3 70 E^SUMJ^. 



will have to be confronted by China. The great gateway 

 to their -western provinces is now threatened by the 

 former. All the commerce and traf&c between China 

 and central Asia passes through the Kiayu Pass, and 

 leads across the desert of Gobi to Kulja. It is their 

 weakest point, and has of late years been watched with 

 vigilance. Eussia desires, or prefers, to hold a part of 

 Hi, that once belonged to China, as well as Kulja, 

 which naturally the Chinese consider as a menace. 

 This part of the world is a long way from any base of 

 operations Eussia could arrange — probably the Caspian 

 — and to move troops to the frontier of China would 

 be a matter of excessive difficulty. But as for China, a 

 thousand miles or so is of no moment; and if one army 

 got knocked all to pieces, another would immediately 

 take its place. A check or defeat to the Eussian arms 

 so far away from their starting-poiat would, however, 

 be a very different matter. China, properly managed, 

 I mean of course in regard to her armies, might defy 

 Eussia, and the sooner she prepares to do so the 

 better. 



A few years ago Chinamen woiild have been per- 

 fectly thunderstruck if told the time was at hand when 

 their ambassadors would be sent to the different Euro- 

 pean capitals ; but so it now is, and the ambassadors' 



