DAVIS. — CERTAIN OLD CHINESE NOTES. 255 



1455 A.D. This research has proved of great assistance to subsequent 

 students and has been much cited and quoted. It is based upon 

 three Chinese works, historical in character and covering so much 

 ground that a consecutive story of the experience in the use of paper 

 money was not reasonably to be expected to be found in their pages. 

 What they did disclose was, however, of enormous importance and of 

 great value. 



Two of the Chinese books referred to by Klaproth are in the New 

 York Public Library. Their titles indicate the broad field which they 

 seek to cover. One of them has been..^,., ilaied by some "Anti- 

 quarian Researches," by others " General examination of Records and 

 Scholars." The work was originally published in 1322 and afterwards 

 continued in a supplement, in 1586. 9 The original and supplement 

 are bound in twenty-three thick volumes and in the opinion of Mr. 

 Wilberforce Eames, to whose courtesy I am indebted for the informa- 

 tion herein given concerning these Chinese books, they would if trans- 

 lated into some European language make about fifty or sixty volumes 

 of the size of the Dictionary of National Biography. They constitute 

 according to Mr. Eames, an encyclopaedia of every subject connected 

 with the government, history, statistics, literature, religion etc., of 

 the Chinese Empire. 



The title of the other Chinese work referred to as being in the New 

 York Public Library is generally given as " Condensation of the Mirror 

 of History." 10 It was originally written in the twelfth century and was 

 afterwards continued to 1476 A.D. It was afterwards brought down 

 to 1644, A.D., and was reprinted in the early part of the 19th century. 

 It is bound in 24 volumes. The third work referred to by Klaproth 

 is a literary and scientific encyclopaedia. 11 An edition in the British 

 Museum bears date 1642. 



Klaproth was the pioneer among topical investigators of Chinese 

 paper money. The conditions under which he made his research were 

 such that had he not been attracted by the subject the opportunity 

 afforded for work of this sort must soon have welcomed some other 

 student. China no longer kept her doors closed against the entrance 

 of foreigners. Sinologues were at work endeavoring to master the 

 obscurities of the Chinese language, and knowledge was being spread of 

 the historical treasures hidden in the pages of the voluminous Chinese 



9 Wan Heen Tung Kaou, by Ma-twan-lin. The supplement was compiled 

 by Wang Ke. 



10 Tung Keen Kang Muh. 



11 Keun Shoo Pe Kao. 



