d on her left side and the
second eunuch on her right side, each with a steadying hand on the chair
pole. Four eunuchs of the fifth rank in front and twelve eunuchs of the
sixth rank walked behind. Each eunuch carried something in his hand,
such as Her Majesty's clothes, shoes, handkerchiefs, combs, brushes,
powder boxes, looking glasses of different sizes, perfumes, pins, black
and red ink, yellow paper, cigarettes, water pipes, and the last one
carried her yellow satin-covered stool. Besides this there were
two amahs (old women servants) and four servant girls all carrying
something. This procession was most interesting to see and made one
think it a lady's dressing room on legs. The Emperor walked on Her
Majesty's right and the Young Empress on the left, as did also the Court
ladies.

The Audience Hall was about two hundred feet long by about one hundred
and fifty feet wide, and at the left side was a long table covered with
yellow satin. When Her Majesty came down from the chair she went into
the Hall and mounted her throne just behind this table, and His Majesty
mounted a smaller one at her left side, the Ministers all kneeling on
the floor in front of her and on the opposite side of the table.

At the back of the Hall was a large dais about twenty feet long by about
eighteen feet wide, enclosed by a magnificently carved railing about
two feet high running all the way round, open only in the front in
two places just large enough for a person to pass through. These two
openings were reached by a flight of six steps. At the back of this dais
was a small screen and immediately in front of this, in the center,
was Her Majesty's throne. Immediately behind was an immense carved wood
screen, the most beautiful thing I ever saw, twenty feet long by ten
feet high. In front of Her Majesty's throne was a long narrow table. At
the left side was a smaller throne for the Emperor.

The theme of the carving and furnishings of this dais was the phoenix
and peony most exquisitely carved in ebony wood, in fact the theme of
the entire room was the same. On each side of Her Majesty's throne were
two upright ebony poles on the top of which were peacock feathers made
into the shape of a fan The upholstery was entirely of yellow Chinese
velvet.

Just before Her Majesty took her seat on her throne she ordered us to go
behind this screen with the Young Empress and the Court ladies. This
we did, and could hear the conversation between He