Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 2.djvu/256

In conformity with this order they had provided a liberal present for us"—ten pigs, ten sheep, some bags of flour, two of peas and two of millet, with a number of ducks and fowls—"with which he hoped we would be content to depart, and by no means touch on any other part of the coast, for if we did, he was not sure that we should be treated so well elsewhere. They had now shown us every mark of politeness and hoped we would be equally polite in return by getting immediately under weigh and by touching nowhere else in the province of Shantung, all of which was under their jurisdiction." It does not appear to have occurred to Mr. Medhurst that, although a minister of the gospel and therefore specially required to respect lawfully constituted authority and to promote the preservation of peace and good order, he was under any obligation to observe the injunctions of these courteous officials. He therefore prosecuted his journey just as though no such encounter had taken place, calling wherever he pleased along the coast and wandering at will through the country. And as to the nature of his conduct, when dealing with local officials a few days later, the following extract deserves to be quoted:—