Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 2.djvu/257

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

PRECONVENTIONAL PERIOD

manner, and as soon as we had ascended the cliff, the mandarin from the boat approached us. His natural cheerfulness overcame his first alarm, and he asked us in a very civil way who we were and whence we came. We told him that we came from the west to distribute good books for the instruction of the age, and with his leave would give him one. He took the book and said our object was good, but hoped that in prosecuting it we would make no disturbance. We assured him that we should not, but on the contrary endeavour to keep the peace. We then gave out books to the bystanders, who received them with eagerness, but at the same time with quietness.... The mandarin then said that we were guests and should be treated with respect, for which reason he proposed that we should repair to a temple hard by, where the officers would assemble and treat us with tea. Upon this we all proceeded thither, dealing out our stores as we went along. But finding a path that led directly to the town, we left the temple on the left and made towards the dwellings of the inhabitants. This the mandarin strongly opposed, saying it would lead to trouble: but heedless of his remonstrances we pushed forward. Arrived at the gate of the town, he again attempted to dissuade us from our purpose, without success; so that after having passed through one street and finding us not to be wrought upon by his suggestions, in order to save his dignity in the eyes of the people, he left us and went away.

In how many countries of the world would strangers have been thus allowed to openly disobey the laws of the land and flout the exercise of official authority, and in how many countries would they have been treated with courtesy and forbearance under such circumstances? Mr.

227