Chapter I. My Presentation and First Day AT THE Chinese Court 3
Drive Out to the Summer Palace— Presentation— Beginning the Portrait— Luncheon— The Palace Theater —My Pavilion within the Precincts.
Chapter II. Personal Appearance of Her Majesty— A Chinese Repast— Boating . 18
Second Sitting— The Siesta— Her Majesty's Barge— A Promenade on the Lake.
Chapter III. The Palace of the Emperor^s Father 27
A Chinese Palace— Gardens— The Chinese Poem- Tombstones of Pets— The Highway from Peking to the Summer Palace— Chinese Modes of Locomotion —The Seventh Prince.
Chapter IY. Her Majesty's Throne-room . 34
Clocks— Third Sitting— A Promenade in the Gardens—The Orchard— The Empress Dowager's Love of Flowers— Customs as to Fruits and Flowers.
Chapter V. The Young Empress and Ladies OF the Court 42
The Young Empress— The Secondary Wife— The * Princesses— Children by Adoption— Chinese Widows
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—The Princess Imperial— The Relationships of the Princesses of the Blood— The Maids and Tiring-women— Women of the Eighth Banner— The phinese Woman at Court— Slaves.
Chapter VI. Continuation of the Portrait 50
Advantages and Disadvantages of Painting in the Throne-room — The Empress Dowager's Voice — Chinese Opinion as to Portraits of Royalty— Walks with Her Majesty— Her Dogs— Their Pavilions— Cats— The Empress Dowager's Gift of "Me-lah."
Chapter VII. Festivities at Court .... 57
The Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday— Invitation from the Empress Dowager to be Present— Birthday Plays— The Imperial Actors— Birthday Decorations of the Palace Courts and Buildings— Presents- First Gala Performance— Luncheon in the Court of the Theater— The Mat-sheds at the Palace— Visitors— Chinese Courtesy— The Imperial Theater at Summer Palace— Actresses— Customs of Manchu Women.
Chapter VIII. His Majesty the Emperor . . 64
Beginning of his Reign— The Name of an Emperor— The Manchu Dynasty— Personality of the Emperor— Appearance— His Orientalism— His Dreams of Progress—His Edicts— Despatches— The Emperor's Palace and Attendants— His Studies and Talents— Early Rising— His Meals— Conventionalities Observed- Dislike of Public Functions.
Chapter IX. The Eiviperor's Birthday ... 73
Morning Salutations— His Majesty's Throne-room— The Imperial Pearl— Buttons Denoting Rank of Officials— Manchu Buttons— ' 'Lever'^ of the Empress Dowager-Court Costume— Young Empress in Court Attire —Going in State to Audience Hall— Official Congratulation by High Officials and Princes— The Young Empress's Palace— Presentation of Jade Emblem (Ruyie) —Young Empress's Official Congratulation to the Emperor— Simplicity of Attire of Empress Dowager —Grand Theatrical Representation at Palace Theater—Imperial Congratulatory Poem— Splendid Cos-
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tumes— Luncheon in the Court of the Theater— Children at Court— The Emperor's Presents to the Manchu Nobles and High Officials— The Finale at the Theater —Spectacular Procession— Thanks of the Princes and Nobles— Bowing to the "Great Ancestress"— The Procession to the Hall of Ancestral Tablets.
Chapter X. Peking— The Sea Palace ... 87
His Majesty's Sacrifice to his Ancestors— The Empress Dowager's Favorite Summer-house— The Sacred Picture—The United States Legation at Peking— Mrs. Conger's Relations with Chinese Ladies— The Sea Palace— The Boats of the Lake— Our Resting-place at the Sea Palace— Promenade on the Lake— The Eunuch Li-Wun-ti — Memory — Story-telling — The Island — Temple Gardens— Two Temples— Cathedral within the Precincts— Theater.
Chapter XI. Some Characteristics op Her Majesty — Second Visit to the Sea y
Palace 100 "^
The Empress Dowager's Magnetic Personality— Interesting Study— Her Chinese Appellations— Hall of Mongolian Princes— Dragon Wall— Fruits Sent to the Palace— Repast at the Sea Palace— Promenade in the Train of Her Majesty— The Imperial Gourds— A Promenade in the Rain— Rest in Hall of Mongolian Princes —Archery in China— The Sunset Call.
Chapter XII. Return to the Summer Palace 111 y
The Empress Dowager as a Psychological Study— Seeing Her Face to Face— Work on Portrait Resumed— Easels and Cases for Materials for Work on Sacred Picture— Walks— Refreshments for the Promenades- Imperial Tea— The Empress Dowager's Tea and Teacups—Her Deftness with her Fingers— Her Thoughtfulness.
Chapter XIII. The Steam-launch— Semi-annual Sacrifices to Confucius . . . .117
Chinese Tolerance in Religious Matters— Halls of Confucius—The Odes to Peace— Burning the Offerings.
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Chapter XIV. The Palace Eunuchs . . . 123
Their Grades— The Chief Eunuchs — Li Lien Ying— His Power with the Courtiers— "L'Eminence Grise" of the Court— The Shut-in Position of Chinese Imperial Rulers— Need of an Unofficial Messenger— Personal Appearance of Li Lien Ying— Sui, Her Majesty's Second Eunuch— Punishment of Eunuchs— Pupils — OpiumSmoking— Pets— Good Manners of the Eunuchs.
Chapter XV. Literary Tastes and Accomplishments OF the Empress Dowager . 130
The Empress of the Eastern Palace— Co-Regency —Her Majesty's Literary Tastes— Her Love of Heroic Poems —Her Memory— The Chinese Joan of Arc— The Empress, Widow of Tung-Chih— The Empress Dowager's Reader and her Favorite Authors— Her Love of the Theater— Her Humor— A Great Stickler for Purity of Language — Li-Hung-Chang's Chinese — How the Empress Dowager Speaks It— Her Writing of the Great Characters— The Chinese Written Character— Paint- « ing— Embroidery— Her Designs for Floral Decorations—Cultivation of her Person— The Empress Dowager an Epicure— Her Soaps and Perfumes— Her Personal Magnetism as a Power over Animals— The Escaped Bird— The Katydid.
Chapter XVI. The Great Audience Hall . 142
Hours of the Audiences— The Audience Hall at Summer Palace— Its Interior— Ancient and Modern Thrones and Dais— Audiences of Heads of Departments—The Grand Council— Official Despatches — Telegrams— The Cushions for Members of the Grand Council— Special Audiences— The Introducing Eunuch —Amusing Subterfuge of Officials at Audience— The Young Emperor and Tiresome Official— Sacred Quality of the Imperial Person— Mode of Address of Courtiers —The Kow-tow.
Chapter XVII. The Summer Palace . . . 149
The Empress Dowager's Favorite Palace— The Marble Terrace— The Hills of the Summer Palace— The Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas— Memorial Arches —The Marble Bridge— The Canals— Camel-back
Bridges— Chinese Architecture— Utilitarian Spirit of the Chinese— Flowers and Fields in the Park of Summer Palace— Grand Peony Mountain— The Sacred Buddha-Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas— Ruins of Old Summer Palace— Views from the Summer Palace Belvederes— When Their Majesties Go Abroad.
Chapter XVIII. Festival of the Harvest Moon ,156
The Chinese Love of Festivals— The Fruit of Immortality—The Little Handmaiden and her White Rabbit—The Play at the Palace Theater on the Mid- Autumn Festival— Dinner in the Imperial Loge— Procession to the Moonlit Terrace— Floral Pai-lou to the Moon— "Bowing" to the Moon— The Poem to the Moon— The Burnt-Offering— Return to the Palace on the Moonlit Lake— Continuation of the Portrait— Some Disadvantages of Too Much Pleasure —Hospitality of the Empress Dowager— Chinese Conventions and Traditions— Wonderful Opportunities for • Picturesqueness in Painting the Empress Dowager —Restrictions Imposed by Chinese Tradition— First Exhibition of the "Sacred Picture "—Description of First Portrait of the Empress Dowager— How I Should Have Liked to Paint Her.
Chapter XIX. A Garden Party 165
Reception to the Diplomatic Corps and Ladies of the Legation— The Ceremony of Reception of the Ladies —The Empress Dowager's Cordiality— Taking Tea in the Audience Hall— Luncheon in the Throne-room — Promenade on the Lake— Visit to the Palace and Temple on the Island— The Marble Boat— Lack of Harmony among the Guests at Garden Party— Chinese Comment on our Costumes and Appearance— Dislike of Blonde Hair.
Chapter XX. Beginning a Second Portrait OF THE Empress Dowager . . .171
Putting the Characters Representing Her Majesty's ♦ Titles and her Two Seals on the Portrait— Beginning the Small Portrait -Toilette d'lntimit^— "Hailo " and ''.Shadza "— The Palace Painters— Their Manner of Working— New Variety of Chrysanthemum— The
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PAGE
" Peafowl Feather "—The Audience Hall Pianos— Her Majesty's Ideas of Dancing.
Chapter XXI. A European Circus at the Palace 178
The Posters— Sites for the Ring— The Turnip Field— Their Majesties Go in State across the Lake— The House-boats— The Young Empress's State Boat— The Imperial Loges at the Circus— Invited Ofl&eials— Bands of Music— A Glimpse of the Manchu Princes and Some High Officials— The Son of the Imperial Princess— The Opera Glasses of Their Majesties— What Interested Them Most.
Chapter XXII. Palace Customs 185
Early Rising— When the Empress Dowager Sleeps— Her Bedroom— Irregular Hours except for the Audience—Domestic Duties— Her Favorite Game— Her Luck— Her Meals— Conventions Observed at the Empress Dowager's Table— Her Dishes— The Hour of the Siesta— Her Promenades— The Days of the Theater— When Their Majesties Dine Together— Rigorous Observance of Fasts at the Table of the Empress Dowager— Court Etiquette— The Graceful Bow— Rigid Observance of Court Customs— Her Majesty's Reproof of Too Indulgent Mother.
Chapter XXIII. Her Majesty's Anxiety— Her Birthday 194
Her Anxiety— Exterior and Interior Troubles— Preparations for Her Majesty's Birthday— Her Desire to Have Everything as Simple as Possible and to Spare Expense— The Emperor's Wish to Celebrate with the Usual Pomp, and Desire to Bestow a New Title upon the Empress Dowager— Difference of Her Majesty's Interest in her Own and the Emperor's Birthday— When She Received the Congratulations— Early Hour of Congratulation— The Interior of the Throne-room and Decorations for the Birthday— Winter Court Dress of the Ladies— The Empress Dowager's Fatigue.
Chapter XXIV. The Winter Palace ... 200
The Empress Dowager's Love of the Summer Palace -Return to Peking— Young Empress and Ladies Pre-
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cede and Receive Her on the Threshold of her Own Throne-room— City of Peking, the Palace within the Forbidden City— Its many Walls within Walls— The Guard Houses— The Ceremony of Reception— The Throne-room of the Winter Palace— The Interior Dome— Her Majesty's Sitting-room— Private Chapel —Portraits of Queen Victoria— The Three Great Halls —The Spirit-Stairway— The Central Hall— Presents from European Royalties— Where I was to Paint— The Emperor^s Precincts— Tradition at the Winter Palace.
Chapter XXV. Peking— Beginning the Portrait FOR St. Louis 211
Legation Quarter —Morning Ride to the Palace — Splendid Walls of the Palace and City— The Streets in the Forbidden City— A Funeral— The Mongolians— Beggars at the Gate— Unsatisfactoriness of Studio at Winter Palace— Her Majesty Orders It Remodeled— Beginning Portrait for St. Louis— Imperial Paraphernalia and Insignia of Royalty— Importance of Propriety—The Throne— Her Majesty's Costume for the Portrait— Pearl Mantle— First Sketch— Stretching the Great Canvas.
Chapter XXVI. Some Social Customs . . . 219
Manchu Ladies of the Palace— Presentation, on Their Marriage, of Manchu Noblewomen— Bridal Costume —Sedan Chairs— By Whom Bride is Presented— The Young Empress's Graciousness— A Daughter in a Manchu Family— Comparison of Manchu and American Girl— The Unmarried Daughter of the Manchus —Her Position in the Family— Social Qualities— The Manchu Men— Sports— Costume— Young Dandies— Concubinage— Early Marriages of Men— Secondary Wives — The Family— Secondary Wives of an Emperor—Their Rank— Position in the Palace— Title.
Chapter XXVII. Present-Giving 230
The Palace as the Heart of Empire— Occasions on which Presents are Given (Private, Official, and Festivals)— Style of Presents Given by the Empress Dowager— Presents to the Ladies of Legation— Birthday Presents— Some Presents Received by Me from Her Majesty,
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PAGE
Chapter XXVIII. Soihe Winter Days at the Palace 237
The Portrait for America— Details and Accessories of the Same— Days at the Palace— The Meals in Winter —Winter Evenings— Learning Chinese— Occupations of the Ladies— The Young Empress's Birthday— Days of Mourning at the Palace— Anniversary of Death of the Emperor Tung-Chih— The Empress Dowager's Sorrow.
Chapter XXIX. Religious Rites . . . . . 245
The Three Great Religions- TheTemple of Heaven— The Emperor as High Priest— Preparations for the Sacrifice to Heaven— Buddhism and Taoism— Confucius— Origin of Chinese Religious Ceremonies— Vitality of China as a Nation— Its Amalgamation of Conquering Races— The Manehus— Some Nature Worship —The Festival of the Awakening of Spring at the Palace— Guardians of the Cocoons.
Chapter XXX. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 253
Her Family— Presentation at Court— Fifth Wife of the Emperor Hsien-Feng— Favorite of Empress Motherand First Wife— Birth of a Son— Death of Emperor Hsien- Feng— Empress of Western Palace— Co-Regents for Young Emperor Tung-Chih— Friendliness of the Two Co-Regents — State of China at Beginning of Regency — Intrigue— The Anti-foreign Princes— Prince Kung— First Political Act of Young Empress of Western Palace— Support of the Princes of the Blood— The Emperor • Tung-Chih Begins to Reign— Death of Tung-Chih— Resumption of the Regency by the Empress Dowager- Minority of Kwang-Hsu— Death of Empress of Eastem Palace— Policy of Empress Dowager— The Emperor Kwang-Hsu Begins to Reign— His Policy— The War with Japan— Change of Policy by the Emperor— The Progress Party— The Ultra-Conservatives— Return from Retirement of the Empress Dowager— The Emperor's Edict- So-called Coup d'Etat— Rout of Progress Party— Punishment of Ringleaders— Effect on the Emperor— Reign of Emperor "Assisted "by Empress Dowager— The Secret Society of the Boxers— Its Growth— Boxers in the Capital— -Boxers among the
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Princes of the Blood— The Outbreak in Peking— Eeported Cause of Outbreak— The Emperor and Empress Dowager's Attempt to Check Movement — The Imperial Military Forces— Position of Legation Quarter in Peking— British Legation— Eeturn of Their Majesties to Peking— Edicts Issued— Arrival of Allies in Peking— Flight of Her Majesty and the Court— The Route to Singan-Fu — Hardships Endured— Incidents.
Chapter XXXI. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager (Continued) 270
Her Charities— Incident of the Boxer Rising— Widows' Petition to the Empress Dowager— Her Majesty's Action thereon— Her Extravagance— Extravagance in the Palace— Efforts of Past Emperors for Economy— Cost of Food in the Palace— Her Majesty's Personal Extravagance- Her Jewels — Wardrobe— Examples of HerEconomy— Her Patriotism— Scheme of Taxation— Her Penetration— Her Judgment— Her Prejudices- Sarcasm— Her Determination— Tact— Social Instinct —Reception of Young German Prince.
Chapter XXXII. The Chinese New Year . 279
Greatest Festival of the Year— Decorations of the Palace—Imitation Money— New Year's Presents— Work on Portrait— Some Changes— Removal of the Court to Sea Palace — My Studio at Sea Palace — New Year's Audience of Ladies of the Legation — Congratulations — Lantern Festival — The Illuminated Procession — The Double Dragon — The Flaming Pearl — Fireworks in the Palace — Day Rockets — Old Customs as to the Fireworks in the Palace Grounds.
Chapter XXXIII. Continuation of the St. Louis Portrait 287
Propitious Date for Finishing it — Changing Ornaments — Frame for Portrait — Spring Days — Her Majesty's Walks — Inspecting the New Buildings — The Jinrikisha — The Miniature Railway — Her Majesty's Automobiles —Kite Flying — His Majesty the Emperor Plows and Sows the Seed of a Furrow,
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PAGE
Chapter XXXIV. Finishing and Sending off THE Portrait 294
Nineteenth Day of April — Invitations to Ladies of the Legation to see the Portrait — Visit of the Ladies to "^ the Palace — The Portrait — Princes and Nobles see the " Sacred Picture "—Attempt to Photograph— Portrait taken to Wai-Wu-Pu — Visit of Corps Diplomatique — Packing the Portrait — Special Railwaybuilt from Foreign Oflfice to Railway Station — Departure of Picture — En route — Tientsin— Shanghai — Embarkation for San Francisco — Reception by Prince Pu L'un and Imperial Commission at St. Louis — Unveiling the Portrait — Placing the Portrait in the Gallery of Fine Arts — Arrival at Washington — Presentation to the Government.
Chapter XXXV. Return to the Summer Palace 300
Return to the Summer Palace — The Palace of the Emperor's Father in Spring — The Grounds of the Summer Palace — The Studio — At Work Again — The Theater — His Majesty's Theater Progi'am — Work of the Vermilion Pencil — His Majesty's Interest in the Russo-Japanese War — Spring Garden Party to the Ladies of the Legation — Another large Portrait of Her Majesty — Showing it to the Ladies — Her Majesty's Desire for Highly Finished Detail — Her Delight in her New Hobby — Final Days.
XVI
List of Illustrations
Portrait of the Empress Dowager Frontispiece
FACING PAGE
The Empress and the Ladies of the Court in the Imperial Barge 24
Princesses of the Court 40
The Young Empress Ye-Ho-Na-Lah 44
At the American Legation, Peking 88
Chinese Architecture 104
On the Eoad from Peking to the Summer Palace .... 112
The Empress Dowager Writing a " Great Character " . . 136
The Empress Dowager in the Gardens of the Summer Palace 140
The Official Audience of Their Majesties 146
Old Ruins in the Summer Palace 152
The Secondary Wife of the Emperor 168
Pailou in the Grounds of the Summer Palace — on the Shore of the Lake 176
Princesses of the Court 188
Court in the Winter Palace— "Her Majesty Comes" . . .204
xvii
List of Illustrations
FACING PAGE
Confucian Temple— '' Spirit Stairway" in Central Flight
of Steps 208
Prince Ching 216
The Author in Chinese Costume 234
/ Temple of Heaven — Peking 246
Altar to the Invisible Deity 250
Slave Girls 280
The Portrait of the Empress Dowager in its Frame . . . 304
XVlll
IN April, 1903, while I was visiting in Shanghai, I received a letter from Mrs. Conger, wife of the Minister of the United States to Peking, in which she said there was a question of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's having her portrait painted, and asking me if such a thing should be arranged would I be willing to come to Peking and undertake it. Mrs. Conger hoped, if the project should materialize, that Her Majesty might later consent to send the portrait to the Exposition at St. Louis. She thought such a portrait would be of great interest to the American people and might prove an attractive feature to the Exposition, in which she and Mr. Conger were, naturally, much interested. She also felt, as she had had an opportunity of seeing a good deal of the Empress Dowager, that if the world could see a true likeness of her, it might modify the generally accepted idea which prevailed as to Her Majesty's character.
I answered Mrs. Conger's letter, saying I should be deUghted to undertake the work, should it be decided upon, and I awaited further developments. The idea of sitting for her portrait met with Her Majesty's approval, and she said she would arrange an Audience and set a day for beginning. But the ^' mills of "—
xix
Chinese Oflicialdom ^^ grind slowly," and not until July did Mrs. Conger receive an official notification from the Wai-Wu-Pu (Chinese Foreign Office) requesting "Her Excellency Mrs. Conger to present the American artist, Miss Carl, to Her Imperial Majesty on the fifth day of August, for the purpose of painting a portrait of Her Majesty." Mrs. Conger immediately informed me of the reception of this document, and I left Shanghai for Peking on the 29th of July. I was cordially received, on my arrival in Peking, by Mr. and Mrs. Conger at the American Legation, and on the fifth of August was presented by Mrs. Conger to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager at the Summer Palace in private Audience.
As it was a great innovation in Chinese customs and a breaking away from long-established tradition for an Imperial portrait to be painted, there was no precedent to foUow and all arrangements were of the vaguest kind ; and when I went into the Palace for my first Audience, I did not know whether I would have one sitting or ten, and no one else seemed to have any more definite information. All was uncertainty. Everything depended upon Her Majesty's inclination, and future developments must be awaited. I felt that I was really going into the Palace on trial and that my reception and the work depended upon the fantasy and whims of a great Personage from whom, according to current reports, I had but little to expect. On the day of my first Audience, I was told at the Foreign Office that Her Majesty was to give me but one sitting, hence it was not in a very tranquil state of mind that I went up to be presented to the
XX
Great Empress Dowager,-Tze-Slii ! But all this was changed when I saw her. She received me kindly, was very gracious. A Palace was set aside for me, and every facility afforded me for my work : during my sojourn at the Chinese Court I painted not only the portrait for the Exposition at St. Louis, but three others of Her Majesty.
Unique as my experiences at the different Palaces of Their Celestial Majesties were, I concluded, after I had lived at Court for a few months, I would never make these experiences public. The Empress Dowager received me in so friendly a manner, I met with such consideration at her hands and such unfailing courtesy from all with whom I came in contact, I felt I should requite this kindness by an equal consideration, and that it was my duty to respect Chinese prejudices and conform to their ideas of ^' Propriety '' by refraining from any relation of my charming experiences.
After I returned to America, I was constantly seeing in newspapers (and hearing of) statements ascribed to me which I never made. Her Majesty was represented as having stood over me in threatening attitudes, forcing me to represent her as a young and beautiful woman ! It was reported that she refused to give me any compensation for the portraits, and a number of other statements, equally false, were daily appearing in the papers. The London '^ Times," in speaking of the Empress Dowager, said: '^Some one has said ' she has the soul of a tiger in the body of a woman,^ and Miss Carl found the old lady shrewd and tempestuous." The latter statement, which I never
xxi made, seemed to me enough to have on my shoulders, but the article was copied in American papers and I was put down as the author of the first, as well as of the second statement. The power of the Press has become such that it cannot be ignored. It is of no avail to say nothing in such a case as mine ; when you do this, words are put into your mouth and sentiments ascribed to you at the will of the newsmongers. If a correction be made, it never seems to get the same cu'culation or publicity as the first statement. These erroneous statements continue to appear, and I have finally decided that, in justice to my August Patroness as well as to my humbler self, it is incumbent upon me to correct them, and it seems to me the only proper way to do so is to write a full and true relation of my life at the Palace and mj^ experiences while painting the portraits of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.
I know I pubhsh this account at the risk of offending the sensibilities of my Chinese friends, for many of them will never know what called it forth. I know that by so doing I may change any favorable opinion they may have formed as to my good-breeding and discretion. I was on sufficiently intimate terms with Her Majesty and the Ladies of the Court to know that this account will be looked upon by them as an ^^ indiscretion," to say the least of it.
In this story of my life at the Palace, I must naturally give some description of Their Majesties and necessarily make some comment upon their characters. In doing this, I wiU transgress another long-established rule of Chinese Propriet}^, which makes any comment,
xxii favorable or unfavorable, upon tbe Sacred Persons of Their Majesties, a breach of etiquette. No act of theirs is ever criticized, no report in reference to them is ever explained, no slander about them is ever refuted by loyal Chinese, and the generality of Chinese are loyal. Thus the falsest statements, not being refuted by those in a position to know, gain in credence until they are reported as facts.
If my comment on Their Majesties and discussion of their acts be favorable, this will be no palliation from the Chinese standpoint. Any sort of comment will be looked upon as a breach of hospitality. I have absolutely nothing to gain, should I suppress any disagreeable facts I may have learned as to Her Majesty. Should I be willing to sacrifice the truth, in order to please my Chinese friends, this would avail me nothing, for should my account of Her Majesty be construed by them into an apology for her, I would be considered most presumptuous and the enormity of my offense aggravated. Thus I am between two fires. Those who read my account may imagine I am trying to justify Her Majesty and thereby gain her favor j and should the Chinese put this construction on it, my indiscretion will become an offense. Knowing all this, and with the memory of the charming consideration I received at the Chinese Court, I nevertheless feel it is my duty to publish a simple and truthful narrative of my experiences, and I hope I may be pardoned for thus breaking Chinese conventions.
The Boxer rebellion was a frequent topic of conversation at the Palace and I heard a great deal about it from the Ladies of the Court. It was not considered
xxiii at all indiscreet to ask questions on this subject, and I did not hesitate to inform myself by asking about things I wished to know. If it be true, as the philosophers say, that " the proper study of mankind is man under his own environment," I had an opportunity of studying Her Majesty on the right principles. My account of her should, therefore, have some little value, for I am the only European who has ever had a chance to study this remarkable woman in her own milieu, or to look upon the facts of her life from the standpoint within her own circle.
In this simple relation of what I saw of the customs, religious rites and ceremonies, I have also preferred to rest upon my own personal interpretation of the same, rather than to study the learned explanations of the many clever Sinologues, whose works abound. These works may be consulted by those who desire to enter more deeply into things. I had no time to make a comprehensive study of any works on the subject, and I purposely have read nothing and consulted no books on China, wishing to give a fresh impression. As all their curious ceremonies were a matter of course to the Chinese, they had become so petrified by long use and tradition, as to have, in many instances, lost their original signification to most of those who went through them. I could thus get very little help from the Chinese and was forced to put my own interpretation upon things. I feel that, with my limited capacities, and my inexperience as a writer, the only reason for my entering this field at all lies in the interest of what I saw, as I saw it. Notwithstanding the attitude of the Court in this matter, I have decided to run the
xxiv risk of incurring their displeasure and reprobation, for I feel assured that what I have to say may serve to clear up certain misapprehensions and place Her Majesty the Empress Dowager in more favorable light. What follows is but the simple narration, the unsophisticated interpretation, of an observant painter.
XXV
WITH THE EMPEESS DOWAGER
Chapter I My Presentation And First Day At The Chinese Court
THE day of my first Audience at the Chinese Court, August 5th, we were up betimes at the American Legation, for it takes full three hours to drive out to the Summer Palace from Peking ; and punctuality is the etiquette of Oriental as well as of Occidental potentates. Our audience was for half -past ten o'clock, and the portrait of the Empress Dowager was to be begun at eleven ; that hour, as well as the day and the month, having been chosen, after much deliberation and many consultations of the almanac, as the most auspicious for beginning work on the first likeness ever made of Her Majesty.
We left the Legation at seven a.m. in the trap of the United States Legation Guard, that being the only vehicle available large enough to carry the party, Mrs. Conger and her interpreter and myself and my painting materials, which included a large canvas and a folding easel. After leaving the City, the drive out to the Summer Palace is through fertile fields and^ a fair, smiling landscape. It had rained the night before and everything was beautifully fresh. The wet, stone-paved road stretched ahead like a shining stream ; the wheat and corn fields along the road were of a brilliant green, with here and there the somber note of a clump of arbor-vitae, out of which rose the walls of a temple ! The distant hills, where lay the Summer Palace, were delicately limned against a soft blue-gray sky, and the whole made an entrancing
picture. /v* • i
Soon after leaving Peking the mounted oflicial Legation servants that followed Mrs. Conger's carriage were joined by a Chinese Guard of Honor sent by the Wai-Wu-Pu (Foreign Ofiice) to escort us to the Palace. After an hour and a half's drive we rattled through a busy village, past the yellow ruins of a great lama temple, and along the park walls of the summer homes of several Princes of the Imperial Family, and soon came within sight of the beautiful grounds of the Summer Palace with its hills, vaUeys, canals, and lakes; the hills crowned with tea-houses and temples, the waters of the canals lapping the marble terraces of the Palaces. The red waUs and glazed tiles of the yellow and green roofs, the brilliant foliage, freshened by the rain, made a gay picture ; and the temples, arches, pagodas, and the many buildings that constitute a Chinese palace gave it the appearance of a whole town rather than of a single palace. As in aU Oriental palaces, upon the very threshold of the outer courts sit the beggar, the lame, the halt, and the blind, gathering rich harvests from the generosity of the high nobles and officials and their myriad retainers as they pass in and out of the Foreign Of&ce and the outer courts of the Palace. The Foreign Office, during the residence of the Court at the Summer Palace, sixteen miles from the Capital, has offices on the left of the great Imperial entrance, in order that state business may be more easily transacted while Their Majesties are in villeggiatura.
We alighted at the Foreign Office and were met by a number of officials with their interpreters, coming out to receive us. After readjusting ourselves in the waiting-room, we were met, when we came out, by the Chief Eunuch of the Palace, who conducted us to the red-covered Palace chairs, each carried by six men. They bore us past the Imperial gateway (used only for Their Majesties), through a door of entrance at the left, when we were within the sacred precincts of one of the residences of the Sons of Heaven and within the walls of the favorite Palace of the Empress Dowager ! Before we could take in our surroundings, we had been rapidly carried through various courts and gardens, and had come at last to a larger, quadrangular court, filled with pots of rare blooming plants and many beautiful growing shrubs. Here the bearers put down our chairs ; we descended and walked through the court, preceded and followed by a number of eunuchs. The great plate-glass doors of the Palace in front of us, blazing with the huge red character '^ Sho " (longevity), were swung noiselessly back, and we were at last within the Throne-room of Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager of China !
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