The morning call., 1894-07-01

was carried into the yamen, and moment
later an official mo ioned me TO enter.
l was first led into two reception-rooms
and was given seat in the more hOn0red
one of the two. the. place reserved for
Chinese mandarins of high rank. 1t was
rather ragged for a palace and for the
ruler of such vast people. 1t was, l
Judge, thirty feet square and twelve feet
from floor to ceiling. Around the wall ran
divan three feet wide and so high that
when | sat nDOn it my toes just touched
the floor. This divan was covered with
the cheapest of red cotton cushion each
| of which was about an inch in thickness
| and a bout three feet square. Above these
| against the wall there was strip of
| Japanese red and blue fiowered goods, per-
| haps yard wide, and from the ledge of the
| divan hung down Turkey red cotton cur
tain foot andia half long. There was no
carpet on the floor and the paper on the
walls cost. L venture, s cents roll. The
whole outfit of the reception-room could
be knocked up in America for S25 and
there was nothing ostentatous about
| it. The callers, however, made up in the
| gOrgeoEsness of their costumes for the lack
of splendor In their surroundings. There
were mandarins in furs which must have
cost hundreds of taels. There were off,
cials in the finest of silks, wearing the
costiest of jewels, and moment after l
arrived servant brought In two cups of
tea of a variety too precious to be exported
to the United States. This tea was placed
upon little table which rested upon the
divan, and it had not had chance To cool
before the Secretary of the Navy entered.
He was clad In dark silks lined with the
finest of fur, such as our bellies use for the
lining of their opera cloaks, aud he had on
his head a cap with button of rank. He
chatted with me as we slipped our tea,
making loud noise with our mouths in
doing so, according to Chinese etiquette.
and the conversation ranged from politics
to photography, the Naval Secretary being
much interested in stereopticOns and want
ing to know the best American makes.
After a time the word came that the
Viceroy was ready to receive us. We rose
and walked out behind a gorgeous but
somber official, who held my red card high
up In the air before him and strutted like
a drum major. We passed through ball
after hall, going by lackeys who saluted
US like so many automatons as we went in.
We walked through long corridors running
around open courts and at last came into
a large parlor furnished in half Chinese
half European style. Here. near Japan
ese screen. by table stood tall old man
to whom the Secretary of the Navy bowed
low as he introduced me. IL was LII Hung
Chang, the great Viceroy OF China. His
personality impressed me even more fOrci-
bly, to-day than when | met him In that
years Of age, but he stands firmly. and
his long gown, which reaches TO his feet,
| makes him look like giant. be is In fact
| six feet two inches in his stockings, and
the thick soles of his Chinese shoes add
another inch to his stature. He has a
| sHgnt stoop. His shoulders are broad. and
I'D MS prime he must have possessed great
muscular power. He is by no means an
old looking man to-day. There are few
! Wrinkles IN his cream lored face, and bis
| straggIlng beard is black mixed with sill
YER. dis eyes are black. bright and pierc-
| ing, and the eyelids are of the pronounced
almond shape. He has high cheek bones
| and full forehead. His cheeks are rosy.
| partly due to his health and partly to the
application Of electricity, which tney re-
| ceive daily 10 cure him of the facial par
aIysis from which he for long time suf-
fered. His black cue is mixed with gray.
and his head when l met him TODAY was
crowned with a black satin Chinese can
in the front of which glittered a solitaire
diamond as big as the end of your thumb.
LII Hung Chang has a slender but power
full hand His fingers are long and thin
and on one of them | noted magnificent
ring Of diamonds and Opals. His costume
was. in fact, a gorgeous and costly one.
His gown was of the finest yellow satin,
and his coat. which covered his body TO
his thighs. was of rich seal brown velvet.
fastened with buttons of gold. His trousers
were also of wadded satin aud they were
tied with satin strings about his ankles,
above his black satin boots. The stories
had heard Of his kicking his officers made
me regard these with interest. had no
fear that he would try them on me. but
noted their white soles were two Inches