The Englishman in China During the Victorian Era, Vol. II (of 2) As Illustrated in the Career of Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C.B., D.C.L., Many Years Consul and Minister in China and Japan : Illustrated

I. THE TREATIES AND THEIR NEGOTIATORS.Commodore Perry's expedition, 1853-54 — Townsend Harris — Count Poutiatine — Lord Elgin — The treaties of 1858 — The solidarity of Western Powers — The practical attitude of the Japanese — Their yielding to circumstances — The condition of the country — The character of the people — Nagasaki — The Dutch — Their two hundred years' imprisonment.A mystery hung over the island empire, which had been sealed against foreign intercourse for two hundred years, and its mere seclusion, apart from the weird romance that gilded such fragments of its history as were known, invested the efforts to reopen the country with a romantic charm. It was in Japan that Lord Elgin achieved the real diplomatic success of his life, in the briefest possible time, at the least possible cost, and with the most far-reaching consequences; for undoubtedly he hastened the entry of the Land of the Rising Sun into the family of nations. The poetical side of the mission was done ample justice to by Laurence Oliphant in his 'Narrative,' by Captain Sherard Osborn in the pages of 'Blackwood,' and elsewhere. The prosaic side and the practical issues of this rediscovery of an old world were not so clearly apprehended by them or by any other contemporary writer. The Powers of Europe and America had long been watching for opportunities to effect an opening in the barrier, but all tentatives proved in vain until force was resorted to. This was first done by the United States, whence a naval squadron under Commodore Perry appeared off the coast in 1853, repeating the visit, on a still more imposing scale, in 1854. The apparition deeply impressed the minds of the Japanese Government and people, who, Lafcadio Hearn tells us, speak to this day of the "black ships," birds of omen foreshadowing events for which it behoved them to prepare themselves. Black, indeed, they were, grim of aspect, huge in bulk, and looming larger than they really were, with their high sides, great paddle-boxes, and "smoke-stacks." CONTENTSJAPANTHE TREATIES AND THEIR NEGOTIATORSTHE OPERATION OF THE TREATIESASSASSINATION PERIOD, 1860-61NEGOTIATIONS AND RENEWED ASSASSINATIONS, 1862-64THE TYCOON'S DILEMMATHE CRISISTHE BIRTH OF NEW JAPANTHE DIPLOMATIC BODY — TSUSHIMATRADE AND TRADERSSIR RUTHERFORD ALCOCK IN PEKING, 1865-1869THE BRITISH LEGATIONFOREIGN LIFE IN PEKINGTHE FOREIGN CUSTOMS UNDER THE PEKING CONVENTIONEMIGRATIONKOREATHE REVISION OF THE TREATYPREPARATIONTHE BURLINGAME MISSIONCHINESE OUTRAGES — YANGCHOW AND FORMOSAREVISION NEGOTIATIONS AND CONCLUSIONMISSIONARY PROBLEM — TIENTSIN MASSACRE OF 1870RUSSIA AND FRANCE ADVANCINGJAPAN AGGRESSIVEKOREA OPENEDTHE FIRST IMPERIAL AUDIENCE — SUCCESSION OF KWANGHSUTHE MURDER OF MR MARGARY, 1875 — CHEFOO CONVENTION, 1876 — RATIFICATION, 1885 — THE MURDER OF MR MARGARY, 1875CHEFOO CONVENTION, 1876THE RATIFICATION, 1885A CHAIN OF INCIDENTSDISPUTE WITH RUSSIA RE KULDJAKOREAN IMBROGLIO, 1882-85THE PORT HAMILTON EPISODE, 1885-87TIBETTHE CRUISE OF THE SEVENTH PRINCE, 1886THE EMPEROR ASSUMES THE GOVERNMENT, 1889THE VISIT OF THE CZAREVITCH, 1891THE TONGKING QUARRELTHE FRENCH PROTECTORATE OF CHRISTIANSBRITISH SERVICES: DIPLOMATIC, CONSULAR, AND JUDICIALCHINA AND HER RULERSCHINA'S AWAKENINGTHE COLLAPSETHE RESETTLEMENT OF THE FAR EASTTHE OUTCOME — THE SITUATION IN PEKINGTHE CHRONIC CAUSEIMMEDIATE PROVOCATIONTHE DYNASTIC FACTORTHE CHINESE OUTBREAKTHE CRUXSIR RUTHERFORD ALCOCK'S LATER YEARSILLUSTRATIONS TO THE SECOND VOLUME.SIR RUTHERFORD ALCOCKLORD ELGINPRINCE KUNGWÊNSIANGMANCHU (TARTAR) WOMENMANCHU WOMENCHINESE WOMENCHINESE STREET SCENE DURING RAINY SEASONLI HUNG-CHANG AT THE AGE OF FIFTYRUINS OF FRENCH CATHEDRAL AT TIENTSIN, BURNED JUNE 20, 1870PEI-T'ANG CATHEDRAL IN PEKING, PURCHASED BY CHINESE GOVERNMENTMINISTERS OF THE YAMÊN OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: H.E. SHÊN K Read more