PART II. Letters Written February and March, 1917

LETTERS WRITTEN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1917

I THE RETURN TO PEKING 115

II THE OPIUM SCANDAL 124

III THE WALRUS AND THE CARPENTER 132

IV CHINA'S COURSE CLEAR 139

V FEAR OF THE PLUNGE 145

VI A DUST-STORM 150

VII A BOWL OF PORRIDGE 164

VIII FROM A SCRAP-BOOK 172

IX THE GERMAN REPLY 182

X DUST AND GOSSIP 189

XI DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BROKEN 198

XII WALKING ON THE WALL 202

XIII MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA 208

XIV GREAT BRITAIN'S TWELVE DEMANDS 220

XV CONCLUSION 229

APPENDIXES 231

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Loading coolies at Wei-Hei-Wei Frontispiece

FACING PAGE Map 3

Coolies 20

Camel caravan, Peking 21

Peking cart 32

Fruit stall in the bazaar 33

Entrance gate to compound of Chinese house 84

Compound of Chinese house 85

Chinese funeral 120

Chinese funeral 121

Vice-President Feng Kuo-Chang 128

View of Peking 129

Village outside walls of Peking 204

Fortune teller 205

President Li Yuan-Hung 216

Entrance to Winter Palace 217