ho are now in this country are able to laugh at the
Emperor's decree, and have no intention of going where he can make things
unpleasant for them, they are horror-struck at the way their poor
relatives have been stampeded. A number of these have been thrown into
jail, and only the nimblest have managed to escape the imperial vengeance.

The Chinese merchants feel that this is very hard, because they have never
been tried and convicted of any crime, and this punishment has fallen upon
them because of a report of the Consul in San Francisco, which they say is
absolutely false.

It seems that the Consul sent word to the Minister in Washington that
these ten men were "rebels and full of treason," that they were plotting
the overthrow of the Emperor of China, and were collecting arms for that
purpose.

The Minister sent the report on to the Emperor, and his Celestial Majesty,
fearful lest these ten men might overthrow his kingdom, instantly ordered
them to come right home and have their heads chopped off.

The accused Chinese merchants say that they are innocent, and that the
charge was made against them by their enemies; and of enemies they seem to
have an unlimited number.

It appears that Chinese society is a very complicated affair.

The Chinese, in their own country, live in families and clans, after the
manner of the Scotch, and like the ancient Scotch people there are
frequently terrible feuds or quarrels between the various clans. If one
man of a clan offends a man of another clan, the two entire clans take up
the quarrel, and every man of the one clan is ready to fight any man of
the other clan, and injure him as far as lies in his power.

In China, as in Scotland, families or clans consist of every living member
or connection of the family.

In China the affairs of every member of the family are managed by a
council. This council consists of the elders (men over sixty years of
age), and the scholars. We told you in No. 1 of THE GREAT ROUND
WORLD what severe trials a man has to go through in China before he
can be called a scholar.

It is the duty of this council to collect and save all moneys due to any
member of the family, to direct the business of their households, and to
manage the family and its affairs so completely that the members of the
family are like children under the guidance of a very careful parent; and
when they come to this country, and are obliged to think and act for
themselves, they ar