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49

PEKING

[[underline]] SEOUL [[/underline]]     While I was at Seoul I received a telegram from
[[underline]] TO PEKING [[/underline]] the Hon. E. T. Williams American Charge d'Affaires at Peking, a member of your sub-committee in the field. It was an invitation to join his son, an American Consul, on a trip to Sianfu in Shensi province. This seemed too good an opportunity to lose, but I was forced to decide that I did not dare start on so long a trip away from a surgeon, as just at this time my work was considerably interfered with by an ab^[[s]]cess in the jaw. In fact, after a stay in Seoul of a little over a fortnight, I was forced to move as hurriedly as possible to Tientsin and put myself at once under the care of an American surgeon. There was no possibility of carrying out my original plan and stopping to examine the Imperial treasure at Mukden on my way from Korea to China, and I therefore regretfully omitted this part of my program.
     The following week was spent in the dentist's hands in Tientsin. On September 18th I made my first visit to Peking and started the activities in connection with the founding of the School which were to occupy me for the next three months. Mr. Fredrick McCormick, Secretary of the Asiatic Institute was in Peking and I had the opportunity of consulting with him about my future movements. The Hon. E.T. Williams and Mr. Peck of the American Legation gave me invaluable help. It was owing to their knowledge of China and I was able to get so speedily to work.