598 REPORT—1883. 
especially that of December 1867, when the sea retired from the harbour of: 
Kelung, and returning in the form of two waves overwhelmed a number of the 
inhabitants; the towns of Kelung, Tamsui, Kimpaoli, and Pachena being all more 
or less ruined. 
The peculiarities of the flora were touched upon, and its relation to that of the 
mainland of China opposite, and the island of Hainan; the richness of a temperate 
zone flora in the matter of flowers as compared with a tropical flora was specially 
referred to, and allusion was made to the remarkable floral displays in the province 
of Chekiang during the spring months, when the mountains exhibit many of the 
most. conspicuous British greenhouse shrubs. The author proceeded to ‘describe 
the aborigines in this particular part of the island, their manners and customs, 
especially the different form of tatoo in male and female, their wonderful agility 
and mode of hunting. Having succeeded in making friends with a chief, he was 
taken into the forest, hostages having been left in the hands of the Chinese. The 
forest presented a marvellous wealth of tropical and semi-tropical vegetation, 
camphor trees being specially conspicuous, and ferns, more particularly Aymeno- 
phyllum, clothing the trunks of the trees. The impression left by the savages was 
pleasant ; they appeared to discriminate particularly between a foreigner and the 
Chinese. The prevalence of typhoons was spoken of, and the disastrous consequences 
entailed were described. These storms appear to have their origin generally in the 
sea between the Philippines and Hainan, passing up the coast of China and crossing 
to Japan. 
The yoleanic relations which subsist between Formosa and Japan on the one 
hand, and the Philippines on the other, were referred to, the island being described 
as a link in the great volcanic chain extending from Kamchatka to the Kast Indies. 
3. On the Advance of the Southern Chinese. 
By Hout 8. Hatiert, MInst.0.H., F.R.G.S. 
The following are the chief historic facts and dates brought forward by the 
author :—The Chinese Emperor Yaou, who came to the throne B.c. 2356, sent the 
family, or tribe, of Hi to take the government of the country to the south of the 
Yanetsi. Kingdoms thus formed extended to the south of Tonquin, B.c. 2208. 
The Annamites and Shans trace their earliest dynasties to Chinese imperial 
families.. Their kingdoms were in existence within the bounds of the Chinese 
Empire before its earliest contraction. Previous to the abolition of feudalism, 
B.c. 246, the Empire was divided into a varying number of principalities, whose 
dependence varied with the power of the reigning Emperor. By B.c. 1550, owing 
to revolts, it had contracted to within the northern bank of the Yangtsi Kiang; 
and during the Chou dynasty, B.c. 1184-255, seldom included any portion of the 
basin of that river. 
The founder of the Chou dynasty divided the Empire into seventy-two 
principalities, and appointed his relations as rulers over them. His elder brother 
left the Empire, and founded the kingdoms of Youe and Hou on the frontiers of 
Ssii-ch’uan. The rulers of the kingdoms left outside by the contraction of the Empire 
still hold the title of Chou that was borne by the princes of the Chinese Empire. 
Other evidence leads to the conviction that the Shans formed part of the early 
Chinese horde. M, Terrien de Lacouperie allows that over thirty per cent. of the 
Shan vocabulary has come from the same source as that of the Chinese. 
Long before the time of Gandama, B.c, 548, the Yun Shans had founded towns 
to the south of Yunnan, and were pushing down the valley of the Mekong through 
the Yun or Karen country. These Karens, there is reason to believe, were the 
furthest advance party of the Chinese immigration; for a long period they ruled 
over the kingdom of Youe-chang (Tchen-Tching, Lin-y, or Lam-ap), and in the 
fourth century over Cambodia. In 4.p. 431, the Yun Shans founded several cities in 
the yalley of the Menam, and by 707 they had overrun and occupied the northern 
half of Cambodia. 
