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their own powers. Several illustrations are furnished by this very war. Thus, owing to their care for the wounded, their peaceful demeanour towards the inhabitants, and their avoidance of extortion, the British troops operating in the north won golden opinions, so that, to quote Chinese annals, "the people of Chili and Shantung vied with each other in their representations of the modest character of the enemy." But the same history states that "in consequence of these things the Governor of Shantung sent presents to the foreign fleet, and then represented to the Emperor that the foreigners had come ashore and made obeisance in a body." Again, when the British evacuated Ningpo on receipt of a ransom of $200,000 and in accordance with the plan of campaign, Yikking reported that he had forced them to retire and had recovered Ningpo, whereas, Chinese annals frankly say, "the retirement had nothing whatever to do with the movements of our armies." Such exaggerations become explicable by noting that the failures of a Chinese general are always attributed by the Throne to his own incompetence and are punished without discrimination. He is perpetually at the bar of hostile judgment, and unless he can make out a case for himself, the consequences of his ill-success are dire. Under menace of such danger the love of truth yields to the instinct of self-preservation. But after all, since records of modern conflicts between Occidental peoples