VI.] THE SOUTHERN MONGOLS. 22/ 



of aggressive self-righteousness, a complacent feeling of superiority 

 which nothing can disturb. Even the upper classes, with all 

 their efforts to be at least polite, often betray the feeling in 

 a subdued arrogance which is not always to be distinguished 

 from vulgar insolence. "After the courteous, kindly Japanese, 

 the Chinese seem indifferent, rough, and disagreeable, except the 

 well-to-do merchants in the shops, who are bland, complacent, 

 and courteous. Their rude stare, and the way they hustle you 

 in the streets and shout their ' pidjun ' English at you is not 



attractive 1 .' 



Miss Bird (Mrs Bishop), The Golden Chersonese, 1883, p. 37. 



152 



