Word: scotchmen
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...they traveled toward Peking. The Chinese grew testier. So did the British-they disparaged shark's-fin soup, complained of smelly peasants (like "putrefying garlic on a much-used blanket"), ridiculed the native opera ("the instrumental music, from its resemblance to the bagpipes, might be tolerated by Scotchmen; to others it was detestable"). Then, as they neared the walls of Peking, the troubled mandarins agreed that the troublesome ambassador might kneel before the Emperor on one knee and bow three times, repeating this homage thrice. The Canton trade, the British told themselves, was not worth any more appeasement...