ETHNOLOGY, ETC., OF CHINA. 185 
power, and killed Srane in battle. The empress Min, widow 
of the deceased emperor, fled to a distant city where she gave 
birth to a son, whom she named Suavu Kana. As that son grew 
to boyhood he was employed to tend flocks, in view thus to con- 
ceal his royal origin; but reports of the existence of the boy 
reached the usurper, Hantsu, and orders were issued by the 
latter that the lawful heir to the throne he occcupied should be 
brought to him dead or alive. The better to avoid the search 
thus instituted for him SHau Kana was placed in the capacity 
of under-cook in the house of a neighbouring governor, and 
there soon distinguished himself by a spirit and temper so 
superior to the humble station he appeared to occupy that 
suspicions with regard to his birth and name were aroused, 
and led in time to the discovery of both. ‘The governor, his 
employer, kept the secret for thirty years, and meanwhile 
gave to Suau Kana a small government in a secluded situa- 
tion, where he conducted his administrative duties satisfac- 
torily, alike to the people under him and to his patron. At 
the end of that time he was in a position to declare himself. 
Having gathered round him a powerful body of adherents, he 
proceeded against the usurper, whom he defeated; then with 
his mother he entered the capital, where he ascended his right- 
ful throne and, it is said, reigned 61 years. 
But there came a time when the dynasty to which Yu and 
Kane belonged had run its course, and it may be interesting 
even now to trace the causes of its downfall. History records 
what they were, and briefly enumerates them as “ dissipation, 
neglect of public duties, and tyranny.” KuwA Kwet, the last 
of the dynasty, ascended the Imperial throne B.C. 1818. His 
cruelty, exactions, and prodigality led to a combination of 
the ‘‘ Barons”? against him. He was by them deposed, and 
being deserted even by his profligate favourites, he died in 
exile B.C. 1766. 
In that year the second, or Sana, dynasty was established 
by the most powerful of these ‘“ Barons,’ named CuHING- 
Tang. The dynasty so named continued to rule during the 
succeeding 644 years, and down to B.C. 1122. It comprised 
28 sovereigns, some of whom appear to have left a special 
mark in history. In the reign of the founder of this dynasty 
a severe drought occurred in China, contemporaneous, and 
believed to have been directly connected with that of Egypt 
in Joseph’s time.* Other important events, the dates of 
* Genesis xli. 54. The use of written characters by the Chinese is 
assigned to the Shang dynasty, consisting at first of little more than rude 
representations of common objects. Prior to about B.C. 1600 the records of 
government were said to have consisted merely of knotted cords. 
VOL. XXIII. O 
