1901.] With the Allies in China 685 



Here the troops that were to march through the palace were 

 already in line. The various generals were on foot at the head of 

 their respective columns, and as we rode past each contingent the 

 doyen general reviewed them, each general and staff in turn saluting 

 as we passed, and accompanying us to the end of his line. 



As far as numbers went, the Russians were most prominent of all, 

 then the Japanese, the British, the Americans, the French, the 

 Germans, the Italians and the Austrians. 



The review of the troops completed, General Linievitch, his 

 staff, and myself, with an escort of Cossacks, rode up through the 

 second courtyard, followed by the diplomatic body, the Russian 

 marines, Russian line officers and infantry. 



We passed through the two gates of the approaches to the palace, 

 which had already been opened by the Americans, and were now 

 before the last gate, that leading into the Forbidden city itself, upon 

 which no foot of " foreign devil " had ever trespassed. The moment 

 was impressive. 



Three Chinese officials — two of them interpreters to the Yam£n— 

 in their long blue State robes and white hats, stood with mournful 

 faces waiting for us at the closed gate. As we approached, they 

 stooped and chin-chinned, joining their thumbs together. 



General Linievitch and I dismounted, and walked up the incline 

 to the gate. 



Opened from inside, the huge wooden doors, studded with iron 

 knobs, revolved slowly on their rusty hinges. 



General Linievitch and I stepped into the Forbidden city. The 

 British Artillery fired the first salute of one-and-twenty guns. 



" Entrez dans le Palais de l'Empereur ! " said to the general the 

 Chinese official, Lien-fang, who spoke the most perfect French ; and, 

 having shown us the way with an extended arm and a grand bow, he 

 joined his companion ahead of us. 



They marched quickly, evidently in a hurry to get us through in 

 all speed. 



Behind us we had General Linievitch's staff, including the brave 

 Munthe and Yanchevetsky. 



Then came the third Chinaman, who kept with the diplomatic 

 body — an extraordinary-looking set, dressed up in the quaintest of 

 costumes, most of them hardly adapted to so grand an occasion. 



In front was prominent the bony figure of Sir Claude MacDonald, 

 in an ample grey suit of tennis clothes, and a rakish Panama slouch 

 hat, which he wore at a dangerous angle. 



To his right the Russian Minister seemed quite reposeful by 

 contrast. He was clad in dark clothes, and bore himself with 

 dignity. 



Next to him came the Representative of the French Republic, in 

 a garb that combined the requirements of the Bois de Boulogne on a 

 Sunday with the conveniences of tropical attire on a week-day. 



Mr. Conger, the American Minister, strode ponderously behind, 



