As we find Sir Claude Macdonald writing home that
" I think I am justified in expressing an opinion that



THE EMPRESS AND THE BOXERS 229

the Central Government is at last beginning to give,
evidence of a genuine desire to suppress this anti- 1
Christian organization," some of the Legation people \
were evidently willing to be blinded. Fortunately
not everyone was in a similar state of mind, the
United States Minister in particular being kept well
supplied with the subject-matter for protests. The
Tsungli Yamen, however, now well packed with
Boxer sympathizers, while listening to the protests
with courtesy, threw doubts upon the correctness
of the information. Additional proofs only led to
vague promises of enquiry. So matters dragged
on until at last, with great difficulty, the Legations
were stirred to make a joint demand for the serious
suppression of the Boxers.
