It is generally assumed, and sometimes averred that ignorance of the Chinese Tanguage gives a man a wmique advantage in observing and understanding the Chinese people. If a traveller visits a few "cities and gives a few minutes to the temples along the beaten tracks, he forthwith claims to be an authority on things Chinese. It is true that such an "authority" is generally assisted by an English-speaking boy, who, being a model of truthfulness—as all Chinese are—and full of eagerness to expose the seamy side of his countrymen, always regards it as a igious duty to speak the tryt': rud the truth only. "Those of us who have lived long in China, and conversed with all kinds of Chinese, are somehow deemed unworthy of credence, because we are never able T understand the people. It is true that on the eve of the uprising of the Boxers in Peking, this rule was somewhat weakened by a conspicuous exception. But exceptions prove rules. Without therefore arrogating unto ourselves the unique fitness mentioned above—for unfortunately wa are not quite ignorant of the Chinese language, nor do we command the services of an English-speaking boy—we have recently made a long trip among the many towns and villages of this province, and therefore ¥enture to send you a few observations, which, though those of an idler, may not be absolutely devoid of interest to some of your readers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.