28 Pearls. 



ambassadors knelt at the door of the audience - 

 chamber, bearing in their hands a golden tray full of 

 Pearls and gold work. On approaching the throne, 

 they threw the contents of the tray at the feet of 

 the emperor ; much to the delight of the courtiers, 

 who were permitted to gather them up, and divide 

 them amongst themselves. 



Marco Polo, in his work on China, tells us that 

 Kubla Khan, the founder of the 20th Chinese 

 dynasty, who died in 1294, A.D., always presented 

 his followers at great public festivals, with robes 

 embroidered in gold, Pearls, and other jewels. Mingti, 

 another Chinese ruler, notorious for his lavish ex- 

 penditure, is said to have had his throne, his furni- 

 ture, horses' trappings, carriages, and his own and 

 his courtiers' robes, so profusely covered with Pearls, 

 that after public processions the ground was often 

 literally strewn with them. The Chinese Emperor, 

 Kanghi (1661 — 1722), presented to the Temple of 

 the Goddess of Grace, on the Buddhist island of 

 Poets, an image of herself, finished in gold. It was 

 five inches high, and the torso consisted of a single 

 beautiful Pearl. 



The repeated mention of Pearls in the history 

 of China, and the use made of them to decorate idols, 

 and as tribute, show the honour in which the Chinese 

 have always held these jewels. In our own day, 



