It has now been definitely arranged that Prince Ching, the President of the T'sung-li Yamen, will make a tour of inspection to the northern war ports, and probably to Shanghai, in the fourth moon. This is the sequel to the voyage of the Seventh Prince in 1886, which was so successfully accom-lished. It was intended that His Imperial ughness should have repeated the experiment in the following year, but it was deferred until sickness incapacitated Prince Chun from any such arduous undertake One of the objects of the voyage now in contemplation will be to inspect and take over the harbour works at Port Arthur from the French contractors.
"The visit of the Emperor to the Eastern Tombs of his family has been carried out exactly according to the programme. The Imperial party, consisting of the Empress-Dowager, the Emperor and Empress, and four Imperial concubines, left the palace in Peking before sunrise on the 4th April, and they are timed to return to the capital on the 12th. The Empress-Dowager proceeded about five li ahead of the Emperor and his wives. There are three travelling Erected and maintained for the special use palaces between Peking and Tungling,
of His Majesty. The first station, Yienkiao, is about 30 li beyond Tungchow. The second, Tachoasi, about 801i beyond that, and the third, Paichian, about 901i further. The Imperial party first alighted at the temple called the Tung-yo-miao, outside the East Gate in the suburb of Peking,
"The perty then brealdfested and proceeded, ary prayers 0 for a prosperous journey. where incense was burned and the custoni
the Empress-Dowager, escorted by Manchu cavalry of the guard and surrounded by princes, military officials, and eunuchs, again heading the procession. The Em-detachment of cavalry of the guard, an peror followed next, preceded by a strong supported by all the princes and' high nobility not specially ordered to remain in the capital or detailed for duty elsewhere. At a short distance behind His Majesty followed the Imperial consort and the other ladies, surrounded by eunuchs.
In the fourth day, that is to say on the 7th April, the tombs were reached, and the Emperor and Court put up at the Lung-fu-sai, a Lama temple. On the 8th the Imperial party visited the tombs, offering sacrifices to their ancestors, and going through the formal ceremony of repairing their graves by placing a handful of earth on each tumulus. On the following day the Imperial party left the tombs on the return journey in the same order as before, and on. the afternoon of the 12th they will enter the capital.
On the present occasion, contrary to traditional custom, the people were allowed to come out and see the Emperor, and it is reported that they availed themselves of His Majesty permitted one petitioner, a the opportunity to present many petitions. woman with a child, to approach kis chair and state her complaint, which proving to be of a trivial nature, the Emperor advised the woman to address herself to the local magistrate of her district, but at the same time ordered the punishment by law, imposed on all who stop the Emperor, to be in the case of this woman remitted. The Emperor also called to his chair several old men he saw in the crowd, and asked them after their age and circumstances, finally ordering sweets to be given to them.
As far as Tingfuchwang, 20 li from Peking, the metropolitan troops guard the sides of the Imperial road; and at_that point begins the responsibility of the Vicoroy of Chihli, who, kneeling at the roadside, received the Emperor, and thenceforth charged himself with' his security. According to custom the Viceroy ought to have been on horseback near the person of His Majesty, but His Excellency, Li Hang-chiang, was graciously dispensed by is Majesty from that duty on account of his age. He was nevertheless exposed to much fatigue, having always to be present when the Imperial party arrived at and departed from station, and being obliged to hurry on by bye-roads from halting pla to halting place in advance of the process sion, has been ordered to accompany the Emr It is said that the Viceroy Li Hung-chang peror back to Peking, instead of leaving the cortege near Tungchow, as originally arranged. His Excellency will not therefore be back at Tientsin before 16th April,—Chinese Times
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.