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!