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Grand Hotel des Wagons-Lits,

Peking, Oct.11th/09.

Dear Colonel Hecker,
This is the last evening of my present visit in Peking, and the four and a half weeks have been well spent. I have given about three days to sight-seeing at Nankou Pass, Great Wall and Ming Tombs, the balance of the time including practically every evening, has been given to my work. The result is very gratifying to me personally and I am sure that it will be appreciated by others in the future. The information so badly needed concerning early Chinese potteries, has been acquired from the best native authorities and their criticism and identification is based upon provable facts. So it must be correct. When I get home, I shall have some corrections to make in my catalogue, but it will be a real comfort to know that no future expert in examining the catalogue can drive a horse and cart through it.

Interesting collections of ancient Bronze and paintings and pottery, including the one most famous in China, that of Viceroy Tuan Fang, have been opened for my study as freely as in Europe or America, notwithstanding all that has been reported from this country heretofore.

The Chinese high-class people are most generous and obliging to those in whom they have confidence. Globe trotters, and politicians like the prominent American from Hoosierdom recently here, are not allowed to enter very deeply into anything precious to the Chinese, but to those who sincerely desire information of a proper character every kindness is shown. I have been offered the great privileges of a full examination of the Imperial collection at Mukden which must be something amazing in both magnitude and quality, but it seemed to me wiser not to accept too much during my first visit, so I have declined. I dare not say much in addition to what I have previously written you of my purchases --- when you see them they will speak for themselves. My German friend Dr. Grosse came here a couple of days ago after two years of study in Japan, some of which was done in my company. I showed him only two of my recently acquired paintings and he declared them finer than any he had ever before seen and said that they alone were worth years of travel and large outlay of money. Of course, I am happy in his approval of the little I dared show him. He represents the Imperial German Museums and is in my judgement the most scientific art critic of Europe today. Of course, I did not tell him of the large number