Evening star., 1898-07-16
THE EMPEROR OF CHINA
He Looks Like Man Who is Weary of the
World.
of an Audience Granted
to the Foreign AmbassadOrs-
No Interest for Him.

"A Berlin journal publishes the following
account from the pen of a well-known
German traveller, of an audience granted
by the Emperor of China to the foreign
ambassadors at Pekin. The writer was the
only non-diplomatic person present.
Headed by the highest dignitaries of the
celestial empire. our procession moved on
between rows of privy chancillors Of the
first class, body guards armed with bows
and arrows civic authorities holding valu-
able old swords under their arms, and un-
armed soldiers of the palace. We passed
by the black tents with the little, peeping
windows, in which the ambassadors fore
gathered in former years before they were
received by the emperor.
Silently and pompously we passed over
the dark carpet woven out of black camel's
hair and ascended some steps leading to
the widely opened folding doors of Il build
ing, from the front wall of which tho out
side had peeled off, leaving the casing snd
umbers exposed to view, moldy and worm
eaten. Thus we reached the audience cham
Der and were within three PAGES of the
"son Of heaven" Kouang Sou, the ruler
of the middle kingdom" He was seated
upon raised platform, approached by five
steps and three gangways, while from the
right and left two narrow paths also gave
access to the dais. The latter and the bal
ustrade were covered with red cloth and
trimmed with yellow. On either side of the
emperor stood one of the Manchurian
piluCeS, upright, ulolloHleSS, dtlu Will IL
stony stare, as though he were keeping
watch over a bier.
In this hail. the hall of the flowers of
literature" the 'son of heaven sat before
a table on the platform, so that only the
upper portion of his body was visible. Upon
the table lay staff, probably of jasper,
the "scepter of good fortune" A small
square box, seemingly of antique cloisonne
work, was said to contain the imperial
seal. There were also upon the table the
plate for preparing Chinese ink, tray for
unused writing brushes, rack for holding
these brushes when in use, box of In
dian ink, and a vase of water for making
the writing fluid. All these articles were
made out OF precious stones of the second
rank such as Jasper, topaz, turquoise and
the like. 1t seemed as if the emperor pre-
ferred to have these useful articles before
him as the insignia Of power, instead of
the usual sword, scepter and orb.
His majesty looks older than he really Is.
With sunken head and yellow face, he
looked shyly at the assembled diplomats,
and his heavy eyes were Lit up for the oc-
casion by opium or morphia. A sorrowful.
weary and rather childish smile played
about his mouth. When his lips are parted
his long, irregular, yellow teeth appear,
and there are great hollows in either cheek.
His face is not entirely wanting in sympa-
thy, but rather betokens Indifference, and
from its features nothing of interest can be
read; in fact, the emperor impressed me as
being self-restrained, cold, apathetic, want
ing in capacity, worn out and as though
half dead.
1 felt that whatever passed before his
eyes had not the slightest interest for him;
and that it mattered not In tho least to
him whether he understood the meaning Of
the ceremony. 1 may. indeed, be wrong in
my judgement and it may be that the EN-
peror of China is highly intelligent mon
arch, educated, well read, a keen student
and anxious for the welfare of his people
l may be entirely wrong. but l cannot be-
lieve that l am. A man who wears look
ff1 t~fa fn hi
be on the downward grade; 1 must be bold
enough to reproduce the "son Of heaven"
l saw him and as he struck me- and not
as others would wish me to picture him.
For quarter of an hour l stood only
three PAGES from the emperor of the ceIes-
tial empire. and l watched him narrowly
the whole time; there stole over me feel
ing of regretful sympathy with this potsn-
tate, who governs more than, 4OO, 100000
people from the ruined chambers Of vast
prison house.
After a deathly silence Of some minutes
the doyen of the diplomatic corps, Col
DENLY, minister of the United States, read
an address in English. Prince Kung had
previously been made acquainted with the
text Of his address. He mounted with diff
fculty the smaller staircase on the right,
bowed very low, knelt before the emperor
on the left, touched the floor with his fore
head and translated the address into the
Manchurian tongue. The ''son Of heaven"
Gsped in Manchurian u few words that
could scarcely be heard. Prince Kung then
Interpreted these imperial remarks to .he
audience in Chinese, and finally the drago-
man of the Russian embassy gave them out
in very faulty French. Prince Kung then
shuffed backward down the steps of the
throne.
We drew back three PAGES, and, keeping
our faces toward the emperor, passed
backward In his presence through the front
door, and thus quilted the hall of the
flowers of literature" 1t may here be re-
marked that hitherto amba ssadors had
been obliged to leave this hall by a side
door.
The emperor remained seated upon his
throne. To have turned ones back upon
him would have meant punishment by
death.