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36.
[underline]Chapter III.[/underline]
but found him still hesitant about allowing us even to photograph the bronzes already found. He feared, he told us, that if he gave us permission to do so, his action might be misinterpreted by the public as an indication that he was planning to sell us the bronzes secretly.

[underline]Our Second Visit to Hsin Chêng Hsien.[/underline]
I decided that instead of waiting in Chêng Chou for the Marshal's reply to my letter, we could much more profitably spend our time in further examination of the site itself. Next morning, therefore, we went down once more to Hsin Chêng Hsien. There we secured lodgings at an inn, and then revisited the scene of the discovery, to see what had been going on in our absence.
We next paid calls upon various civil and military officials and explained the purpose of our visit, in order to forestall misunderstanding as to our intentions. Among those whom we saw was the District Magistrate, Mr. Yao Yen-chin [姚延錦], whom we found a most courteous and scholarly gentleman of the old school. He assured us that we were welcome, and that he would do all in his power to facilitate our investigations. He told us frankly, however, that he hoped we would not protract our stay a moment longer than necessary. The impending struggle for the presidency, left vacant by the sudden flight of the latest incumbent, General Li Yüan-hung [[strikethrough]] (see p. 9)[[/strikethrough]] had caused troop concentrations throughout northern China. These had left him with only thirty militiamen to protect his jurisdiction against bandits. Of the latter a party several hundred strong had their headquarters in the neighboring Yang