nce,
and then return each man to his seat.[NOTE 4]

When all have performed this, then the presents are offered, of which I
have spoken as being so rich and costly. And after all have been offered
and been seen by the Emperor, the tables are set, and all take their
places at them with perfect order as I have already told you. And after
dinner the jugglers come in and amuse the Court as you have heard before;
and when that is over, every man goes to his quarters.

NOTE 1.--The first month of the year is still called by the Mongols
_Chaghan_ or _Chaghan Sara_, "the White" or the "White Month"; and the
wearing of white clothing on this festive occasion must have been purely a
Mongol custom. For when Shah Rukh's ambassadors were present at the New
Year's Feast at the Court of the succeeding _Chinese_ Dynasty (2nd
February, 1421) they were warned that _no one_ must wear white, as that
among the Chinese was the colour of mourning. (_Koeppen_, I. 574, II. 309;
_Cathay_, p. ccvii.)

NOTE 2.--On the mystic importance attached to the number 9 on all such
occasions among the Mongols, see _Hammer's Golden Horde_, p. 208;
_Hayton_, ch. iii. in Ramusio II.; _Not. et Ext._ XIV. Pt. I. 32; and
_Strahlenberg_ (II. 210 of Amsterd. ed. 1757). Vambery, speaking of the
_Kalin_ or marriage price among the Uzbegs, says: "The question is always
how many times _nine_ sheep, cows, camels, or horses, or how many times
nine ducats (as is the custom in a town), the father is to receive for
giving up his daughter." (_Sketches of Cent. Asia_, p. 103.) Sheikh
Ibrahim of Darband, making offerings to Timur, presented _nines_ of
everything else, but of slaves _eight_ only. "Where is the ninth?"
enquired the court official. "Who but I myself?" said the Sheikh, and so
won the heart of Timur. (_A. Arabsiadis ... Timuri Hist._ p. 357.)

NOTE 3.--The elephant stud of the Son of Heaven had dwindled till in 1862
Dr. Rennie found but one animal; now none remain. [Dr. S. W. Williams
writes (_Middle Kingdom_, I. pp. 323-324): "Elephants are kept at Peking
for show, and are used to draw the state chariot when the Emperor goes to
worship at the Altars of Heaven and Earth, but the sixty animals seen in
the days of Kienlung, by Bell, have since dwindled to one or two. Van
Braam met six going into Peking, sent thither from Yun-Nan." These were no
doubt carrying tribute from Burmah.--H. C.] It is worth noticing that the
housings of cut cloth or _applique_ work ("_d