Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-28
Mr.. Seuard's Adventures.

Some ct the related incidents of Gov Sew ards
travels around the world, and especially. in
China, are most interesting. He saws:
Prince Kung and the cabinet invited me TO
dinner Immediately on my arrival at Pekin. lat
tended it with Admiral Rodgers, the American
Minister, and others. 1t began at one o'clock
p. M, and was elaborate, recherche, yivacious
spirited, hut not particularly political or intel
lectual. don't know but il would have con-
tinued until this time If had been able TO stand
it. As il was, got of between four and nve,
apparently 10 the great disappointment OF nv
official entertainers. Three DAYS afterwards
Prince Kung honored me with a visit.
and dined with me at the legation. where re-
ciprocatcd his compliment rs placing him at
my left hand instead Of the right entirely to his
satisfaction. The conversation took an elevated
tone. We discussed the Burlingame treaty. and
the relations of China with foreign nations
The Prince expressed the determination of the
ministry, so far as in their power, to bring
China into intimate and equal relations of friend
sIlp and intercourse, not only with the United
States, but with all tn western powers.
EThe Governor continues: The real manrof
China is Wan Gang, who chiefly carried through
the Burlingame mission, and established UNI
yersity for the education of Chinese youth by
western professors, in western arts and sciences
A reaction which was really in the interest of
the Chinese literGti followed these measures,
just as similar reaction against the Burlin-
game treaty had obtained among the foreign
residents in China. Wan Gang was i'll and in
temporary retirement, under a law which obliges
every public servant on the death of his mother
to go into absolute seclusion and mourning for
one year. Flllal affection, you know, is one of
the five virtues II cognized in Chinese morals
Wan Gang visited me, and we reduced into a
personal friendship the cordial relations which
we had entertained towards each other while /
was in Washington.
In relation to tire entertainment given by the
Maharajah of Puttiala, Mr. Seward relates
pleasant incident. He says, in monster pro-
! cession, in which / took part. my colored ser
want, William Freeman, was mounted on one
Of the 20 60 elephants like the rest OF u.s. with
the same appanage of silver ladder and giided
howdah, and so bore a part in the procession
through the streets of Puttiala as unostenta-
tiOus az any of us who had derivedou American
citiZenihip by birth, instead of through the
Fifteenth Amendment. On our arrival, amid
music and the noise of presented arms, Free
man coming up in the rear was unnoticed and
left on his high elevation, while the party were
entertained at the grand durbar. He neither
knew how himself, nor had he an attendant who
could make an elephant kneel to let him down.
There was no one to present him with the
necessary silver ladder, and there he was left
perched on the back of the elephant. The
durbar was nearly over when discovered that
he was absent. On inquiry found that he was
still In the palace yard, on his high elevation,
over the heads of the vast crowd, to their great
surprise and his own sad modification. The
Prince kindly sent out and brought hi m in, and
gave him a seat at the durbar, which was more
comfortable though less magnificent than the
one from which he had just descended. think
Freeman did not care ever to mount an elephant
afterwara.