explain the comparative ease with which British rule is enforced.

This reign of peace has multiplied the population to the enormous extent of one hundred million of souls within a century, making an aggregate of three hundred millions in the country.

The area of land under cultivation has largely increased all over the country, in some instances as much as seventy per cent, while its value has everywhere greatly advanced. Before the British occupation there was scarcely a single road deserving the name. Now they traverse every district, railroads connect all important towns, and twenty-eight thousand miles of irrigating canals under government supervision constitute a system surpassing any other in the world. Competent authority states that the rate of taxation is the lightest of any civilized government, and that under British rule it has steadily diminished. Education, before almost unknown, is being generally introduced. The civil service, as I have already pointed out, is equal to that of any nation.

The British Government of India is not a perfect one, but its influence upon the people is beneficent and elevating. How long it is to continue I do not venture to predict, but during my visit I saw little evidence of internal danger to British supremacy. The Hindu friends whom I met at Calcutta and elsewhere spoke to me of the influence of the principles of our Declaration of Independence upon the enlightened classes, and the Indian Congress, a voluntary gathering, was holding its sessions annually with freedom from governmental restraint. This spirit has apparently increased in later years, and threatens to become formidable. In certain quarters in Great Britain the question is sometimes mooted whether its possession of India is a burden or a blessing to the United Kingdom, but I think there is no considerable body of the English nation who contemplate its relinquishment, and no

Ministry could maintain itself which was proved guilty of culpable neglect in measures for its defense.

The bugbear of Russian invasion was very prominent when I was on my journey. I did not converse with a single Englishman on the subject who was not thoroughly convinced that Russia's great aim was to drive the British out of India, and that France stood ready to second her efforts. But subsequent events have put an end to those fears, for the present at least. These are the rise of Japan as a military power, the defeat of Russia by that power, the establishment of cordial relations between France and Great Britain, the understanding between the latter and Russia as to Persia and Afghanistan, and especially the defensive and offensive alliance of Great Britain and Japan.

CHAPTER XXX

VISIT TO CHINA AND JAPAN

LEAVING Calcutta, we next touched at Rangoon, and spent five days in Mandalay, the old capital of Burma. Here we had full opportunity to see the practice of the Buddhist religion. The most striking feature of the country was the freedom and intelligence of the women. We stopped two days at Penang, and devoted a week to Singapore, where we found much to interest us the evidences of British commercial enterprise, its foresight in seizing upon important places like this port and Hong Kong, and a study of the Malay States. The Sultan of Johore has a palace in this city, in which he entertained us at dinner with a display of Oriental brilliancy; and he invited us to his dominions across the strait near by on the continent; the Governor, Sir Charles Mitchell, made our stay both pleasant and profitable by his many attentions; and we met here and were entertained by Admiral Freemantle of the British Navy on his flagship, and by the Lancaster of our own navy, returning from the China station.

The vessel on which we sailed from Singapore touched at Saigon, the French capital of Cochin China, where we passed two days. Here we met in the natives quite a different people from those of the other countries visited, but the town itself was but a reproduction of Paris on a very small scale.

At Hong Kong, the chief commercial emporium of Asia and at that time the third port in importance in the world, we saw the same evidences of British enterprise and supremacy in the Far East which we noted at Singapore; and the British authorities vied with our own Consul-General in affording us every possible opportunity to see and study its commercial and social features,

At Canton we first touched Chinese territory, and at once saw that we were among friends when the Viceroy informed me that he had received instructions from Peking to see that all official courtesies and assistance were extended to me during my visit. I had been the counsel of the Chinese Legation in Washington for many years, and in all my stay in the Empire there was apparent a disposition to show an appreciation of my services to its Government. The great and thriving city of Canton, with its narrow streets and houseboat life greatly interested us. The American Consul-General here, Mr. Seymour, was the only one of the former administration I had met, and he had been retained at the special request of the missionaries and the few other resident Americans, because of his efficiency and long service. At all the other places new consuls had been appointed by President Cleveland. While the sweeping changes are to be deplored as a rule, I have pleasure in saying that I found the new incumbents men of character and ability.

Our next stop in China was at Shanghai, where we only lingered three days, as we were getting anxious to reach Peking, and the time allotted for our tour was growing short. Shanghai is the best-built and most attractive city of all the Chinese treaty ports, the commercial and banking centre of the Empire, and is a favorite place of resort for foreigners. We had timed our arrival here to take the first steamer for Tientsin after the ice was clear of the Peiho.

Tienstin is the seat of the viceroyalty of China, the metropolitan province, and had special importance at the time of our visit as being both the seaport of the imperial capital, Peking, and the residence of the famous Chinese statesman, Li Hung Chang, who from his influential position might be termed the Prime Minister of the Empire. The day after my arrival I made a call upon him in his yamen, or official residence, and the day following he returned my call, which is described by Mrs. Foster in one of her letters.

TIENTSIN, CHINA, March 26th.

MY DEAREST E▬▬, We have had much to occupy us since we landed here, and of our doings I have already written and mailed you a letter. . . .

Yesterday was a most exciting day, as the Viceroy Li Hung Chang came in state to return your father's visit. It was his first visit to the American Consulate. He is now seventy-two years old and seldom makes visits, and this one was considered a great honor. Our Consul had provided a Chinese band which played American airs, and a small guard of marines had been sent for the occasion from the American man-of-war Monocacy, now in port. All the servants at the Consulate were wild with excitement at the idea of the great Viceroy coming to the house. They call your father the “Viceroy of America," as that is the highest title they can think of.

Chinese etiquette requires that as soon as the Viceroy comes in, he is to be escorted to the dining-room, and seated at a table loaded with sweets, wines, etc., and there they eat and smoke and talk. So the table in the dining-room was all arranged with fruits, flowers, and sweets, and at half-past four o'clock all was ready for the reception of His Excellency the Viceroy. The band played "Hail Columbia," the American flag was flying, and we were all expectancy and excitement, when a grand procession of men and chairs came into view, and the "Taotai," the chief political officer of Tientsin arrived as an advance guard and to announce the coming visit. Then appeared the retinue of the Viceroy. Two men bore large flags in front of the procession, followed by a company of soldiers carrying immense knives, then a great red umbrella carried on a high pole, the Viceroy in a green sedan chair of state, surrounded by his retinue dressed in fine style, and then followed his secretaries and interpreter in blue chairs.

After they were all seated at the table, we looked at them through the door and heard the conversation, which was very amusing. I give some of the questions the Viceroy asked