ed and fifty yards in length and thirty in breadth; the marble
balustrades are skilfully carved, and surmounted by marble lions in the
Chinese taste.

On arriving at Pekin the French embassy was installed in the Tartar
quarter. Five months later the revolution broke out which placed Prince
Kung in power. The prince was well-disposed towards Europeans, and under
his rule Madame de Bourboulon was able to traverse Pekin without fear.
We subjoin some extracts from her journals:--

"I set out on horseback this morning," she says, "accompanied by Sir
Frederick Bruce and my husband, to make a tour of the Chinese town; our
escort consisted only of four European horsemen and two Ting-tchai. We
arrived at a populous carrefour, which derived a peculiar character from
the large numbers of country people who flock there to dispose of all
kinds of provisions, but particularly, game and vegetables; heaps of
cabbages and onions rise almost to the height of the doors of the
houses.

"The peasants, seated on the ground, smoke their pipes in peace, while
the aged mules and bare-skinned asses, which have conveyed their wares,
wander about the market-place, gleaning here and there some vegetable
refuse. At every step the townsfolk, with indifferent bearing, and armed
with a fan to protect their wan and powdered complexion, jostle against
the robust copper-coloured country people, whose feet are thrust into
sandals, and their heads covered with large straw hats. Not knowing how
to guide our horses through the midst of this confused mob, we gained
the precincts of the police pavilion in the hope of enjoying a little
more tranquillity.

"We had been there a few moments only, when my horse showed a determined
unwillingness to remain. Evidently something had frightened him. I
raised my head mechanically, and thought I should have fainted before
the horrible spectacle which struck my eyes. Behind us, close at hand,
was a row of posts to which were fixed cross-beams of wood, and in each
cage were death's heads, which stared at me with fixed, wide-open eyes,
their jaws dislocated with frightful grimaces, their teeth set
convulsively by the agony of the last moment, and the blood rolling drop
by drop from their freshly severed necks!

"In a second we had spurred our horses to the gallop to get out of sight
of this hideous charnel-house, of which I long continued to think in my
sleepless nights.

"Turning to the left, we entered a street which