66 



The National Geographic Magazine 



eiied the evil against which he was striv- 

 ing. It is a significant commentary on 

 his act that in the Chinese schools of 

 today history later than the accession of 

 the present dynasty, 1643, is not taught. 

 The literati, it may be added, disregard- 

 ing the true reason of his decree, at- 

 tribute it simply to his vanity — the hope 

 * ' that he might by this means be re- 

 garded by posterity as the first emperor 

 of the Chinese race." 



Nearly nine hundred years later Sin- 

 gan is again made the capital by Tait- 

 sung, who so cordially welcomed the 

 Nestorian priest. He was " famed alike 

 for his wisdom and nobleness, his con- 

 quests and good government, his tem- 

 perance, cultivated tastes, and patron- 

 age of literary men. He established 

 schools, and instituted the system of 

 examinations, and ordered a complete 

 and accurate edition of all the classics 

 to be published under the supervision 

 of the most learned men in the Empire. ' ' 

 It is probably not too much to say that 

 during his reign this now almost un- 

 known city was the center of the most 

 advanced civilization that existed at 



that time on the earth. Soon after his 

 death the throne was usurped for twenty- 

 one years by a woman, who bears a re- 

 markable resemblance in some respects 

 to the Dowager Empress who now exer- 

 cises supreme power in this ancient city. 



In our own times Singan is noted for 

 the brave and successful defense of its 

 inhabitants against the Mohammedan 

 rebels in 1865, although there were some 

 50,000 of their coreligionists within the 

 walls. These were compelled to abjure 

 their faith on pain of death, and to put 

 up in their mosques inscriptions to the 

 emperor and to Confucius. 



The situation of the city, over six 

 hundred miles from the coast, and its 

 impregnability to any force that it is 

 likely could be brought against it will 

 probably make it seem for the interest 

 of the present rulers of China that it 

 should be once more the permanent 

 capital of the Empire. From its his- 

 tory in the past we may hope that this 

 will be the presage of an era brighter 

 for the Chinese than that which is appar- 

 ently closing. 



JAMES MASCARENE HUBBARD. 



THE MIDNIGHT SUN IN THE KLONDIKE 



AFTER the long, dark, dreary days 

 of winter, summer approaches with 

 marvelous rapidity. Before the 

 snow has all disappeared the days are 

 twenty-four hours long, and there is 

 no need for candles or lamps during the 

 months of June and July and part of Ma^'. 

 About the middle of June photographs 

 can be taken quite distinctly at midnight. 

 Many, fond of climbing, like to mount 

 the highest domes and watch the sun at 

 midnight. If the night is clear, they 

 are well repaid for their climb. There 

 is a strange, weird look about the sun at 

 such a time — a sort of tired look, as if 

 he would like to disappear below the 

 horizon for a little rest, and then mount 



in the morning like a giant refreshed. 



He marches steadily on, and just as 

 we think he will descend below the 

 skyline, he gradually turns eastward and 

 heavenward and soon begins to flood the 

 lesser hills with light and warmth. We 

 then turn homeward, for if caught too 

 far from home when the sun has- re- 

 gained height and power, we shall feel 

 in no mood for walking, as the summer 

 days in the Klondike are fiercely hot and 

 wearying. 



What a contrast there is between the 



dark, sunless, icy days of winter and the 



bright, glaring, almost unbearably hot 



days of summer ! : 



AEICE ROLEINS CRANE. 



