this who
witnesses the stoicism with which a Chinaman can endure physical pain
when sustaining surgical operation without chloroform, the comfort with
which he can thrive amid foul and penetrating smells, the calmness with
which he can sleep amid the noise of gunfire and crackers, drums and
tomtoms, and the indifference with which he contemplates the sufferings
of lower animals, and the infliction of tortures on higher?

Every text-book on China devotes a special chapter to the subject of
punishment. Mutilation is extremely common. Often I met men who had been
deprived of their ears--they had lost them, they explained, in battle
facing the enemy! It is a common punishment to sever the hamstrings or
to break the ankle-bones, especially in the case of prisoners who have
attempted to escape. And I remember that when I was in Shanghai, Mr.
Tsai, the Mixed Court Magistrate, was reproved by the papers because he
had from the bench expressed his regret that the foreign law of Shanghai
did not permit him to punish in this way a prisoner who had twice
succeeded in breaking from gaol. The hand is cut off for theft, as it
was in England not so many years ago. I have seen men with the tendon of
Achilles cut out, and it is worth noting that the Chinese say that this
"acquired deformity" can be cured by the transplantation in the seat of
injury of the tendon of a sheep. One embellishment of the Chinese
punishment of flogging might with good effect be introduced into
England. After a Chinese flagellation, the culprit is compelled to go
down on his knees and humbly thank the magistrate for the trouble he has
been put to to correct his morals.

There is a branch of the _Missions Etrangeres de Paris_ in Chaotong. I
called at the mission and saw their school of fifteen children, and
their tiny little church. One priest lives here solitary and alone; he
was reading, when I entered, the famous Chinese story, "The Three
Kingdoms." He gave me a kindly welcome, and was pleased to talk in his
own tongue. An excellent bottle of rich wine was produced, and over the
glass the Father painted with voluble energy the evil qualities of the
people whom he has left his beautiful home in the Midi of France to lead
to Rome. "No Chinaman can resist temptation; all are thieves. Justice
depends on the richness of the accused. Victory in a court of justice is
to the richer. Talk to the Chinese of Religion, of a God, of Heaven or
Hell, and they yawn; speak t