The National tribune., 1900-09-20
WITHIN THE PALACE WALLS AT PEKIN.
Audience with His Imperial Majesty
Kuang Su.
Black and White.

| The following short account of the au-
dience held by his Imperial Majesty
kuang Su before the outbreak, was writ
took part in it:
The Empress-DOwager commenced the
Chinese New Year by issuing an edict ap-
| pointing an heir-apparent, and virtually
| deposing the reigning Emperor Kuang Su.
On this, OminouS rumOrS of trouble and
prObabl instruction were circulated, and
| the Empress Dowager began to dread car
| rying out her threat; so the Emperor was
| not depOsed, and, in order to prove that
, he was still on the throne, she summoned
an audience of the Ministers in Pekin.
| Sir Claude Macdonald took with him as
! part of his staff the officers in Pekin on
| language leave. They, all attired in full
dress uniform, left the British Legation
at a. H., ON the 18th inst, in sedan
| chairs, and, preceded by mounted man
darius, went through the East Gate of the
Imperial City along the foot of the cele-
brated coalhill along past the forbidden
Purple City, and We're taken across the
frozen lake in the Palace grounds on
sleighs, past the Marble Bridge and the
Emperors electric tram, to a pavilion on
the opposite side of the lake. Here they
were received by Prince Ching, the chief
of the Council of Ministers, to whom they
were introduced, and to all the great dig
nitaries of the Empire. There all the diff
ferent Legations and their stats had as
sembled, British, French, Japanese, Ger
man, Austrian, Dutch, Spanish. Bel
gian, American and Italian Legations.
After tea and cigarettes with the Chinese
officials and waiting for some time, man
DARN came to announce that the Emperor
was ready. They We're all then ushered
into large square, guarded on each side
by soldiers in every conceivable uniform,
red, blue, yellow, etc, and armed with
lances decorated with leopards' tails. Co
ing up some steps they were ushered into
another pavilion in which was a large
screen and raised dias rallied off and
carpeted. Seated behind a small black
carved table on richly carved red Cor
nelian Throne was the Emperor Kuang
Su himself. on whom the vulgar crowd are
never allowed to look. On each side OF
the Throne were all the chief Chinese and
Tartar Ministers, while at one side knelt
Prince Ching. All bowed low, and then
the address was read in French and Chi
neSe. 1t was translated to the Emperor
in Mauchu by Prince Ching; then the En-
peror handed his reply to Prince Ching,
who read it out to the Ministers.
In previous years the Emperor himself
spoke. He was attired in a dark surtOut
covered with light blue circular badges en-
blazoned with the five-toed Imperial Drag
On in gold; he wore round fur cap and
Chinese shoes. In appearance he appeared
to be about IS, though really 80. His
face was thin. pale. long and attenuated,
cheeks sunken, and timid, shrinking,
frightened look about his eyes, which were
very large; he only once smiled slightly.
The Emperor of Millions, the Son Of
Heaven, more like hunted hare than a
Sovereign, was oyershadowed by the dread
presence of the Dowager Empress, who
was behind the screen, concealed from
view.
After the audience all the members Of
the different Legations returned by the
same route, and next day were invited by
the Tsung-li-Yamen to big Chinese din
ner. Again, in full uniform, they were
carried in sedan chairs through the Chi
nese city to the Foreign Office The walls
were decorated with Chinese characters.
signifying harmony; there were long ia
bles running round three sides Of the
room. On one side of the different tables
the European Ministers and their stats
sat; on the other side, Chinese Ministers
and officials. The dinner consisted of
IS different courses, all essentially for
eign chow. with Chinese yellow and red
wine, served hot in teapOts, and cigarettes
in between the courses. The following were
the more remarkable dishes, in the order
in which they were served: Roast suck
ing pig, stewad sharks fins, birds nest
soup, pheasant stuffed gth fir cone seeds,
goose kidney soup, stewed bamboo sprouts,
picked goldfish, stewed silver fish, shred
ded chicken and green-pea soup, pome-
granate jelly. jack fruit croquettes, Iich-
ees, oranges, dates, etc. Everyone was
supplied with silver-mounted chop-sticks,
and also. luckily, spoon, knife and fork,
as Chinese chow, at the best of times, is
hard to get ones teeth through The din
ner is said to have cost $4,000
Veterans in the City.