230 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



Reign of every Emperor, the following remark- 

 able statement with reference to the Emperor 

 Hoang Ti giving battle to Tchi Yeou occurs : 

 " He, perceiving that thick fogs saved the enemy 

 " from his pursuit, and that the soldiers rambled 

 " out of the way, and lost the course of the wind, 

 " made a carr which show'd 'em the four cardinal 

 " points ; by this method he overtook Tchi Yeou, 

 u made him prisoner and put him to death. Some 

 " say there were engraved in this carr, on a plate 

 " the characters of a rat and a horse, and under- 

 " neath was placed a needle, to determine the four 

 " parts of the world. This would amount to the 

 " use of the compass, or something very near it, 

 " being of great antiquity, and well attested. 'Tis 

 " pity this contrivance is not explained, but the 

 " interpreters knowing only the bare fact dare not 

 " venture on conjectures." 



Hoang Ti was the third Emperor. The first 

 date given in Duhalde's Annals is that of the 

 death of the eighth Emperor Yao, 2277 years 

 before the Christian era ; and it is stated that the 

 number of years from the time of Fohi, founder 



