THEORY OF THE EARTH. 157 



that one is almost tempted to suspect that their an- 

 cestors and ours had escaped from the last grand 

 catastrophe at two different sides : but, however 

 this may have been, they date their deluge nearly 

 at the same period with ours. 



The Chou-King,* the most ancient of the Chi- 

 nese books, is said to have been compiled by Con- 

 fucius, about two thousand five hundred years ago, 

 from fragments of more ancient works. Two hun- 

 dred years afterwards, under the Emperor Chi- 

 hoang-ti, the men of letters were persecuted, and 

 all books were destroyed. About forty years af- 

 ter this persecution, an old literati restored a por- 

 tion of the Chou King from memory, and another 

 portion was recovered that had been concealed in 

 a tomb; but nearly the half was lost for ever. 

 This, which is considered as the most authentic of 

 all the Chinese books, begins the history of the 

 country with an emperor named Yao, whom it re- 

 presents as having let loose the waters, in the fol- 

 lowing terms : Having raised himself to heaven, Yao 

 bathed the feet even of the highest mountains, covered the 

 less elevated hills, and rendered the plains impassable. 

 According to some accounts, the reign of Yao was 

 four thousand five hundred years ago ; while 

 others only carry it back to three thousand nine 

 hundred and thirty years before the present time. 



* S^e the preface to the translation of the Chou-King, by M. de 

 Guigne.s. 



