ard, for one can see people
coming a mile off. Only foreigners may go there: the Chinese aren't
allowed on it, except the soldiers at the blockhouses by the towers. The
most frequent visitor is the baby camel owned by the American marine
guards, which comes up to browse on the weeds growing between the
stones. We once asked a marine where they found this mascot. "Stole it
first," was the reply, "and paid four dollars afterward!"

I picked up a Tientsin paper a few days ago, and was interested to read
an "Ordonnance" promulgated by the French consul-general at Tientsin. By
the terms of this decree every Chinese employed in the French concession
is obliged to have a little book containing his name, age, place of
birth, and so on, together with his photograph and finger-prints. A
duplicate _carnet_ is on file at the French police bureau in Tientsin,
and no Chinese can find employment in the concession, as cook, groom,
clerk, chauffeur, or in any other capacity, unless he is first
registered with the police. The idea of having one's finger-prints
recorded, like a common criminal, seems somehow humiliating. I imagine
there would be some comment if the Japanese enforced such regulations in
their concessions in China.

XIII

MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA

Ever since we came to Peking we have been anxious to meet the President
of China, Li Yuan Hung. Dr. Reinsch said he would arrange it for us "at
the first opportune moment." Opportune moments are scarce in Peking, as
you can well imagine; consequently we have been waiting for weeks for
such a moment to arrive, for a pause longer than usual between
impeachments and betrayals and plots of various kinds. We had waited so
long, in fact, that we had quite forgotten about it, until we came in
one day just before tiffin time, rather late, and found the whole hotel
in a blaze of excitement: we were to meet the President that afternoon!

And, what's more, best clothes were required! Really, I had not foreseen
that contingency, and therefore felt uncomfortable and self-conscious
when arrayed in my other hat, with the feather, the hat which has been
reposing in the hat-box for eight long months, waiting for just such an
emergency! Every one else, however, was in the same state of excitement
as to dress; that is, all those who like ourselves had been long in the
Orient, and whose clothes had fallen off a bit in appearance. In sharp
contrast were the newly arrived tourists wi