Page:China Under the Empress Dowager - ed. Backhouse and Bland - 1914.pdf/303

 receiving the Ministers’ wives in person, intimating that she cherished most pleasant memories of past friendly inter- course with them. Here, again, we note fulfilment of a plan, deliberately conceived and formed upon the best classical models, “for dealing with strong and savage people.”

At noon on the 6th of January 1902 the Imperial party arrived by special train at the temporary station which had been erccted close to the southern walls of Peking, and ad- joining the old terminus at Ma-chia p’u. Large pavilions, handsomely decorated, had been erected near the station, in which the Old Buddha and the Emperor were to be received ; they were furnished with a throne of gold lacquer, cloisonné altar vessels and many valuable pieces of porce- lain. Several hundreds of the highest metropolitan officials were in attendance, and a special place had been provided for foreigners. As the long train of over thirty carriages drew up at the station, the keen face of the Old Buddha was seen anxiously scanning her surroundings from one of the windows of her car. With her were the young Empress and the Princess Imperial, while the chief eunuch, Li Lien-ying, was in attendance. Recognising Her Majesty, every official fell upon his knees, whilst Chi Lu, chief officer of the Household, officiously shouted to the foreigners to remove their hats (which they had already done). The first to emerge from the train was the chief eunuch, who proceeded forthwith to check the long list of provincial tribute and treasure, mountainous loads of bag- gage which had travelled with the Court from the start and under Iler Majesty's close personal supervision. After the eunuch came the Emperor, evidently extremely nervous, who, at a sign from Her Majesty, hurried into his sedan-~ chair and was swiftly borne away, without a word or a sign of recognition to any of the officials in attendance. After his departure, the Empress came out and stood upon the platform at the end of her carriage. “Quite a number of foreigners are here, I see,” she was heard to observe, She saluted them in accordance with the etiquette observed by Chinese women—bowing and raising her crossed hands. Prince Ch’ing then advanced to greet Her Majesty, and