China solely to paint pictures of a country I had during all my life heard a great deal of, and, in my book, I try to convey my impressions as an artist. I had occasionally heard of and seen sketches made by residents in and visitors to China, but I am not aware that a concerted attempt has ever before been made to produce and show to those at home a series of pictures which might illustrate, at any rate, some parts of China known, or of interest, to Europeans. If to a certain extent I restricted myself to illustrating these better-known parts, it was because I felt that the less-known places, though equally picturesque, would not, as yet, appeal to the public; and also I knew well beforehand that the difficulties I should have to face, to work even where I did, would be very great. And, indeed, I found I had not underestimated these difficulties. The Chinese are, naturally, very artistic; but, in most places where I worked, they have never before seen any one attempting to paint outside from nature.