A VISIT TO THE TAOTAI. 219 



Of course I called on the Taotai, or Chinese pro- 

 vincial governor. Passing through gateways and court- 

 yards emblazoned with representations of fearful demons, 

 dragons, and antediluvian monsters of the most ap- 

 proved type, I reached the hall of audience. I found 

 the Taotai a delightful, fat, good-natured Chinaman, 

 whose large round face was suffused with a perennial 

 smile. Delicacies of all sorts were placed before us, 

 which he of course ate with chop-sticks, though he was 

 thoughtful enough to provide his barbarian guest with 

 a two-pronged fork. Whenever any morsel, in any of 

 the many dishes, struck him as being of specially en- 

 ticing appearance, he seized it with his fingers and 

 placed it on my plate — the high-water mark of Chinese 

 politeness. 



Later in the day he returned my call. The procession 

 was delightful. First walked a Chinaman in scarlet, 

 holding up an enormous scarlet umbrella, the emblem 

 of officialdom. Then came various retainers on foot 

 and on horseback, clothed in scarlet and purple, with 

 enormous soup plates embroidered on their backs ; 

 and last came the Taotai himself, in the most extra- 

 ordinary little Chinese cart, drawn, as is customary, 

 by a mule. 



As to the future, Kulja has every prospect of remain- 

 ing in statu quo for many years to come. E-ussia has 

 nothing to gain by an immediate advance in this 

 direction, and, moreover, she was careful to see that 

 the province was at her mercy before she withdrew 

 under the treaty of 1881. The mineral wealth is there 

 in the earth, and is likely to remain there, for China 

 will most assuredly not develop it herself, and Russia 

 has enough, and more than enough, undeveloped 

 mineral wealth in Siberia and elsewhere to keep her 

 occupied for many a year to come. There are, besides. 



