CHAPTER V.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF CHINA.

Chinese Nation one of the oldest of the World.-Fabulous Accounts of the Chinese.-Pwan-koo, the first Man.—TëenHwang-she. Te-Hwang-she.- Jin-Hwang-she. - Yewchaou-she and Suy-jin-she.-The Three Emperors.—The Five Sovereigns.-Yu draws off the Waters of the Deluge.

LET us now have a few points and pickings from the history of China, so far as regards the rulers of the empire. The Chinese tell us, but we are not obliged to believe them, that they were a flourishing people ages and ages before the time of Adam. The Bible account of the world makes it about six thousand years old, but this is not enough for the sleek-headed Solons of Canton and Pekin, and so they go back eighty or ninety thousand years more. If you are disposed to follow them do, but, as for myself, I have no inclination. The account given by Moses of the creation of the world, is the only one deserving of credit, and if the ancient Chinese had been content to shave their heads and plat their tails, instead of handing down to posterity stories that have little or no

ANTIQUITY OF THE CHINESE NATION.

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truth in them, it would have been quite as satisfactory to the present generation.

There is little doubt that the Chinese nation is the oldest in the world, if we except that of the Jews, but you must know something of what they say of themselves. I will, therefore, set it before you.

Bear in mind that there are different accounts given of themselves by the Chinese, and that different writers spell the same names in different ways. First came Pwan-koo. This was, of course, after heaven and earth were divided, and chaos had been reduced to order. Then came TeenHwang-she, “Imperial Heaven;" Teen-Hwangshe settled the years, and seems to have enjoyed a tolerably good share of them, for he reigned eighteen thousand years. Te-Hwang-she, who settled the months, followed Teen- Hwang-she, and reigned, also, for the space of eighteen thou

sand years. Te-Hwang - she means "Royal

Earth." Jin-Hwang-she, the "Sovereign Man," then appeared as a ruler. He divided the land, and must have been rather aged when he died, as he reigned over China forty-five thousand six hundred years. Yew-chaou-she and Suy-jin-she followed, the first being the inventor of dwellinghouses, and the last of fire. If you can believe one word of this account, you must be more credulous than the Chinese themselves. Every nation has its fables, and these things are among the fables

42

THE THREE EMPERORS.

of the Chinese. It is possible that you may have read of them before, for many writers have related them. They are, however, so curious in themselves that I could not omit them in my Points and Pickings.

China spreads her fables free

From Pwan-koo, down to Suy-jin-she.

After the fables, come those things that have been handed down from olden times from father to son. Of course these, though not so wild as the fables, will not be implicitly relied on. Tradition says that Fuh-he taught hunting and fishing, invented the diagrams and music, and established marriage. Shin-nung taught husbandry and medicine; Hwang-te invented the cycle and letters, and discovered the properties of silk-worms, besides which he made implements and boats, and wrought in metals. These you will say were very important services rendered to mankind.

After the Three Emperors Fuh-he, Shin-nung, and Hwang-te, came "Five Sovereigns" all famous, but Yaou and Shun more so than the others. Yaou was as perfect as a ruler could be, and the country over which he reigned was a complete Eden. A great flood came upon the people, but Yu contrived to draw off the waters. He founded the dynasty or government called Hea. This is said to be about four thousand years ago. Animosity and strife raged through the dynasty of

Hea. What a strange thing it is that mankind will not live in peace. The first son of man that came into the world killed his brother wilfully, and ever since then have men warred against each other.

The account given of the Deluge in the Shooking, one of the most famous of Chinese books, is so full of character that I must here introduce it. There is a quietude, a tameness, and a monotony almost amounting to languor prevailing through the whole. Were I to write it in Chinese you might find it a little puzzling to read; you shall have it as it has been translated.

"The Emperor Yaou said, 'Vast and destructive are the accumulated waters which have overflowed their banks and rise so high as to cover the hills and overtop the loftiest mountains, while they are co-extensive with the spacious concave of heaven. Alas! for the mass of the people; who shall relieve them from their calamities?'

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"All replied, Behold Kwan!' 'Ah, no; it cannot be,' answered his Majesty; 'he opposes the commands of his superiors, and subverts the nine classes of kindred.' It was remarked by the ministers, That is doubtful, try him; perhaps he may succeed.' The Emperor said, 'Let him go, then; but be cautious!' He was engaged nine years without accomplishing his task, and eventually atoned for the failure by his death. Yu, his son, was next employed, who perfected the

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YU DRAWS OFF THE WATERS.

great work of removing the flood, and restoring order to the empire."

The following dialogue on the subject of his labours occurred between Yu and his sovereign. The Emperor says, 'Approach the imperial presence; you have abundant communications to make.' Yu worshipped, and said, ‘May it please your Majesty, how can I speak? My thoughts were unweariedly and incessantly employed day by day. The deluge rose high, and spread wide as the spacious vault of heaven; buried the hills and covered the mountains with its waters, into which the common people, astonished to stupefaction, sunk. I travelled on dry land in a chariot, on water in a boat, in miry places on a sledge, and climbed the sides of hills by means of spikes in my shoes. I went from mountain to mountain felling trees; fed the people with raw food; formed a passage for the waters to the sea on every part of the empire, by cutting nine distinct beds and preparing channels to conduct them to the rivers. The waters having subsided, I taught the people to plough and sow, who, while the devastating effects of the flood continued, were constrained to eat uncooked food. I urged them to barter such things as they could spare for others of which they stood in need. In this way the people were fed, and ten thousand provinces restored to order and prosperity."