EUNUCHS, HUMAN SACRIFICES, FOOD
Eunuchs and their origin—criminals with feet chopped off as keepers—Noseless criminals for isolated picket duty—The branded were gate-keepers—Eunuchs for the harem—"Purified men"— Comparative antiquity of Persia and China—Eunuchs in Tsin—Ts'i eunuchs and Confucius—Eunuchs in Wu—Ts'u's uses for eunuchs— Eunuch intrigues in connection with the First August Emperor—The First Emperor's putative father—His works—Eunuch witnesses assassination of Second August Emperor—General employ of eunuchs in China—Human sacrifices in Ts'in and Ts'u: also in Ts'i—Doubts as to its existence in orthodox China—Han Emperor's prohibition— No fruit wine in ancient China—Spirits universal—Vice around ancient China rather than in it—Instances of heavy drinking in Ts'i and Ts'u—Tsin drinking—Confucius and liquor—Drinking in Ts'in—Ancient Chinese were meat-eaters—Horse-flesh and Tartars— Horse-liver in Prussia—Anecdote of Duke Muh and the hippophagi— Bears' paws as food—Elephants in Ts'u—Dogs as food.
CHAPTER XXXV
KNOWLEDGE OF THE WEST
The Emperor Muh's voyages to the West in 984 B.C.—The question of destroyed state annals-Exaggerated importance of the expedition, even if facts true—King Muh's father was killed in a similar expedition—Discovery of the Bamboo Books of 299 B.C. in 281 A.D.— Imaginary interpretations put upon King Muh's expedition by European critics—The Queen of Sheba—Professor Chavannes attributes the travels of Duke Muh of Ts'in 650 B.C.—Description of first journey—Along the great road to Lob Nor-Modern evidence that he got as far as Urumtsi—Six hundred days, or 12,000 miles— Specific evidence as to distance travelled each day—Various Tartar incidents of the journey—The Emperor's infatuation on the second journey—Lieh-tsz, the Taoist philosopher, on the Emperor Muh's travels—Arguments qualifying M. Chavannes' view that Duke Muh, and not the Emperor Muh, undertook the journeys.
CHAPTER XXXVI
ANCIENT JAPAN
Wu kingdom—Name begins 585 B.C.—This is the year Japanese "history" begins—The first king and his four sons—Prince Ki- chah—War with Ts'u and sacking of its capital—King Fu-ch'ai and his wars against Yiieh—Offered an asylum in Chusan—Suicide of Fu-ch'ai—Escape of his family across the seas to Japan—China knew nothing of Japan, even if Wu did—Story reduced to its true proportions—Traces of prehistoric men in Japan—Possible movements of original inhabitants—Existing evidence better than none at all—East from Ningpo must be Japan—Like early Greeks and Egyptian colonists—Natural impulses to emigration—Refugees from China compared to Will Adams—Natural desire to improve pedigrees— No shame to Japan's ruling caste to hail from China—European comparisons—How the Japanese manufactured their past history— Imagination must be kept separate from evidence.