Excerpt from Children of Far Cathay: A Social and Political NovelThe Chinese regard their enterprising neighbour in much the same light as we do our Colonial and American kindred; not only as staunch con federates, but as a primogenial branch of the same parent -t.ree And when taking into considera tion the remarkable resemblance, if not affinity, between these two nations - in their manners, customs, weapons, religion, pictorial art, written characters, human features, and also in their dress - for the silken robes and elaborate head dress worn by a Chinese lady of a thousand years ago were of a style almost identically the same as that of a Japanese lady of to day - we must, with all due deference to Dai Nippon' s charmingly ori gimal little story of the loves of the race-founding god and goddess, Iza-na-gi and Iza-na-mi, admit that this claim of relationship is based upon some thing more substantial than mere tradition, But China is an unhappy country, and her children pine for the freedom and tranquillity which once made her great among many great nations, and prosperous in the enjoyment of the abundant mineral wealth and fruitful ness of her soil, and in the exceeding thriftiness and intelligence of her sons. Like the Israelites of old when In the land of Egypt, they now groan under the cruel yoke of the taskmaster, and seek respite and recreation in looking back upon the glories of a remote past and In gazing towards the unexplored wilderness of futurity, beyond which may lie the promised land of their emancipation. For the iron shod heel of the manchu-tartar presses heavily upon the half broken necks of these poor sorrowing slaves, who patiently work and await the advent of some great and dauntless spirit - such a one as the tien-wang or Chung Wang of the Taipings - who will lead them to freedom and beneath whose standard they may rally, strong in the blessed hope of redeeming their stricken, impoverished land, even though each acre be purged with their own life-blood.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work.

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