e. A round table is the only one that can be
used in an aristocratic household. The seat of honor is always the one
next to the wall. Not a mouthful can be taken until the host raises his
chop-sticks in the air, and gives the signal. Silence then prevails; for
Confucius says: "When a man eats he has no time for talk." When a cup of
tea is served to any one in a social party, he must offer it to every one
in the room, no matter how many there are, before proceeding to drink
himself. The real basis of Chinese politeness seems to be this: They must
be polite enough to offer, and you must be polite enough to refuse. Our
ignorance of this great underlying principle during the early part of the
Chinese journey led us into errors both many and grievous. In order to
show a desire to be sociable, we accepted almost everything that was
offered us, to the great chagrin, we fear, of the courteous donors.

[Illustration: MISSIONARIES AT LAN-CHOU-FOO.]

[Illustration: LI-HUNG-CHANG.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH SENT TO THE AUTHORS BY THE PRIME MINISTER.]

VI

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF CHINA

Our departure from Lan-chou was not, we thought, regretted by the
officials themselves, for we heard that apprehension was expressed lest
the crowds continuing to collect around the telegraph-office should
indulge in a riot. However, we were loath to leave our genial friends for
the society of opium-smokers, for we were now in that province of China
which, next to Sechuen, is most addicted to this habit. From dusk till
bed-time, the streets of the villages were almost deserted for the squalid
opium dens. Even our soldier attendant, as soon as the wooden saddle was
taken from his sore-backed government steed, would produce his portable
lamp, and proceed to melt on his needle the wax-like contents of a small,
black box. When of the proper consistency, the paste was rolled on a metal
plate to point it for the aperture in the flute-shaped pipe. Half the
night would be given to this process, and a considerable portion of the
remaining half would be devoted to smoking small pinches of tobacco in the
peculiar Chinese water-pipe. According to an official note, issued early
in 1882, by Mr. Hart, Inspector-General of Chinese Customs, considerably
less than one per cent. of the population is addicted to opium-smoking,
while those who smoke it to excess are few. More to be feared is th