262 The National Geographic Magazine 



cult of access and hemmed in by almost 

 prohibitive restrictions — were locked in 

 seemingly impenetrable seclusion. This 

 book is the tale of how American diplo- 

 macy, more than that of any other peo- 

 ple, more perhaps than that of all other 

 peoples, broke through the obstacles 

 and brought those oriental States into 

 international relations. Blunders were 

 more than once committed. More than 

 one American consul or envoy was in- 

 capable or unfortunate. But the great 

 majority of our representatives per- 

 formed their parts well. They brought 

 to their posts the diplomacy of practical 

 men, diplomaed in the school of experi- 

 ence and sure to win over the obstructive 

 astuteness of the East. 



But it should always be remembered 

 that along the path to final results the 

 sailor, the merchant, the missionar}', led 

 the way. Moreover, from their ranks 

 were recruited many who afterward 

 in official station merited distinction. 

 Such men were Major Shaw, Edmund 

 Roberts, Townsend Harris, Peter Par- 

 ker, H. N. Allen, S. Wells Williams, 

 and others deserving mention. Major 

 Shaw was supercargo on The Empress 

 of China, the first vessel to bear the 

 starry flag across the Pacific. He be- 

 came our first consul at Canton, "a 

 man worthy the honor." Edmund 

 Roberts, of New Hampshire, was a 

 large ship-owner and merchant. Later 

 accredited envoy to Siam, Muscat, and 

 Armani, he became "the pioneer in 

 the oriental diplomacy of the United 

 States." Townsend Harris, a super- 

 cargo and merchant from New York, 

 was the first consul general in Japan, 

 ' ' negotiator of the first commercial 

 treaty with Japan," no less a bene- 

 factor of that Empire than had been 

 Commodore Perry. The medical mis- 

 sionary, Peter Parker, was twice charge 

 d'affaires, then commissioner, then effi- 

 cient minister to China. The medical 

 missionary, H. N. Allen, has more than 

 justified his appointment under two 

 Presidents as minister to Korea. The 



name of S. Wells Williams, missionary 

 of the American Board, author of " The 

 Middle Kingdom," for twent}- years 

 secretary of legation and often charge 

 d'affaires at Pekin, is almost a house- 

 hold word. 



It would be a congenial task to linger 

 in the further discussion of "American 

 Diplomacy in the Orient," even as it is 

 delightful to linger over its perusal. 

 However length}^ the review, much will 

 be left unsaid. 



The tale this book tells is weighty, 

 yet, made up of peril, tact, persistence, 

 daring, it has the fascination of ro- 

 mance. It is the record of a diplomacy 

 wherein honest dealing, truth, and self- 

 respect were dominant factors. It is 

 the record of a diplomacy which the 

 diplomacy of any other country may be 

 in vain challenged to surpass in ability, 

 in influence, and in success. The un- 

 varnished recital of its deeds casts honor 

 upon the American name and inspires 

 in the American reader a sentiment of 

 gratitude and pride. 



Edwin A. Grosvenor, 



Amherst College, Massachusetts. 



The Brazilian Government has provided 

 for the mapping of its territory on a sci- 

 entific basis. Last year the Congress ap- 

 propriated the necessary funds for com- 

 mencing the work, and a commission, 

 of which Colonel Francisco de Abreu 

 Lima is president, was to leave Rio 

 early in May for the State of Rio Grande 

 do Sul to make a reconnaissance of 

 the first zone to be triangulated. The 

 scheme, as far as at present outlined, 

 includes the measurement of basis at 

 Porto Alegre and Uruguayana, and the 

 connection of these two cities by trian- 

 gulation. This will give an arc of about 

 six and one-quarter degrees of longitude 

 in about latitude thirty degrees south. 

 The Superintendent of the U. S. Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey has been requested 

 by the commission to supervise the prep- 

 aration of the necessary tapes and ac- 

 cessories for the measurement of bases. 



