fidence in the latter's seamanship and became greatly attached to him as a traveling-companion. In one of these voyages the Viceroy noticed the ship's barometer, and, asking the Captain its use, was told it was to indicate or predict the weather, and, in answer to more detailed inquiries, was informed that the ship's movements were often regulated by it, as for instance in delaying or advancing its departure from port, or in taking shelter to avoid the terrible typhoons so prevalent on that coast. The Viceroy was very much impressed with the instrument, and had the Captain write down carefully the directions how he might obtain one.

The Chinese attach great importance to the selection of a propitious or lucky day on which to begin a journey or great undertaking. This was shown in the effort to select a propitious day for our sailing from Tientsin. Sometime after the voyage on which the Viceroy's attention was fixed on the barometer, Captain P., being at Tientsin, received an invitation to spend the day and dine at the Yamen, the viceregal residence. He had often before been invited to the Yamen to have a cup of tea and tell the news of Shanghai and the lower coast, but never before to dinner. But the Captain accounted for this unusual honor by the fact that in his long employment in Chinese waters he had several times rendered important services to the Government and the Viceroy, and the secretaries of the Yamen had hinted to him that it had been determined to confer upon him an order and decoration, and that sometime before directions had been given for the gold medal, and the Captain concluded that the time had arrived for his decoration. In the Orient, as in some other quarters of the world, decorations are highly prized, and the Captain went to the Yamen in the best of spirits. Soon after his arrival and when the customary cup of tea had been drunk in the presence of a crowd of officials and servants, in walked a lackey bearing a neat box on a salver. The Captain thought, "Here comes my order and gold medal"; but when

opened it proved to be a barometer, an exact duplicate of the one on his ship. The Viceroy told him to examine it and see if it was all right, which he did and reported that it seemed to be in good order and perfect. Then the Viceroy said he had to make a journey to his native province to complete the burial ceremonies to his mother in about two and a half months, and he wished the Captain would study the instrument and tell him what would be a propitious day on which to undertake his journey. The Captain was dumfounded. He saw at once the Viceroy had totally misapprehended the functions of the barometer, and had doubtless told his official family and friends that he had obtained a wonderful foreign instrument which would be able to forecast the future without the uncertainty of his astrologers whom he had found so often unreliable. If the Captain had observed more Chinese cunning and less Yankee truthfulness, he might have invented a story to have tided him over the emergency, but he felt it to be his duty frankly to explain that the barometer was seldom to be relied upon for indications beyond twenty-four hours, and that it was of no use for two and a half months in advance. As he proceeded with his explanation, the Viceroy began to scowl, and before he had finished, his face was a terror to behold. He snatched the barometer from the Captain's hand, threw it with a fierce imprecation to the servant and ordered it out of the room. The Captain, he felt, had caused him to "lose face" with his people; hence his towering rage. The Captain at once saw his further presence was not agreeable, and he soon took leave, minus his dinner. Nothing further was ever heard of the order or gold medal, and the Viceroy from that day forward never traveled on his ship.

Finally the long conferences and exchanges of notes came to an end, with the Japanese ultimatum that no further concessions would be considered. The text of the treaty

as finally modified was telegraphed in full to Peking, and instructions were sent to the Viceroy to sign it. The signatures and seals of the plenipotentiaries were affixed to the treaty in the conference room, without any special ceremony, at ten o'clock on the morning of April 17. I have been told that the conference room at Shimonoseki is preserved with great care and set apart exclusively as one of the historic show-places of Japan.

At two o'clock on the same day the Viceroy, his suite, and myself went on board the same steamers which brought us, and we sailed away on our return to Tientsin, having occupied four memorable weeks at Shimonoseki, henceforth to be noted as the place where the treaty was signed which was to have a marked influence on the destinies of Asia and the Pacific.

A notable feature of the negotiations, both at Hiroshima, and Shimonoseki, was the general use made of the English language. Ito, Mutsu, and the Chinese secretaries spoke it freely, and in the conferences it was the language of communication. It was necessary to interpret what occurred into Chinese for the information of the Viceroy, and his replies were interpreted into English, not Japanese. All the formal documents exchanged were accompanied by an English translation, and when haste was required, English only was used.

CHAPTER XXXIII

RATIFICATION OF THE TREATY BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN

A SIXTY hours' pleasant sail brought us to the bar at Taku, and thence by rail we reached Tientsin. My private letter of April 20 gives this account of our arrival: "They gave the Viceroy a grand reception, as if he was returning from a great victory, in place of signing a humiliating treaty of peace. The Taku forts saluted, the military lined up along the railway at a 'present arms,' the officials paid their respects with the ko-tou and full deference, and all Tientsin seemed to be at the station to welcome him with bands of music and artillery salutes. He may still continue the 'Great Man of China.' He certainly is in many respects a remarkable man.”

Such was the outward welcome of the people among whom he had spent so many years of his official life and where he had reigned supreme. But when he reached his Yamen, met his official family, and read his correspondence, those outward demonstrations were turned to deep forebodings. He was informed that the viceroys of provinces and most of the generals had memorialized the Throne against the treaty, and he became greatly alarmed as to its ratification by the Emperor.

My advice and that of those of his associates and friends who dared to speak frankly to him was that he should go in person and at once to Peking, and by his acknowledged ability and commanding personality meet and defeat the opposition. But he seemed to lose courage in the face of the storm and decided to remain in his Yamen at Tientsin. In place of going himself, he asked me to undertake the mission to the Imperial Capital, to defend the treaty before the Cabinet or Privy Council and urge its ratification.

I told him that I feared my going to Peking on such a mission, a foreigner, would not be kindly or favorably received. He replied that he understood his countrymen better than I did; that the Cabinet knew that I had come to China on the invitation of the Emperor to advise them as to the treaty; that they would not care to meet me, as they are opposing the treaty; but they would not refuse to hear me; and what I told them would have much more weight than anything he could say.

In a private conference before going he explained to me in detail the characteristics and political surroundings of each member of the Privy Council, and revealed himself in the light of a very shrewd and skillful politician, with a most intimate knowledge of his opponents in the Government and the best means of circumventing them. He said he would send with me one of his secretaries, Wu Ting-fang, as my assistant and interpreter, and he would charge Mr. Wu "to interpret straight" for me.

I reached Peking on April 24, the treaty having preceded me three days. As soon as I could see my friend Chang Yen Huan, the late Peace Commissioner and now a member of the Chinese Foreign Office, as instructed by the Viceroy I prepared a communication to that office asking for a conference with the Cabinet in regard to the ratification of the treaty by the Emperor.

It would require several days to have this communication translated and pass through the "circumlocution offices," and I improved the time by meeting and dining with the leading heads of the Diplomatic Corps, the acquaintance of most of whom I had made on my visit the year previous. I found that the able Russian Minister, Count Cassini (afterwards Ambassador in Washington), was actively exerting his influence with the Tsung-li Yamen to induce the Emperor to reject the treaty, and that he was supported by the French and German Ministers. Their opposition and that which was