Part 21

[49] The Tartar province of Leao-tung, in which the wall commences, has also the name of Quantonz: see Gutzlaff's Map of China and Biot's _Dictionnaire des noms anciens et modernes des Villes, etc., dans l'Empire Chinois, fo. 86_. From this it is evident that our author is now considering the work in its course from east to west, and not from west to east, as in the commencement of this paragraph.

[50] This is evidently Se-tchuen, as given in p. 22; for although it is not strictly correct to say that the great wall terminates in Se-tchuen, yet that province borders on the ancient province of Shen-si sufficiently near to justify the conclusion that it is here referred to, the whole of the geographical information gained by the writers at this early period being necessarily but vague and indefinite.

[51] _Sic_, hot.

[52] Germans.

[53] A mis-print for Barbosa. Duarte Barbosa, or Barbessa, a native of Lisbon, wrote in Portuguese an account of his travels in the south of Asia; but according to Antonio, they have only appeared in type in an Italian translation. An abridgement of his narrative is given in _Ramusio_, tom. i, p. 288. Subsequently Barbosa accompanied Magellan in his voyage round the world, and shared the melancholy fate of that great navigator in the Island of Zebu in 1521.

[54] Mexico.

[55] _Saxii._ This has been supposed to mean the province of Canton, the names of the other provinces having been pretty well identified. The writer may have considered that the finest porcelain was made at Canton, as it was usually exported from thence to Europe; but the chief seat of the manufacture is, in fact, the province of _Kiang-see_.

[56] _Chincheou._ One of the chief districts of _Fokien_, often named for the entire province.

[57] This and the following details of the striking similarity which exists between the ceremonial of the Buddhist and Roman Catholic religions, are verified by later travellers and resident missionaries, but there is no evidence from history to show that the former derived these peculiarities from the latter.

[58] The work here referred to was printed in black letter at Evora, 1569, 4to., under the title, "Tractado em que se contam muito por estenso as cousas da China, con suas particularidades, y assi do regno dormuz."

[59] _Laocon Izautey._ The following particulars evidently relate, not to the Confucian or national religion of the Chinese, but to the sect of the _Tao-sse._ Grosier tells us, that "the sect of the Tao-see was founded by a philosopher named _Lao-kiun_ or _Lao-Tse_, who came into the world in the year 603 before the Christian era." Grosier's _China_, vol. ii, p. 203. It is impossible to identify all the names given in this legend of Chinese superstition. _Paosaos_ (see next page) is probably the same with _Poosah_, the name generally given to the Chinese idols. The _Sichia_, who are said to have come from _Trautheyco_, towards the west [Thibet? _see note next page_], are probably the disciples of the sect of _Foe_, also noticed by Grosier. "This sect, still more pernicious and much wider diffused throughout China than the preceding, came originally from India."--Vol. ii, p. 215. The description here given of the _religious people_ who _live without marrying_ and _wear no hair_, tallies exactly with the practice of the Bonzes or priests of _Foe_ of the present day.

[60] This would seem to be Kwan-she, the same as Kwan-yin, the goddess of mercy of the votaries of Foe.

[61] This would appear to be Thibet (for there is no Chinese form that we can recognize as corresponding with the word), and Thibet is the country from which those points of belief are derived.

[62] This superstitious practice is described in much the same terms by Grosier. "The commonest way is to burn perfumes before an idol, and to beat the earth several times with the forehead. Upon the altar which supports this idol, there is always a kind of horn, filled with small flat sticks, upon which are traced a variety of unintelligible characters. Each of these small sticks conceals an answer. The person who consults, lets fall, at random, one of these small sticks, the inscription of which is explained by the Bonze who accompanies him. When no Bonze is present, they have recourse to a paper fixed up to the wall of the pagoda, to discover the enigmatical meaning of the word. This manner of consulting is very common in China."--Grosier, vol. ii, p. 235.

[63] Pwan-koo, the Adam of the Chinese.

[64] Better known as Teen-Hwang.

[65] Also called Te Hwang.

[66] Also named Laoutsze.

[67] Also named Fuh-he-te.

[68] Also named Shin Nung.

[69] The Chinese pray _to_ the dead, but the practice of prayers _for_ the dead and the doctrine of the creation of man out of nothing by Tien, alluded to at page 50, are not found in other writers; if therefore our author is correct, these may possibly have been relics of early Christian teaching.

[70] This expression is introduced by the English translator.

[71] Severely.

[72] This is the well-known lignum aloes of commerce. In some remarks by the late H. T. Colebrooke, Esq., on a paper of the late Dr. Roxburgh's recently read at the Linnean Society, occurs the following observation: "The Portuguese _pao de aguila_ is an undoubted corruption, either of the Arabic aghaluji, or of the Latin agallochum; and it is by a ludicrous mistake that from this corruption has grown the name of lignum aquilæ, whence the genus of the plant now receives its botanic appellation, _aquilaria agallocha._" Roxb.

[73] It is thus spelt also in Steven's _Spanish Dictionary_. _Query_, cayolizan, a Mexican shrub, giving a perfume like incense.

[74] Rough.

[75] A mill. Wickliffe's translation of the Bible: Matthew xxiv, has: Two wymmen schulen be gryndynge in oo querne; oon schal be taken and the tother left.

[76] This sketch of the early annals of China is not altogether correct; but agrees in the main with that given by _Du Halde_. The names of the sovereigns are strangely misspelt; but the order of succession, and the years of their respective reigns, render it not difficult to identify them. _Vitey_ does not seem to be the commonly reputed founder of the Chinese monarchy _Fo-hi_, but either his great successor _Hoang-tie_, who had 25 sons, or the celebrated Emperor _Yao_, whose reign lasted 100 years, and commenced B.C. 2357. _Tzintzon_ is evidently the _Chi-Hoang-ty_ of Du Halde, who built the great wall, and reigned B.C. 237. _Aguisi_, his son, is named by Du Halde _Cul-chi._ The _Anchosan_ of our author is clearly the first emperor of the dynasty of Han, named _Han-Cao-tsou_ by Du Halde. The years of the reigns which follow correspond very exactly with those of the several emperors of the Han dynasty; but the names are all spelt differently.

[77] _Spanish._ Vara--A yard.

[78] A third.

[79] Position, from _Span._ Estado.

[80] For the names of the following provinces, see note, p. 22.

[81] More properly "Mace". "The only coin in general use throughout China is the _le_ or cash. Its intrinsic value may be about one-twelfth part of an English penny. The nominal names are those called _fun_, _tsien_, and _leang_, denominated by foreigners _candareen_, _mace_, and _tael_, bearing respectively to each other a decimal proportion."--Murray's _China_, vol. iii, p. 93.

The mace is usually estimated at about 8_d._, and the tael 6_s._ 10_d._ sterling.

[82] _Span._ Quilates--carats.

[83] More properly "tael".

[84] _Spanish._ Millo or mijo--millet.

[85] _Spanish._ Panizo--panic-grass.

[86] This word is spelt the same in the original. Query blankets, from _Portuguese_ Chim--Chinese, and mantas--blankets.

[87] Prevent.

[88] The military and non-military in China are usually distinguished by the terms _ping_ and _ming_. The _pon_ seems to refer to the _ping_ or regular troops, and the _cum_ to the _ming_ or people; being only a species of local militia.

[89] Falchions?

[90] Billhooks?

[91] Bombs.

[92] Loo chooans.

[93] Mis-spelt for Narsinga.

[94] Mis-spelt for Bengala.

[95] Query, Java.

[96] Pekin.

[97] Tsong-tuh.

[98] Laoye. See Chap. xiv on the title of Loytia.

[99] Possibly this word is confounded with Colao or Chung-tang, a minister of state.

[100] More properly To't'ung.

[101] More properly Po-ching-sz, or, as Du Halde has it, Pou-ching-ssee.

[102] More properly Too-tuh, adjutant-general.

[103] More properly Ngan-tcha-see.

[104] More properly Hai-tao. Respecting these offices see Du Halde, vol. ii, fol. 32, 33.

[105] Standard-bearer.

[106] More properly Paou-yin.

[107] This and the preceding title seem to be the same as those similarly spelt on page 103.

[108] Perhaps the Koo-ta-sze, or treasurer.

[109] Perhaps the Che-tsze, or secretary.

[110] Taou, tae, the intendant of circuits.

[111] More properly Kwan-paou, commissioner of customs. See Morrison's _View of China_, p. 94.

[112] Perhaps Te-paou, a police runner.

[113] More properly Yuen-chae, a police constable.

[114] Perhaps Ching-tang, assistant officer in a prise.

[115] Shin is the Chinese for the verb "to judge", and with the word officer added to it will be "a judging officer". Thus also leu--law, prefixed to che--to rule, or govern, may be the origin of the term Leuchi. This construction is, however, entirely conjectural.

[116] See note on page 113.

[117] This character is so vague as to be scarcely recognizable. The proper Chinese word for heaven is tien. The word here given may perhaps mean tsang, _the azure sky_, which is sometimes used metaphorically for heaven. At the same time the modern Chinese character for Keen, also pronounced Kan [Chinese character], which is likewise a very old word for heaven, appears somewhat to approximate in form to the character given in the text.

[118] Evidently hwang te, the character here given corresponding with the modern Chinese character Hwang. [Chinese character]

[119] This character would seem to be intended for ching,--a walled city, the correct form of the character being [Chinese character]

[120] Fucheou, the capital of Fokien.

[121] _Padrinos_, _Span_.--Literally sponsors.

[122] A German.

[123] A misprint for Pegu.

[124] Mis-translated from the Spanish "Tudesco", a German. The reader will readily recognize the name of Johann Gutemberg or Ganzfleisch, of Mentz, who disputes with Laurens Koster, of Haarlem, the honour of having invented and first practised the art of printing with moveable types.

[125] Conrad Sweynheim, who, in partnership with Arnold Pannartz, published in 1465, at the Monastery of Subiaco, near Rome, the _Lactantii Opera_, 4to., the first work printed in Italy. The _De Civitate Dei_ of St. Augustine, was printed by the same printers at Subiaco two years later. It is now known that the first book printed in Europe with metal types, was the _Mazarine Bible_, printed by Gutemberg and Fust, at Mentz, in 1455.

[126] Germany.

[127] Printing without moveable types does not go back, even in China, beyond the beginning of the tenth century of our era. The first four books of Confucius were printed, according to Klaproth, in the province of Sze-chuen, between 890 and 925, and the description of the technical manipulation of the Chinese printing press might have been read in western countries even as early as 1310, in Raschid Eddin's Persian history of the rulers of Khatai. According to the most recent results of the important researches of Stanislas Julien, however, an ironsmith in China itself, between the years 1041 and 1048, A.D., or almost 400 years before Gutemberg, would seem to have used moveable types made of burnt clay. This is the invention of Pi-sching, but it was not brought into application. See Humboldt's _Kosmos_, translated by Otté, fol. 623. Moveable types are now no longer used, for as Sir John Davis observes, vol. ii, p. 222, "the present mode of Chinese printing with wooden stereotype blocks is peculiarly suited to the Chinese character, and for all purposes of cheapness and expedition is perfect". A complete set of the materials used by the Chinese in the process of printing, may be seen in the Museum of the Royal Asiatic Society. In the note on page 121 of Hakluyt's _Divers Voyages_, edited for the Hakluyt Society by J. Winter Jones, Esq., the following description is given of a book printed in 1348: "The earliest work of which we have been able to obtain an account, from one having had the opportunity of personally inspecting it, bears date the eighth year of the last period of the reign of Shun Te, or A.D. 1348. Mr. Prevost, our informant, who is at present engaged in cataloguing the splendid collection of Chinese books in the British Museum, has favoured us with the following description of the book. The title is 'Chin Tsaou Tsëen Wan, or the Thousand Character Classic'. It is one of the most popular works in China, and consists of exactly one thousand different characters, not one being repeated. It is composed in octosyllabic verses, which rhyme in couplets; each verse presenting to the student some useful Chinese notion, either in morals or in general knowledge. The object of this work is to teach the written character, both in its semi-cursive and in its stenographic form, termed Tsaou, or grass-writing: the text is, therefore, printed in parallel columns, alternately in the Chin, or correct, and the Tsaou, or cursive character. The author lived in the first half of the sixth century. This work, when seen by Mr. Prevost, was in the possession of Colonel Tynte." The Editor has also in his own possession a Chinese bank note, printed, or rather stamped, in the fourteenth century.

[128] Hou-quang.

[129] A sort of confection made of almonds, sugar, etc.

[130] Bever, probably from bevere, _Ital._, to drink, a small collation between dinner and supper.

[131] _Vname_, is probably _Yew ma_,--pitch, or the resin of the pine. In Morrison's _Dictionary_, "tar" is translated _Pa ma yew_: but the Editor finds nothing analogous to _Ja pez_, which is probably now obsolete.

[132] The Goletta of Tunis was taken from the Spaniards by Sinan Pacha, admiral of Selim II, on the 23rd of August 1574.

[133] Mistranslated for "the extensive knowledge which I had of navigation."

[134] Misspelt for Corunna.