FOOTNOTES
[1] There have been five Tartar dynasties—the Liao, A.D. 907–1125; the Western Liao, A.D. 1125–1168; the Chin, which came to an end in A.D. 1234; the Yüan, ending A.D. 1341, and the Ching, or present dynasty, which began in A.D. 1627. (I have not taken into account some overlappings of reigns which would need long explanation.)
[2] They are supposed by Mr. Finn “to have belonged to the restoration from Chaldea, as they had portions of Malachi and Zechariah, adopted the era of Seleucus, and had many rabbinical customs.” They were found, by two native Christians sent by Bishop Smith to inquire into their present condition, to be in abject poverty, ignorance, and dejection. They knew no Hebrew, but had been instructed in copying the letters of Holy Writ.—Wells Williams, Middle Kingdom, ii. 272.
[3] In those days the jinrikisha had not been invented.
[4] This, be it remembered, was written in 1865, and was the most desponding view taken at that time even by those who were the gloomiest prophets.
[5] Pa Li Chiao, the Eight Li Bridge (a Li is about a third of a mile), so called from its distance from Peking.
[6] Great improvements have been effected in late years.
[8] This is the more curious, as rice is by no means the staple food of this part of China. It is bad and dear here, the common fare or staple of the people being millet—a poor food—to which they add much garlic for nourishment.
[9] Pulled down in 1864.
[10] The crime of parricide includes high treason, murder of parents, elders in the family, and of the teacher, in such reverence is learning held. The murder of a master by an apprentice comes under the same category. A parricide is said to be an “owl-tiger,” both animals being supposed to devour their parents. The owl especially eats its mother’s head and eyes. The laugh of an owl portends death in a family.
[11] They were massacred a year later, their murder leading to the abortive French expedition against Corea.
[12] In the following year this accomplished and adventurous gentleman made another trip to Corea in an American ship. Not one of the party was ever seen again, but a report reached Peking that the Coreans had burnt the ship with all hands in the river not far from Saoul.
[13] Wang, a prince; Chi̔n Wang, a prince of the first rank who is personally related to the Emperor.
[14] “Fu,” a bat, by a pun, also means happiness. “Wu fu,” the five bats, or five happinesses, are a common emblem in Chinese ornamentation.
[15] I must remind the reader that this was written in 1866.
[16] In the far East the dragon, associated in our myths with fire, is a water spirit. At the miraculous birth of Buddha two heavenly dragons appeared in the air, the one spouting cold, the other warm water, to wash the holy babe. Hence bronze dragons are commonly seen in temples and in other places as water-spouts, where in the West the lion’s head would be used. The lion as a fountain comes from the ancient Egyptians, whose astronomers held that the rising of the Nile was bound to take place when the sun was in Leo.
[17] Alas! both he and Farquhar fell victims to the climate and died of fever.
[18] See preface.
[19] There are nine official buttons, each denoting an official rank—each divided into a first and second class. The civilian takes precedence of the military officer—cedunt arma togæ.
[20] Compare the account given of Solomon’s wisdom, 1 Kings iv. 29:—“And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.... And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.”
[21] The Speculations of the Old Philosopher Lao Tsŭ, translated by John Chalmers. London, Trübner and Co.
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Transcriber’s Note (continued)
Errors in punctuation and simple typos have been corrected without note. Variations in spelling, hyphenation, capitalisation and accents, particularly of Chinese names and places, have been left as they appear in the original publication unless as stated in the following:
Page 31 – “reburying” changed to “re-burying” (re-burying the dead)
Page 123 - “cicalas” changed to “cicadas” (live crickets and cicadas)
Page 152 - “Chi-hsien” changed to “Chih-hsien” (the Chih-hsien, or governor of the town)
Page 302 - “Kang Hsi” changed to “Káng Hsi” (famous Emperor, Káng Hsi)
Page 318 - “Chang-Ma-Tzû-Chin” changed to “Chang-Ma-Tzŭ-Chin” (Chang-Ma-Tzŭ-Chin on the 3rd July)
Page 336 - “abbott” changed to “abbot” (The abbot himself)
INDEX - “Chu Jen” changed to “Chü Jên” (Chü Jên, degree)
INDEX - “Hung Tung Tien” changed to “Hung Tu̔ng Tien” (Hung Tu̔ng Tien, Mongolia)
INDEX - “Shui-Hsien-Tszê” changed to “Shui-Hsien-Tszŭ” (Shui-Hsien-Tszŭ, Mongolia, 295)
INDEX - “Te Shêng Mên” changed to “Tê Shêng Mên” (Tê Shêng Mên, Victory gate, Peking)
INDEX - “Tien” changed to “Ti̔en” (Ti̔en, Heaven or God (Christian))
INDEX - “Tien-Hou” changed to “Ti̔en-Hou” (Ti̔en-Hou, queen of heaven, 154)
INDEX - “Yung Cheng” changed to “Yung Chêng” (Yung Chêng, Emperor,)
Footnotes have been re-indexed and moved to a FOOTNOTES section after the INDEX.