310 D. J. Macgowan on the Bagre of the Tsien- Tang. : 
- volume of water splashed over the banks into the head of the, — 
' grand canal, a few feet distant ee 
The earlier records of the Chinese would seem to indicate that 
the beauties of nature had failed to make deep impressions on 
their ipiaginations; but from a remote period. men of letters have 
portrayed nature with true poetic feeling, and in delineating land-— 
seape Shey have particularly excelled. An object, theretore, of 
such sublime grandeur as the Eagre, occurring frequently at the 
Athens of China, could not fail to attract the pencil of the Iner- 
ati; it has thtefore often been the theme of poetic scholars. No 
one, uot himself capable of clothing the “perception of simili- 
tude in dissimilitude,” age Wordsworth expresses it, should at- 
tempt a version of their artistic effusions; yet an account of this 
tidal. phenomenon would extremely defective, unless it were 
presented, to some extent, from a Chinese point of view. 
It has been already mentioned, that the Chinese regard the Ea- 
gre as one of the wonders of their world, and that it gave name 
fo the province. As might be expected, therefore, it is blended 
with their mythology. It is not a little remarkable, however, 
that it should be popularly ascribed to the spiritual energy of a 
shin (or god), who lived so recently as. five hundred and forty 
ears before our era, or about twenty years before the birth of © 
Confucius. At that period the T'sien-tang was the boundary of 
two belligerent kingdoms, Wi and Yueh. Fu Chai, king of the 
foriner, incensed against his minister Wa T'sz’si, for opposing the 
tegyns of a treaty, submitted by Chung, ambassador of Ki Tsien, 
king of Yueh, sent him a sword, with which, understanding his — 
master’s will, he committed suicide by eutting his throat, a 
method still pursued by sovereigns in. China towards officers of 
distinetion who have incurred their displeasure. This incident 
in ancient history is recorded iu the spring and autumn annuals of 
Confucius ; but in a work, entitled “ Spring and Autumn Annals 
of the quondam ambassador Chung, whose cadaver he took w! 
him tothe estuary. Since that period, it is stated Wa Tsz’si has 
been the god of the Eagre, his periodical indignation being @X- 
hibited by its violence ; hence the sacrifices and prayers ofc 
presented at appointed seasons to propitiate his anger. Monarchs 
of almost every dynasty have honored him with titles, so that 
they fill half a page of the work in which they are recorded. 
