M.
Gladstone had retired from the Premiership, and M.Rosebery was his successor.

England had determined to renew the payment of the tribute which China formerly exacted by right of suzerainty from Burma.

The Chinese were daily expecting the arrival of two white elephants from Burma, which were coming in charge of the British Resident in Singai (Bhamo), M.Warry, as a present to the Emperor, and were the official recognition by England that Burma is still a tributary of the Middle Kingdom.

I may here say that I often heard of this tribute in Western China.

The Chinese had been long waiting for the arrival of the elephants, with their yellow flags floating from the howdahs, announcing, as did the flags of Lord Macartney's Mission to Peking, "Tribute from the English to the Emperor of China," and I suppose that there are governments idiotic enough to thus pander to Chinese arrogance.