A man named Donovan was accused last week of assaulting
an attaché of the Chinese Embassy, pulling his pig-tail and boxing his ears. Donovan defended himself by saying he was drunk, and had an objection to the Chinese religion, but was sentenced to two months' hard labour. The sentence was severe, but Mr. Knox was right. For some entirely unexplained reason, the ap- pearance of good-class Chinese, in wonderful blue-silk jackets, rouses in low Londoners a feeling of mingled curiosity and con- tempt, which might /easily lead to mischief. The door of the Embassy in Portland Place is constantly surrounded by a crowd of persons, who evidently think the inoffensive Chinese are some- how scarcely human, point their fingers at them within an inch of their faces, mimic their movements, and follow them in their walks, till the police have to exceed their powers, and make the loiterers cross over the way. There is no sign of ill-temper, but the crowd looks on the unlucky Chinamen as pantomimista out for their amusement, and is especially provoked by the white soles of their shoes, which they show in walking to an unusual degree. The temper of the Chinamen is admirable, and they seem aware they are quite safe; but if Mr. Knox had been less stern, the Law of Nations would have been insufficient to protect their pig- tails. The "roughs" are especially curious to see them laugh, and would have pulled their tails to make them do it.
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