mother, who was without doubt
the genius of the party in arranging matters and straightening out
difficulties.

When the launch from the steamer arrived at the jetty off the French
Bund, we were met by the Shanghai Taotai (the highest official in the
city), the Shanghai Magistrate and numerous other officials, all dressed
in their official robes. The Taotai told my father that he had prepared
the Tien Ho Gung (Temple of the Queen of Heaven) for us to reside in
during our stay in Shanghai, but my father refused the offer, saying
that he had telegraphed from Hong Kong and made all arrangements to go
to the Hotel des Colonies in the French Concession. We had had previous
experience staying in this temple while on our way to Japan, where my
father went as Minister in 1895, and did not care to try it a second
time. The building is very old and very much out of repair. It was a
beautiful place in its prime, but had been allowed to go to rack and
ruin. The custom is that the magistrate has to find a place and supply
the food, etc., for high officials when passing through, and it is not
exactly the thing to refuse their kind offer, but my father was always
very independent and politely declined all proffers of assistance.

At last we did safely arrive in the Hotel des Colonies, where my
father found awaiting him two telegrams from the Imperial Palace. These
telegrams ordered my father to go to Peking at once, but, as the river
to Tientsin was frozen, it was out of the question for us to go by that
route, and as my father was very old and quite ill at that time, in
fact constantly under the doctor's care, the only accessible way, via
Chinwangtao, was equally out of the question, as it was a long and most
tedious journey and quite beyond his strength. In view of all these
difficulties, he telegraphed that, after the ice had broken up in the
Peiho River, we would come by the first steamer leaving Shanghai for
Tientsin.

We left Shanghai on the 22d of February and arrived at Tientsin on the
26th, and, as before, were met by the Customs Taotai of the port and
numerous other officials (the same as when we arrived at Shanghai).

There is a very curious custom of reverence, which must be performed by
all high officials on their return from abroad. Immediately upon landing
on the shores of China, arrangements are made with the nearest Viceroy
or Governor to receive their obeisance to Ching Sheng An (to worship the
Emperor of Peace),