Delta chief., 1883-10-17
HOW CHINA's EMPEROR LIVES.
The Boy Who IL Honored rs a God, and
His Home.


His Home.
The ruler of the $50, 900, 900 of which
the Chinese nation probably consists, is
now within five years of his majority
(the age of 1S years., and is an occu-
pant, while yet minor, of the apart
ments in which lived the emperor who
preceded him on the Dragon throne.
There, SAYS the North China Herald, he
eats with gold-tipped chopsticks OF
ivory. There he sleeps on large
Ningpo bedstead, richly carved and
ornamented with ivory and gold-the
same on which the noble-minded En-
perors kang Hsi and Chen Dung used
to recline after the days fatigue last
century and the century before.
Like one of those living Buddhas who
may be seen in lamasery on the
Mongoliap plateau, he is knelt to by all
his attendants and honored as God.
The seclusion in which he is kept is far
more complete than that of the gods.
The building in which the emperor re-
sides is called Yam Hsin Tien, and is a
little to the west of the Ch len Ching
Men. in the middle of the palace. AT
the back of the central gate, on the
south side, is the great reception hall.
When ministers of state and others en-
ter for an audience, at 4. 5 or 6 in the
morning, according to custom, they
have to 90 on foot to the center of the
palace over half mile, if they enter
by the east or west gate; and when
they get on in years they can appreci-
ate the emperor's favor, which then by
a decree allows them to be borne in a
chair instead of walking.
The rooms of the emperor consist of
seven compartments. They are pro-
vided with the divan or Hangs, the
peculiar institution of North China.
The k'angs are covered with red felt of
native manufacture. and the floor with
European carpets. The cushions all
have embroidered on them the dragon
and the phGnix. Pretty things scat
tered through the rooms are endless in
variety. and are changed in accordance
with any wish expressed by the empe-
ror.
The rooms are in all thirty yards
long by from eight TO nine yards deep,
and are divided into three separ-
ate apartments, the throne room being
the middle one. Folding doors ten
feet in height open into each of these
apartments 10 the north and south in the
center of each. The upper part of these
doors is in open work in which various
auspicious characters and flowers are
carved These doors remain open even
in winter. because during that season a
thick embroidered curtain of damask
is hung in the doorway, which by its
weight keeps its place close to the door
posts and prevents cold air from enter
ing. In summer this is replaced by u
curtain admitting the breeze on ac-
count of its being made of very thin
strips of bamboo. The silk threads used
in sewing the strips of bamboo together
are of various colors. and passing
through the whole texture of the cur
tain from top 10 the bottom are very
agreeable TO the eye. These summer
and winter curtains are rolled up 10
give air to the rooms when required.
The Hoppe who lately returned from
Canton gave the Emperor present
valued at IS, 200. II consisted of chan
deliers holding 800 wax candles each.
His majesty has also some electrical
machines and numberless foreign
curiosities.
The emperor was vaccinated when
an infant. before his high destiny WAS
thought of. otherwise it would have
been difficult To vaccinate him, for, his
person being sacred when emperor, no
lancet can touch him. His mother. the
Princess of Ch'un, goes 10 see him once
month. and kneels when she first
speaks to him. but rises afterwards.
Hir father does SO to. The emperor
,tudies Chinese daily for an hour and a
half. and Manchu also for an hour and
half. He spends two hours in arch
cry and riding and in the winter amuses
himself with sledging. He has n little
brother of five. whom il may be hoped
the mother takes with her when she
goes to the palace. The teachers who
instruct him kneel TO him on entering,
but afterwards sit. The emperor has
eight cunuchs. who constantly attend
him. besides an indefinite number for
special occasions. He has his meals
alone and the eight eunuchs wait
around him, restraining him If he takes
too much of one thing. His school
room is at the back of the Yang Hsin
Tien, already &c cribed. and the hall
for conference each morning with min
listers is a little to the east.
Auor;,ous NhrnuL