ate that the Emperor Yeou-Wang, the thirteenth emperor of the Tcheou
dynasty, 780 B.C., yielding to the absurd solicitations of his wife,
ordered one night the signals of alarm to be made. The Empress wanted at
once to amuse herself at the expense of the soldiers, and to ascertain,
at the same time, whether these fireworks would really bring the troops
to succour the capital. As the signals passed on to the provinces, the
governors dispatched the military Mandarins and their forces to Peking.
When the soldiers learned, on their arrival, that they had been called
together for the capricious amusement of a woman, they returned home full
of indignation. Shortly afterwards, the Tartars made an irruption into
the empire, and advanced with rapidity to the very walls of the capital.
This time the Emperor gave the alarm in grave earnest, but throughout the
provinces not a man stirred, thinking the Empress was again amusing
herself; the consequence was, that the Tartars entered Peking, and the
imperial family was massacred.

The profound peace which China has enjoyed so long has much diminished
the importance of these guard-houses. When they decay they are seldom
repaired; in most cases their doors and windows have been carried off,
and no one lives in them at all. On some of the more frequented roads,
they keep in repair the direction-boards and the posts.

The barrack where we halted was deserted. After having tied our beasts
to a thick post, we entered a room, and took in peace a wholesome
refreshment. Travellers looked at us as they passed, and seemed a little
surprised to find the place turned into a dining-room. The finer people,
especially, smiled at these three uncivilised Mongols, as they deemed us.
Our halt was brief. The direction-board officially announced that we had
yet forty-five lis' march before we reached Ning-Hia, so that,
considering the difficulty of the road, and the slowness of our camels,
we had no time to lose. We proceeded along the banks of a magnificent
canal, supplied by the waters of the Yellow River, and destined for the
irrigation of the fields. Whilst the small caravan was slowly marching
over a muddy and slippery ground, we saw advancing towards us a numerous
party of horsemen. As the retinue came up, the innumerable labourers who
were repairing the banks of the canal, prostrated themselves on the
earth, and exclaimed, "Peace and happiness to our father and mother!" We
at once under