“This tree is planted at the side of the tomb of General U.S.  Grant, ex-President of the United States of America, for the purpose of commemorating him, by Li Hung Chang, guardian of the Prince, Grand Secretary of the State, and Earl of the first order.

“YangYu,
“Vice-President of the Centre Board. 
“Kwang Hsu, 23d year, fourth moon, seventh day.”

This inscription is to be cut in marble, in Chinese and also in English, and placed near the tomb.

The Mr. Yang Yu who performed the ceremony is the Minister whom the See Yups came on from San Francisco to visit.

It does not seem as if he were going to be of much use to them, for instead of returning to China he is to go to St. Petersburg, and he may not see his Emperor for a very long time.

* * * * *

An amusing story comes from Victoria, British Columbia, about the Chinese special envoy, who has just arrived in New York on his way to London.

When the Canadian Pacific steamer which brought him over from China arrived in port, it was found that she had two cases of smallpox on board.

The authorities of Victoria at once ordered her to quarantine for twenty-four days.

The steerage passengers, who were all Chinamen, were taken to the quarantine station, where the usual process of fumigation and disinfection took place.

There were, doubtless, many protests and wails from the unfortunate Celestials, but nobody heeded them, and the work was carried through without difficulty.

When, however, it came to the other passengers, there was a great disturbance.  The English were furious, threatening terrible things if any one attempted to fumigate them.  A special company of 200 armed men was consequently detailed to guard the quarantine station, lest the passengers should attempt to get away before the twenty-four days were over.

All this trouble was as nothing, however, to that which arose when it was conveyed to His Excellency Chang, Special Envoy from the Emperor of China to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, that he needed disinfecting!

Accompanying the Envoy was his suite, which was composed of a number of Chinamen of high rank.  None of these illustrious persons had the slightest knowledge of Western ways, and they one and all protested that to fumigate them, or their great Chang, was practically fumigating the Emperor of China!  In their eyes this seemed the most awful crime that mortal could commit.

His Excellency Chang refused to submit to any such insulting treatment, and appealed to the Canadian Government, the British Government, and the Chinese Ministers in London to protect him.

He declared that, rather than submit, he would go back to China without fulfilling his mission,—­a proceeding fraught with considerable danger to himself, as he stated that the Emperor, his master, might cut off his head, and the heads of all his suite, for disobedience to his wishes.  But the noble Envoy preferred death to fumigation.