My voyage to Macao--General appearance of the port--Gambling propensities of the Chinese--Compulsory emigration--Cruel treatment of coolies on board ship--Disaster on the Paracelses reefs--The _Baracouns_--The grotto of Camoens--The _Lusiads_--Contrast between Chinese and Japanese--Origin of the yellow races: their appearance and language--Relation of the dwellers in the Arctic regions to the people of China--Russian and Dutch intercourse with the Celestials--East India Company's monopoly of trade--Disputes on the opium question--Expiration of charter--Death of Lord Napier of a broken heart--Lin-Tseh-Hsu as Governor of the Kwang provinces--The result of his measures to suppress trade in opium--Treaty of Nanking--War of 1856-1858--Treaty of Tien-tsin and Convention of Pekin--Immense increase in exports and imports resulting from them 97 CHAPTER VI French aspirations in Tonkin--Margary receives his instructions--Work already done on the Yang-tse--Margary is insulted at Paï-Chou--He awaits instructions in vain at Lo-Shan--The Tung-Ting lake--A Chinese caravanserai--The explorer leaves the river to proceed by land--He meets a starving missionary--Kwei-Chou and the French bishop there--A terrible road--Arrival at the capital of Yunnan--Armed escort from Bhâmo--Meeting between Margary and Colonel Browne--Threatening attitude of natives--Margary crosses the frontier alone--Colonel Browne's camp surrounded--Murder of Margary outside Manwyne--Importance of Yunnan and Szechuan to Europeans 118 CHAPTER VII Sir Thomas Wade demands his passports--Retires to man-of-war off Tien-tsin--Interviews with Li-Hung-Chang--Convention of Che-Foo--Description of Ichang on the Yang-tse--The Manchester of Western China--Pak-hoï and its harbour--A magnificent pagoda--Ceremony of opening the port to foreign trade--New Year's _féte_ at Pak-hoï--The game of Morra--Description of Wenchow--Temples and pagodas turned into inns--Wahn and its native officials--Dislike of mandarins, etc., to missionaries--Beautiful surroundings of the town--An eclipse of the moon expected--The eclipse does not keep time--Excitement of the people--The dragon attacks the moon at last--Threatening message from the Emperor to the astronomers--Two astronomers beheaded in B.C. 2155--Reasons for importance attached to eclipses in China 135 CHAPTER VIII