CHINA, MONGOLIA, AND JAPAN. 47 



in the article on Kichau in the Yukung it is said that " the Lo (plateau) was 

 drained."^ 



The fact, also, that in historical times none of the arms of the Hwang IIo have 

 approached the western mountain border of the plain, both north and south of 

 Ivaifung, within a less distance than from ten to fifty miles, seems to point to the 

 existence of a recent sea margin, which would be perhaps due rather to the detritus 

 brought down by local streams than to the delta deposit of the Hwang Ho. 



All the important changes in the lower course of the Hwang Ho have been re- 

 corded from early times by Chinese historians, and their documents and maps form 

 the most complete history we possess of the wanderings of any river. 



The Yukungchuchi (Peking, 1705), written by Chin Hu Wei, contains a series 

 of maps in which these changes are laid down for a period of more than 3000 years. 

 M. Biot has given the substance of that part of this work that relates to the Hwang 

 Ho, in a carefully prepared paper.^ I have, however, thought the subject to be 

 one of sufficient interest to warrant the reproduction of the maps of Chin Hu Wei, 

 with such explanations as will render them intelligible, without going beyond the 

 limits of a work that is intended to give only my own contributions to the physio- 

 graphy of Eastern Asia. For farther information I must refer the reader to M. 

 Biot's paper, of which I shall make use in explaining the maps. 



In the Yukung, a chapter of the Shuking classic of Confucius, it is said that the 

 course of the Hwang Ho was regulated by the Great Yu. Whether the works of 

 Yu are to be understood as the labor of a single man, or as the results of the enter- 

 prise of a rising colony during several generations, there seems to be little doubt 

 that more than 2000 years before the beginning of the Christian era the Chinese 

 had brought this turbulent river under their control, by an immense system of dykes, 

 and had begun to cultivate the extensive marshes of the delta plain. 



Map No. 1 of the series, on plate 4, represents the course of the Hwang Ho 

 as it existed, in the main, from the time of Yu down to 602 B. C. 



Map No. 2 represents the course resulting from the first great change, that of the 

 fifth year of the reign of Ting Wang (Chow dynasty), 602 B. C. 



Map No. 3 serves to illustrate a passage in the writings of the poet Sse Ma Tsien, 

 recording a diversion to the east and southeast. The easterly course, forming the 

 Pien river, seems to have been the earliest recorded tendency of the river to follow 

 its recent course. The opening of the first channels in this direction is given as 

 occurring in 361 and 340 B. C. 



The diversion, indicated on this map, through lake Yungtse to the southwest, 

 happened, according to Sse Ma Tsien, towards the end of the Chow dynasty, during 

 the third century before Christ. 



Map No. 4 represents changes that occurred under Wutih (Han dynasty), about 

 132 B. C, when a great overflow toward the northeast took place, the river trending 

 toward Kai (chau) in Chihli. At this time several arms were formed between 



* E. Biot, Sur Ic chapitre Yukung, Joui'n. Asiatique^r 1842. 



" Sur les cliangements du cours inferieur du fleuve Jaune, Journ. Asiat. 1843. 



