25 
that of Noah as generally supposed, 
which to support still more, the SHI 
between Ynti and Yao are given. 
The eighth KI or Yn-ti had 
thirteen SHI or families, all named 
in history with some details, which 
I only deem as many Emperors. 
The ninth was Shen-tong with 
twenty-one SHI, which here turn 
out to be 21 Emperors instead of 
families! A convincing proof that 
the previous ones in more obscure 
times were such also. Here details 
abound likewise. 
The tenth KI or actual period, 
opens with the three Hoang or 
August Emperors, called Fuhi,Shm - 
nong , and Hoang4i: to whom great 
improvements, discoveries, and acts 
are ascribed, Fuhi has been very 
gratuitously taken for Noah, by 
some prejudiced historians, al- 
though no Hood happened in his 
time, and thirty-five Emperors 
reigned between the flood and him: 
because with him some writers begin 
the regular history of China. 
After the three Hoang, came the 
Z7-tiorfive elective Emperors, of 
which Yao is the fourth, in whose 
time the flood of Peleg, which con- 
vulsed the whole globe, was felt in 
China during nine years in dreadful 
inundations, towards 23 57 before 
our Era. In 2207^ began the Ilia 
dynasty, the first regular historical 
family. Much obscurity is found 
previously, the five Emperors were 
really six, one being soon deposed is 
often omitted. The three Augusts 
had each a dynasty often omitted, 
the head being only reckoned. 
Fuhi had fifteen successors reign- 
ing altogether 115 years. 
Shin-nong had seven, dynasty 
lasted 140 years, 
Hoangti dynasty lasted 100 
years. 
Many other floods are mentioned 
since in Chinese history, as many 
as sixty-five; but they" were ail 
local and did not extend over the 
whole of China, although that of 
1 85 before Christ was dreadful, and 
this or another formed the Yellow 
4 
sea by overwhelming all the land 
between Corea and China. 
The state of mankind before the 
flood of Ynti (or Noah, which agrees 
in time with the seventy computa- 
tion) is represented as happy. 
China, called Tien-hia or Celestial 
Region, (universe) was ruled by 
benevolent monarchs who took 
nothing and gave much; all the 
world submitted to their virtues and 
good laws. They wore no crown, 
but long haii:; never made war and 
put no one to death. Harmony 
even reigned between men and 
animals; men lived on roots, fruits 
and cattle, they did not follow 
hunting, property was in common, 
and universal concord prevailed. 
They did not therefore deserve the 
punishment of total destruction by 
a flood. 
This interesting and important 
part ofthe early history of mankind, 
is not yet inserted in the would- 
be universal histories of the 
western Barbarians, as the Chinese 
call us. Our compilers for ages 
appear intent on destroying the 
little remnant of ancient historical 
knowledge as yet extant. Let it 
be revived. 
I conclude by S remarks, 1 Geo- 
logical, 2 Chronological, 3 Philolo- 
gical. 
1. The Chinese account of the 
flood confirms the geological fact 
that the flood was attended with a 
change in the year from 360 to 365 
days, with a change in the seasons, 
increase of cold, winds and rains. 
The increase of cold hitherto sur- 
mised, and in which I did hardly be- 
lieve, is very important for the an- 
tediluvian Zoology and Botany. 
The increase of wild beasts, who 
had probably taken refuge in the 
mountains against the flood, is also 
important. It shows how animals 
were preserved as well as men, 
and does not militate against the 
Mosaic account, since the word 
translated ARK. in the Bible is 
THEBA, which means refuge, and 
is preserved in Thibet 
