Pe 
BOTANICON SINICUM. 23 
The early history of the Chinese, like that of other nations, 1s 
veiled in obscurity. It is a view generally held by western - 
scholars, although not the slightest evidence confirming it is 
found in the early historical records of the Chinese, that the birth- 
place of this race was somewhere in Central or even in Western 
Asia, and that they entered their present land from the north- 
west, apparently by the main route along and across the Yellow 
River. It seems that this supposition of Chinese immigration is 
principally based upon the fact, that the most ancient Chinese 
historical documents establish the existence of aborigines in China, 
quite different from the ‘“ black-haired people,” as the ancient 
Chinese termed themselves. Obscure as is the origin of this 
nation, it is certain, however, that when they first appeared on 
the stage of history about 3000 years B. C., they considered 
themselves indigenous in China. For ages they were a people of 
no consequence, developing themselves independently and quite 
apart from other Asiatic nations. For many centuries they were 
acquainted only with their immediate neighbours, with whom 
they were constantly at war. The southern part of the present 
province of Shansi was the cradle of the Chinese Empire, whence 
it gradually extended its power in all directions, but less towards 
the south. We may therefore conclude that all the Chinese 
names of plants met with in the earliest native historical docu- 
ments refer principally to northern Chinese plants, all indigenous 
in these regions, Even at the time when Confucius compiled the 
Classics (about 500 B.C.), the Chinese dominions did not extend 
far south of the Yang tze kiang. The present provinces of 
Shensi, Shansi, Chilli, and Shantung formed the northern part of 
China in that period. But the centre of Chinese civilisation was 
then in Southern Shensi, especially in the valley of the Wei River 
and in the present Honan. For nearly 30 centuries the Chinese 
Emperors resided in these provinces in the neighbourhood of the 
Wei River or the Yellow River. 
The Emperor Ts‘in Shi Huang Ti, B. C. 246—209, celebrated 
as the builder of the Great Wall (the same who ordered the 
burning of all Chinese books, sparing only those on Medicine, _ 
Divination and Husbandry), succeeded first in establishing his _ 
