ina; but he declared
that it was too difficult a subject for him to undertake, and he begged
to be excused, and Professor Giroud had willingly undertaken it. It had
required all his time on the voyage from Saigon, and all his spare time
at Manila, to prepare himself for the difficult task. With the three
siamangs in their usual places, he mounted the platform.

A signal from the Blanche caused him to resume his seat, and the screw
was stopped. The barge from the consort dropped into the water; and the
general, his wife, the rajah, Mrs. Sharp, and Dr. Henderson came on
board, and chairs were provided for them. Miss Blanche gave up the baby
to Mrs. Noury, who was very fond of the little creature. The professor
then took his place again on the rostrum, with the pointer in his hand.

"Mr. Commander, ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Before I say a word, I
desire to acknowledge my very great obligations to Mr. Gaskette for the
elegant map he has prepared and placed before us. You observe that it
extends from the Amur River,--which is spelled in older books Amoor; but
the latest fashion is to make it Amur, as Hindu and similar words have
been changed from oo to u, for both have the same sound in most European
and Oriental names,--from the Amur River to Tonquin, about thirty
degrees of latitude, with the nineteen provinces of China, with Korea,
properly spelled with initial K, with the islands of Formosa and Hainan.
It has given the artist a great deal of labor, and he has done his work
in a manner to call for your highest commendation."

The audience vigorously applauded this statement; and the siamangs added
their "Ra! Ra! Ra!" with a volley of squeaks. Mr. Gaskette bowed his
acknowledgments; and the professor handed him the pointer, which looked
like a new arrangement.

"The artist is as well or better acquainted with the map than I am, and
I have invited him to assist on the platform. Manchuria, and I adopt the
most modern spelling of the name," continued the professor, as the
artist pointed to the province.

"I thought the subject for to-day was China," interposed Mrs. Belgrave.

"So it is, madam; but the modern history of China begins with Manchuria.
On the west of it is Mongolia, which any of the old-fashioned gentlemen
may call Chinese Tartary if they prefer, though that designation is not
in use now. Manchuria is a province of China; though the latter was a
province of the former three hundred and fifty years ago