The History Of The Great And Mighty Kingdom Of China And The Situation Thereof Part 17

[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 t.i.tle, "Tractado em que se contam muito por estenso as cousas da China, con suas particularidades, y a.s.si 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 superst.i.tion. _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 G.o.ddess 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 superst.i.tious 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 paG.o.da, 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-Hw.a.n.g.

[65] Also called Te Hw.a.n.g.

[66] Also named Laoutsze.

[67] Also named Fuh-he-te.

[68] Also named s.h.i.+n 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 aquilae, 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-gra.s.s.

[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 _c.u.m_ 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 t.i.tle of Loytia.