ands upon the emperor. A treaty was made at
Tien-tsin, confirming the former, and with many important articles. One
provided for the appointment of ambassadors by each nation, another for
the protection of Christian missionaries, and several others of less
moment.

"It looked as though the Chinese emperor had been sufficiently
humiliated; but the treaty 'slipped up,' for its last clause provided
that the treaty should be ratified at Pekin within one year. The emperor
could not abide the idea of permitting the ambassadors to enter the
sacred capital, and he looked about him for the means of escaping the
issue. The forts between the capital and the Gulf of Pe-chi-li had been
rebuilt and were well armed. The Chinese officials urged the signing at
Tien-tsin, and this was done by several of the embassy; but France and
England insisted that it must be signed in Pekin, as provided in the
instrument itself.

"They started for the sacred city with several men-of-war, but they
found the mouth of the river closed to them by the forts. A severe
engagement followed, in which the allies were beaten, the only battle
gained by the Chinese. At the end of a year another expedition with
twenty thousand men went with the ambassadors, the forts were all taken,
and the officials went to Tien-tsin. The force marched on Pekin; and the
emperor fled, leaving his brother Prince Kung to meet the embassy. The
north-east gate of the city was surrendered, and the treaty was duly
signed at Pekin.

"In 1861 the emperor died, having named his son, six years old, as his
successor. A dozen years later he took possession of the throne, the
regency expiring then. He died two years later, and a nephew of Prince
Kung was appointed to the succession by the imperial family. He was a
child of four years of age then, and reigned under a regency till 1887,
when he took possession of the government at the age of sixteen.

"I should have said before that a change of the tariff in 1842 made the
importation of opium legal in the empire. The country has in recent
years employed foreign officers in its army and navy, and foreign
mechanics in its workshops. China is represented at five of the
principal nations of the world by ambassadors. It has built up a very
respectable navy, mostly at the shipyards of Great Britain; and foreign
officers have greatly improved the condition of the army.

"Telegraphic communication has been extensively established, and a
railroad