THE TSUNG-LI-YAMEN 



THE CITY 



The Board of the Tsmig-li-Yamen, or Foreign Office, was created in 1861 to 

 conduct all dealings with foreign nations and with foreigners. Of the character 

 and working of the Board, Miss E. R. Scidniore, the Foreign Secretary of the 

 National Geographic Society, relates the following in her book, " CJiiva, (he 

 Long-lived Empire," just published by the Century Company : 



" Ministers have always a long, slow ride in state across to the sliabby gate- 

 way of the forlorn old yanien, where now eleven aged, sleepy incompetents 

 muddle with foreign atfairs. As these 

 eleven elders have reached such posts by 

 steady advances, they are always septu- 

 agenarians, worn out witii the exacting, 

 empty routine rites and functions of 

 such high office, and physically too ex- 

 hausted by their midnight rides to and 

 sunrise departures from the palace to 

 begin fitly the day's tedium at the dilap- 

 idated Tsung-li-Yamen. 



"The appointment for an interview 

 with the non-committal, irresponsible 

 Board must be made beforehand, the 

 minister and his secretaries are always 

 kept waiting, and the inner reception- 

 room swarms with gaping attendants 

 during an interview. Once the Amer- 

 ican Minister made a vigorous protest, 

 and refused to conduct any negotiations 

 while there were underlings in the 

 room, and as it was business that the 

 Chinese Goverimient wished conducted, 

 the minions were summarily cast out — 

 cast out to the other side of the many- 

 hinged, latticed doors, where tliey scuf- 

 fled audibly for first places at cracks and 

 knot-holes. 



"The other envoys would not sustain the American protest, and soon the 

 farce of the empty room was played to an end, and the servants came in with 

 their pipes and fans, tea and cake and candies, as usual; stood al)Out. com- 

 mented on and fairly took part in the iliplomatic; conversations, as l)efore. 



" Every servant in a foreign establishment in I'ekin is a s|)y and informer of 

 some degree. Espionage is a regular business, and tiie table talk, visiting list, 

 dinner list, card tray, and scrap basket, with full accounts of all coinings and 

 goings, sayings and doings, of any envoy or foreigner in IV'kin arc regularly 

 offered for purchase by rec^^gnizi'd purveyors of such news. 



291 



CXPLANATION 

 Br British Ltgition. R Ruimnljtgation A *>i>«ric«n(0S)U|5iil 

 F French - J J«p«n«6e " G German 



S.Spanish ■ I Italian " B Balgian 



FO Foreign Off ica LC Uiari',t Church RCM Mii^.on 

 R.CC Cathvdral 



