China, 29 



Pearls are still very highly prized among the Chinese, 

 The Emperor wears upon his cap, three golden 

 dragons, embroidered and crowned with Pearls. 

 Pearl buttons decorate the caps of the Mandarins 

 and denote their rank. Chinese ladies are par- 

 ticularly fond of Pearl-embroidered shoes, in which 

 to encase their tiny feet. In the sacking of the 

 Summer Palace, or Yuen-Min-Yuen in i860, the 

 Allied forces found treasures of exquisitely carved 

 jade, gold and silver. Pearls, precious jewels of jade 

 and rubies, carved lapis-lazuli, priceless furs and 

 the richest silks ; such treasures indeed as could 

 only have been accumulated by a long dynasty of 

 Celestial rulers. The French taking advantage of 

 a circuitous approach, at once proceeded to sack 

 the palace ere the British soldiers guessed their 

 intention. Consequently when the latter were allowed 

 to join in the work of devastation and indiscriminate 

 plunder, all the most obviously valuable treasures 

 had already been removed, while the floors were 

 strewn knee-deep with broken fragments of price- 

 less china, and every sort of beautiful object, too 

 cumbersome or too fragile for rough-and-ready 

 removal, and therefore ruthlessly smashed with the 

 butt ends of muskets. From 100 to 150 of the 

 large Pearls were brought to England, their average 

 weight being about 35 grains each — but they were 

 of a yellowish hue, and were spoiled by having 



