An official returned only a few days ago from Hsian gives the following picture of the Refugee Court:—The government of the Empire is still in the strong grasp of the Empress Dowager and her reactionists, while Yung Lu and Lu Ch'uan-lin still hold great power, overshadowing all els". As for Governor Tsin Ch'un-hsuan, his influence with the Empress Dowager. hax obviously declined considerably, and the Grand Secretary Wang Wéu-shao seems to occupy his whole time in trying to keep the peace between the various powerful Ministers, whose jealousy of each other in intriguing for the countenance and friendship of the Empress Dowayer has frequently threatened to break out into open hostilities, The Emperor, alas! is still without a shred of authority, bereft of friends and power as in the days which followed the usurpation of the Empress Dovragor in 1698. The Empress Dowager is looking well and self-satisfied; appesring more like a well-preserved woman of forty—moro than a quarter of a century younger. Hi sty the Emperor, on the contrary, looks wan and unhappy, anxiety and sorrow being closely written on his countenance. Indeed, who can blame him? But the Heir-Apparent, Pu-Chun Rowdyish, coarse, an: low in habit sand dress none to'look at him just now would re-n this stout, coarse-looking lad of heir of the broad provinces of the Chinese Empire. There seems to be neither nobility nor high aspirations in the composition of this coarse piece of clay. Dhose will be sorrowful days for millions of China if such a youth be recognised by the Powers and allowed to be placed on the Throne to exercise his despotism and mature plans against the Foreigner, whom he openly declares he hates with an unquenchable hatred. Finally, to kill tine there are three large theatrical troupes, which followed the Court from Peking to Hsian, playing almost daily before the Empress Dowager inside the improvised Imperial palace, and also giving daily performances before the Ministers and officials in Hsian,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.