ff his knowledge, explained how the French were the
most distinguished artists in the world. "At one time," he said, "he
knew, at Peking, a French missionary, who painted portraits that were
quite alarmingly like. He kept his paper concealed in the sleeve of his
robe, took the likeness as it were by stealth, and, in a whiff, all was
done." Ki-Chan asked us if we had not watches, telescopes,
magic-lanterns, etc. etc. We thereupon opened a small box which no one
had hitherto remarked, and which contained a microscope. We adjusted its
various parts, and no one had eyes but for this singular machine, in pure
gold, as they took it to be, and which, certainly, was about to perform
wondrous things. Ki-Chan alone knew what a microscope was. He gave an
explanation of it to the public, with great pretension and vanity. He
then asked us to put some animalculae on the glass. We looked at his
excellency out of the corner of the eye, and then took the microscope to
pieces, joint by joint, and put it in the box. "We thought," said we to
Ki-Chan, with a formal air, "we thought, that we came here to undergo
judgment, and not to play a comedy." "What judgment!" exclaimed he,
abruptly; "we wished to examine your effects, ascertain really who you
were, and that is all." "And the maps: you do not mention them." "Oh,
yes--yes! that is the great point; where are your maps?" "Here they
are;" and we displayed the three maps we had; a map of the world, the two
hemispheres upon the projection of Mercator, and a Chinese empire.

The appearance of these maps seemed to the Regent a clap of thunder; the
poor man changed colour three or four times in the course of a minute, as
if we had shown our death warrant. "It is fortunate for us," said we to
Ki-Chan, "that we have met with you in this country. If, by ill luck,
you had not been here, we should have been utterly unable to convince the
Thibetian authorities that these maps are not our own drawing. But an
instructed man like yourself, conversant with European matters, will at
once see that these maps are not our own work." Ki-Chan was evidently
much flattered by the compliment. "Oh, it is evident," said he, at the
first glance, "that these maps are printed. Look here," said he to the
Regent; "these maps were not drawn by these men; they were printed in the
kingdom of France. You cannot distinguish that, but I have been long
used to objects, the productions of the Western Heaven."