Much comment is made as to the cause of the English Legation's absence from the customary return visit to the Tsungli Yamen of the Ministers' New Year's calls. A member of the staff when questioned said it was simply because Sir Claude had gone to the hills for n week, being slightly indisposed, and consequently the staff could not yo without him. Nobody believes this. Mheredapanese Minister was really indisposed, but his staff went all the same and represented him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.