Peking 26th April.
Return of the Court.
_The Court on their return journey rived at Yenchiao on the 20th and were met there by many high officials from the This place is situated to the east ungchou and many of the officials intended going by the new railway as Tungchou, but the tariff for and mules was so utterly prohibitive that they went instead by carts, and thus was lost the opportunity of giving them a splendid object lesson, as many of them had probably never before seen a train, and much less travelled by one. On the 21st they arrived at the Hunting Park and took up their quarters in the T'uan Ho hunting lodge. Since the Italians vacated it, no labour or expense have been spared in making the place look as if it never had been defiled by the foreigner, and a large sum of money was en for the temporary loan of furniture, curios the opportu of having a private inspection of Yuan's troops. During the journey to and from the Imperial Tombs, some of Yuan's troops died from exhaustion and many fell out and had to be brought back in carts. The horses of the escort and followers, most of which were recently brought down from the Emperor's breeding depots outside the wall, in poor cond: tion, have died in hundreds, and the Peking dealers in horse flesh' consequently have been doing a roaring trade, one small shop disposing of as many as ten in one A Marriage of groat importance is to take place in Peking on the 29th. The bridegroom, Liin Pei-tzi, is a descendant, through adoption, of Too Kuang, and the bride-elect is a niece of Yung Lu. Lin Pei-tai was born in 1874, and his first wife, who died two years ago and by whom he had two sons, was a niece of the Empress Dowager. He is a great favourite of the Empress Dowager, and it is thought by many that he, or one of his sons, will most likely be appointed heir to the throne.
The Old, Old Tale!
There have been lately a great many complaints about the way in which the collections of the Peking Native Customs has been carried out by Prince Su's underlings. Many stories, true or false, are being told of the blackmailing propensities of the Custom watchers at various gates of the city. Of course foreign owned goods have been exempt from this extra squeeze, and many Chinese, who are fortunate enough to have foreign acquaintances, hiad their goods passed as foreign owned. In one case I heard of the native gladly paying one hundred taels to his foreign ac-Quaintance for passing a hundred boxes of glass. A censor has memorialised the throne denouncing, the whole administration, and Prince Ssu, with the intention probably of forestalling any steps which Might be taken on the memorial, has issued a proclamation practically admitting these irregularities and urging the people not to pay more than the regular dues and to insist on a receipt for the amount paid, so that if any overcharge is made a thorough examination can be made.
Prince Su's Failure.
One cannot help feeling sorry for the Prince in his struggles to honestly administer the customs. By originating the plan of paying fair salaries to himself and his employees he thought he might do away to 2 great extent with the squeezing, but instead it seems to have acted as an incentive to the practice. Then, on the other hand, he has made many enemies for himself among, the high officials who hope to succeed to the office on the expiry of his term; as instead of appropriating the bulk of the taxes to his own purse, as has been the custom in the past, he has handed it over to the Imperial Exchequer.
28th April.
New Residence of the I.¢.
Sir Robert Hart's new house is almost finished and he expects to move in m a few days. It is built on the site of the and ornaments. The "Peking Gazette"
Sanowtces the Yetura of the Coart to the ote foehn Just the Tame ae city on the 20th. The officials left in charge, owing doubtless to the wild talk contre, and Sir Robert intends to start re ally, with the band stand placed in the a a one the in the tea shops, and the nervousness of if warden parties as soon as he gots set-Tome of the Lezations, hare been doing {ieq°down, A new gateway, very Beal all their programme and return direct jar to the former one which was taken the Court to! fully carved, has been made, exactly sitithe Palace, but all considerations must Palace ik al consderatons ut by the Hains together with allen of of the Empress Dowager. The much talked of review is not to take place after The Cogill Sutton Troupe all, owing, it is said, to the fear of its be- have favoured Peking with a visit, and ing misunderstood by the foreigners, but j varied the monotony of the amusements the Empress will doubtless avail herself of of the capital by two excellent entertain-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.