THE GREAT PARE OF THE EASTERN TOMBS 257 



with a quiet dignity, and there was a royal courtesy in 

 his greeting which inspired profound respect. Had he 

 been marked for death in the revolution I am sure that 

 he would have received his executioners in the same calm 

 way that he met us in the reception hall. He listened 

 with a courteous interest while we explained the object 

 of our visit. We had come, we told him, to ask permis- 

 sion to collect natural history specimens in the great 

 hunting park at the Tung Ling, Eastern Tombs. Here, 

 and at the Hsi Ling, or Western Tombs, the Manchu 

 emperors and their royal consorts sleep in splendid 

 mausoleums among the fragrant pines. 



The emperors are buried at the lower end of a vast, 

 walled park, more than one hundred miles in length. 

 True to their reverence for the dead, the Chinese con- 

 querors have never touched these sacred spots, and 

 doubtless will never do so. They belong unquestion- 

 ably to the Manchus, even if their dynasty has been 

 overthrown by force of arms. According to custom, 

 some member of the royal court is always in residence 

 at the Eastern Tombs. This fact Tsai Tse gravely ex- 

 plained, and said that he would commend us in a letter 

 to Duke Chou, who would be glad to grant us the privi- 

 leges we asked. Then, by touching his teacup to his 

 lips, he indicated that our interview was ended. With 

 the same courtesy he would have shown to a visiting 

 diplomat he ushered us through the courtyards, while at 

 each doorway we begged him to return. Such is the 

 custom in China. That same afternoon a messenger 

 from the duke arrived at my house in Wu Liang Taj en 



