerous mission to the sovereign of Tsin, &c.] Besides, as the

* One of the Five Classics. Tsze chan was a minister of the principality called Chin (the present province of Honan) who was severe, but strictly just in his measures. The first year of his administration the people cried, "Who will kill Tsze chan, we will join them," in the third year his measures had borne such good fruits that they said, "If Tsze chan dies who is there to take his place." To Tsze chan is attributed the rise of the Chin principality to its most flourishing state.

expenses of the Government necessitate the opening of a path [for those who wish to rise by purchase] it is more difficult than ever to make a distinction between the wise and the stupid. However, as the Han lin college itself cannot be quite free from low minded people, so among officials by purchase there cannot but be some of high character. Only there is one thing I have to remark—you are not an officer by purchase, otherwise I should not say it— among great, rich merchants are some enormously stupid, ignorant of all kinds of business, who have not even acted as assistant magistrates; who as the proverb says "Know only a saucer full of characters though they may be as big as lychees," and who should on no account pass. Your place, as provincial superintendent of finances,* is a permanent one, and you must be sure not to pass over their short-coming, as may have been done hitherto by others. To-morrow present your name again for an audience.

Audience on the 11th day.

Emperor. Do you think from the appearance of things in Kwang tung that the English barbarians or any other people will cause trouble again?

Answer. No. England itself has got nothing, and when the English barbarians rebelled in 1841 they depended entirely on the power of the other nations who, with a view to open trade, supported them with funds. In the present year the [Here follow two words which do not make sense with the context, "teen te," literally, "laws and territory;" probably "subject territories were the words used] of England yield her no willing obedience.

Emperor. It is plain from this that these barbarians always look on trade as their chief occupation; and are wanting in any high purpose of striving for territorial acquisitions.

* This officer has considerable influence on the career of the civilians in his province.

Answer. At bottom they belong to the class of brutes; (dogs and horses;) it is impossible they should have any high purpose.

Emperor. Hence in their country they have now a woman, now a man as their prince (wang). It is plain they are not worth attending to. Have they got like us any fixed time of service for their soldier's head, Bonham?

Answer. Some are changed once in two years, some once in three years. Although it is the prince of these barbarians who sends them, they are, in reality, recommended by the body of their merchants.

Emperor. What goods do the French trade in?

Answer. The wares of the barbarians are only camlets, woollen cloth, clocks, watches, cottons and the like. All the countries have got them, good or bad.

Emperor. What country's goods are dearest?

Answer. They have all got both dear and cheap. There is no great difference in their prices [of similar articles]; only, with respect to the camlets, the French are said to be the best.

Emperor. China has no want of silk fabrics and cottons, what necessity is there for using foreign cottons in particular? For instance, wrappers* can be made of yellow, or pale yellow [for the palace], and people outside could use Nankin cloth coloured, or blue ones. This would look simple and unaffected; but lately foreign flowered cottons have come into use which look very odd. Others use

foreign cottons for shirts. Now observe me-the highest of men-my shirts and inner garments are all made of Corean cottons. I have never used foreign cottons.

Answer. Foreign cotton cloth has no substance [literally bone], it is not good for clothing.

Emperor. And it does not wash well.

The handkerchiefs imported into China are not used for the nose, but to wrap up articles which are too bulky to be carried in the sleeve and which an Englishman would put in his coat pocket.

Answer. Yes, Sire.

Emperor. I suppose opium is bought and sold quite openly in Kwang tung.

Answer. I should not dare to deceive Your Majestypeople do not dare to buy and sell it openly, but there is no small quantity bought and sold secretly.

Emperor. It appears to me that in this matter too, there must be a flourishing period, and a period of decay. Even if I were to inflict severe punishments; I might punish to day, and punish again to-morrow, and all without benefit. If we wait for two or three years-for five or six yearsit will of course fall into disuse of itself.

Answer. Certainly, Sire.

Emperor. How is it with the levying and payment of the taxes in Kwang tung? How do matters stand as to deficiencies in the district treasuries?

Answer. In Kwang tung the fixed regular land tax is paid up annually; as to the miscellaneous taxes,-I do not dare to deceive Your Majesty,-there must have been some appropriated for public purposes.*

Emperor. Can these appropriations not be avoided then? You will do very well for a superintendent of finances. To-morrow present your name for an audience.

Audience on the 12th day.

Emperor. In your opinion is opium dearer or cheaper now than in former years? (Smiling.) You don't smoke it -I fear you cannot tell.

Answer. The local gentry and literati of whom I have inquired, state that opium is very cheap at present.

Emperor. Indeed. Why is it cheap?

Answer. Because its quality is not equal to what it was formerly.

Emperor. This, now, is an example of prosperity and

* That is to say for local purposes; and not placed to the credit of the Imperial Treasury.