aded name for use as an alternative to spittoon.

Two names of quite recent patriots deserve to be recorded here as
a tribute to their earnest devotion to the real interests of their
country, and incidentally for the far-reaching consequences of their
heroic act, which probably saved the lives of many foreigners in various
parts of China. It was during the Boxer troubles in Peking, at the
beginning of the siege of the legations, that Yuan Ch'ang and Hsu
Ching-ch'eng, two high Chinese officials, ventured to memorialize the
Empress Dowager upon the fatal policy, and even criminality, of the
whole proceedings, imploring her Majesty at a meeting of the Grand
Council to reconsider her intention of issuing orders for the
extermination of all foreigners. In spite of their remonstrances, a
decree was issued to that effect and forwarded to the high authorities
of the various provinces; but it failed to accomplish what had been
intended, for these two heroes, taking their lives in their hands, had
altered the words "slay all foreigners" into "protect all foreigners."
Some five to six weeks later, when the siege was drawing to a close,
the alteration was discovered; and next day those two men were hurriedly
beheaded, meeting death with such firmness and fortitude as only true
patriotism could inspire.

The Mongols found it no easy task to dispossess the House of Sung, which
had many warm adherents to its cause. It was in 1206 that Genghis Khan
began to make arrangements for a projected invasion of China, and by
1214 he was master of all the enemy's territory north of the Yellow
River, except Peking. He then made peace with the Golden Tartar emperor
of northern China; but his suspicions were soon aroused, and hostilities
were renewed. In 1227 he died, while conducting a campaign in Central
Asia; and it remained for his vigorous grandson, Kublai Khan, to
complete the conquest of China more than half a century afterwards. So
early as 1260, Kublai was able to proclaim himself emperor at Xanadu,
which means Imperial Capital, and lay about one hundred and eighty miles
north of modern Peking, where, in those days known as Khan-baligh (Marco
Polo's Cambaluc), he established himself four years later; but twenty
years of severe fighting had still to pass away before the empire was
finally subdued. The Sung troops were gradually driven south, contesting
every inch of ground with a dogged resistance born of patriotic
endeavour. In 1278 Canto