A correspondent of the Times writing from Shanghai gives a
singular picture of the journey of the Chinese Court from Cheng-tung-fu, the railway terminus, to Pekin. Its marked fact, as observed by 'the Belgian Engineer-in,Chief, was the absolute ascendency of the Empress-Regent, who seems to possess a genius for detail, and whO maintained, if not order, at least coherence in the huge cavalcade, which straggled to the terminus over ii road of two hundred and fifty miles care- fully smoothed for the Imperial passage. Her dominant idea was that, happen what might, she would neither lose nor be parted from her luggage, and as it nearly filled four freight trains the difficulties may be conceived. They were overcome, however, as difficulties usually are when one can execute for disobedience or disrespect; and the journey, though hampered by astrologers' orders, was successfully performed. Throughout the Empress-Regent, who it seems smokes opium on occasion, was supreme, the Emperor, though travelling in the same train, remaining listless and silent, and once worshipping the Empress-Dowager publicly on a railway platform. Nothing is said of the Empress except that she wore pearls, but the principal concubine is described as "a lively young person of pleasing appearance," who ran about the carriages, chatted with the Empress-Regent, and had, like the Empress proper, a carriage to herself. She is, of course, entirely acknowledged by Manchu etiquette.
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