144 C. R. Osten Sacken: 



acts, broiight down froni immeniorial times. In Book XV we have 

 his allusion to the Japanese Intention to invade China, the plan having 

 partly been achieved by their invasion of Corea between 1592 — 98. 

 Also in Book IV he speaks about the conquest of Loo Choo by the 

 Japanese, the event happening in 1609. In Book XV, he says that 

 the dynasty of Ming was then reigning over 240 years. This dynasty 

 was founded in 1368, so that, 240 years after, would bring us, according 

 to the Chinese niethod of compntation. to 1607. But as he says, 

 „over 240 years," it will be safe to pnt the date of the publication 

 of his book at about 1610 A. D., and not ninch after it, because no 

 mention is niade in his work of the founding of the present Man- 

 churian dynasty in 1617." 



In his researches Mr. K. M. has not yet come across any passage 

 indicating a belief in the origin of bees from dead oxen, and he 

 seems to doubt of its having existed in China, although, owing to 

 the vastness of Chinese literatnre, it is inipossible for him as yet to 

 form any definite conclusion. Cattle-breeding in China niust have 

 begun very early; the Ideographie sign for cattle niust have been 

 introduced in very remote times, as this sign enters as a component 

 in many other signs, for instance, in those for plough, herdsman, 

 rhinoceros etc., and is also used to signify: „the Governor." The 

 mythological Pimperor Shin Hung, to whom the nation attribute the 

 founding of agricultural and coniniercial pursuits, as well as the first 

 investigation of the niedical virtues of herbs, is described as a per- 

 son whose head was like that of a bull. In their old institutions, 

 the nation favoured emperors and dukes by granting tliem the right 

 of killing cattle, which right other nobles could only niake use of 

 on the occasion of public ceremonies, religious and political. In 

 such ceremonies cattle, including sheep and swine, formed the „Three 

 Sacrifices," added to which dogs, horses and fowl made up the „six 

 domestic animals". 



There is a Singular resemblance between the Chinese literature 

 and that of the Middle Ages in Europe, both in the method of mere 

 conipiling of facts, and in the blind belief in ancient authors. Mr. 

 K. M., in this instance, quotes very happily the saying of the old 

 Chinese sage Mencius: „To believe in all the books is worse than 

 being without a book!" 



In regard to the question about the composition of honey and 

 the confusion of the honey-bee with Eristalis tena.v, the Japanese 

 nation was far in advance of its neighbours. The above quoted 

 Tokushin Kaibara (1630— 1714), a moralist and naturalist, author of 

 the „Materia Medica" of Japan (Yamato Honzu, Kyoto, 1708, 16 vol. 



