Chap. XVII. MANAGEMENT OF CHINESE CROWDS. 351 



streets on my way. Thousands of people followed 

 me as I went along. They were very uproarious, 

 but good-humoured withal, and appeared delighted 

 with the opportunity of seeing a " Pak Quei-tze," 

 or white devil — a term by which foreigners are 

 designated in this civilized part of the world. 

 Although this term was sometimes used in a tone 

 of contempt or insult, showing that those who 

 used it fully understood its meaning, yet generally 

 it was not so. Upon one occasion some friends 

 of mine remonstrated with some of these polite 

 people, and endeavoured to explain to them that 

 the term was one to which we were not exactly 

 entitled, and that it was not very agreeable. In 

 reply the Chinese expressed surprise and regret 

 for having used the term and thus given offence ; 

 but innocently asked if we were not white devils ; 

 and if not, what we were, and by what name they 

 should call us ! 



Alone as I now was, and surrounded by thou- 

 sands of Chinese in one of their inland cities, it 

 was absolutely necessary to keep my temper under 

 the most complete control. In circumstances of 

 this kind, if one laughs and jokes with the crowd, 

 and takes everything in good part, all will gene- 

 rally go well, for the Chinese are upon the whole 

 good-humoured and polite ; but if he by any chance 

 loses his temper, he will most certainly get the 

 worst of it, and most likely will be hooted and 

 pelted with stones. I had had some experience in 

 the management of Chinese crowds, and therefore 



