hundred millions of people in China and as their existence certainly cannot be ignored,-but must rather, sooner or later, exercise a tremendous influence on the rest of the world,— surely the best thing for the comfort and peace of the Globe, on which we all have to live together, is to try to understand them? The present attempt to portray, as dispassionately as possible, the Chinaman As He Has Been, As He Is, and As He May Be, has necessarily sent the writer-who has not been himself in China-to gather facts, incidents, and opinions from as many sources as practicable. As Confucius said of himself, he is but a "transmitter"! To the various authors whose names are mentioned in the text he is under the greatest obligations. To them he ventures to dedicate his modest effort to promote a better understanding between John Bull and John Chinaman, and in a small way those British interests in the Far East which he has watched somewhat closely for several years in the course of his journalistic work. No little care has been taken to avoid slips, but the pitfalls before the hurrying traveller in so wide and difficult a field as China are many. If further excuse be necessary, the haste with which the Handbook had to be sent to press must be pleaded. J. W. R.-S. CONTENTS The Babel of the Far East-Loess and Rivers-In the Fields- - Where the Chinese Come From- "That Fellow Chow"- British Trade in Charles II.'s Time-Lord Macartney's Mission- I-10 II-25 of Hongkong-Another Seizure of Canton-The T'aip'ings of Tientsin-The Third War-The Peking Treaty-Gordon Kuldja, Burmah, and Tongking--Japanese Activity-Missionary PAGES 26-40 41-56 Limitations of Absolute Monarchy-Titles and Dignities-The "Mandarins "The Emperor and his Ministers - The Seven Boards-Tsung li Yâmen and Censors - The Law and the Penalty-The "Reign of Reason"-Torture-The Theory of "Mutual Responsibility"-Corruption - Testi- monials to Mandarins-The Self-Governing Villages-The inations at Peking-Advantages of the System—Western The Varieties of " Chinaman " - The Social Scale -The "Chinese People "-The Barrier between West and East-"Brilliant Antithetical Analysis "-Topsyturvydom -The Chinaman as Colonist-The Good Points of the Chinaman-His Weak Points: (1) Absence of Straight- forwardness-(2) Physical Weakness-(3) Queer Food—(4) Footbinding-(5) Infanticide-(6) The Status of Women- Politician - The Emperor and the Sage Taouism— Superstition and Magic-Buddhism-Mahommedanism— 77-90 91-115 116-125 The Emperors and the Friars-Results of Missionary Work- 127-138 Extent of the Yangtsze Valley-Climate and Crops-State of Imperial Revenue and Expenditure-Foreign Loans-China's Trading Account with the World-Articles Imported and Exported-The Foreigners in China-The Treaty Ports- British Trade with China - The Government Short of Funds-British Merchants' Complaints-Trade Passing into THE VIEWS OF THE "FOREIGN DEVIL" "Chinajin Decay"-The Policy of Great Britain-The Policy |