34

THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE

First  Embassy  to  Foreign  Countries  (1867)
In  1867  the  Chinese  -Government  sent  its  first  embassy
to  foreign  countries.  This  consisted  of  three  envoys,  two
Chinese  and  one  foreign,  the  latter  being  the  Hon.  Anson
Burlinghame,  who  had  been  U.S.  Minister  to  Peking.  The
object  of  the  mission  was  to  win  for  China  more  favorable
treatment  from  Western  nations,  and  to  represent  the
Chinese  Government  as  desirous  of  entering  upon  a  course
of  reform.  Unfortunately  Mr.  Burlinghame  died  in  St.
Petersburg  before  the  mission  had  been  completed.
The  Tientsin  Massacre  (1870)
In  1870  occurred  what  is  known  as  the  Tientsin  Massacre.
For  some  time  previous  anti-foreign  and  anti-Christian
literature  had  been  circulated  among  the  masses,  with  the
result  that  their  minds  had  been  highly  inflamed  against  the
missionaries.
The  trouble  in  Tientsin  arose  out  of  rumors  spread  in
regard  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Orphanage,  such  as  that  the
Sisters  in  charge  were  in  the  habit  of  kidnapping  children,
and  of  taking  out  their  hearts  and  eyes  to  serve  as  medicine.
A  committee  of  five  Chinese  gentlemen  were  permitted  to
examine  the  premises,  that  they  might  be  convinced  of
the  absurdity  of  such  stories  and  help  to  correct  the  false
impression.  The  French  Consul,  who  looked  upon  this
investigation  as  an  unwarranted  intrusion,  very  unceremoniously ­
  drove  these  visitors  into  the  street.  This  angered
the  populace,  and  resulted  in  the  burning  down  of  the
Orphanage  and  the  Cathedral,  and  the  massacre  of  many  of
the  Sisters  and  their  native  assistants.  The  French  Minister
demanded  the  punishment  of  the  officials  who  had  been
remiss  in  not  quelling  the  riot,  the  decapitation  of  the  ringleaders, ­
  and  an  indemnity  of  400,000  taels.
First  Public  Audience  (1873)
Shortly  after  the  marriage  of  the  Emperor,  when  the
regency  of  the  Empress  Dowager  for  a  time  came  to  an  end,