The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1841-01-06
THE PILOT.
From the Boston Atlas.
HARLY HISTORY OF CHINA.


For the first knowledge of the existence of the
Chinese Empire, as well as for the first dis
tinct account of the country, its history and
the peculiar customs, character and nstitu-
tons of its people the world appears to have
been indebted to the Arabs. Their wide ex-
tended conquests brought them at last to the
confines of the Celestial Empire, ard many of
that nation, which at that period (the 9Th and
9th centuries) had reached the highest point OF
civilization they ever attained, were induced,
both to explore this new and unknown coun-
try, and to record their discoveries and adven-
lures. The history and descriptions OF these
Arab travellers and historians at this period,
bear internal evidences of truth and accuracy,
and possess a very high degree Of interest
They exhibit most remarkable identity be-
tween the Chinese as they existed at that day,
and the same people as we know them at the
present time although one thousand years have
passed away since they were written.
These writer's speak of city they call Can
flu, by which they probably mean Canton.
The frequency of fires, and the long detention
ofships from various causes, as stated by them,
might be related of that city even at this very
day.
THAT city," they write, s'stands on great
river, some days distant from the entrance, so
that the water here is fresh.'' At that period
il seems to have been the port allotted 70 the
Arabian merchants who came by sea TO trade.
These writers, also, speak of ''many unjust
dealings with the merchants who trade thither,
which having gathered the force of precedent,
there was no grievance, no treatment so bad,
but they exercised it On the foreigners and
masters of ships" They tell us that the port
was at length forsaken, In consequence OF the
extortion of the Mandarins of those days, and
''the merchants returned in crowds to Siraf and
and Oman" The travellers describe the en-
trance to the port of Canfu as the ''gates of
China,' which may possibly be translation
of Hoo. nun, Tigers gate or Boca Tlgris, as
it is called frsm the Portuguese.
The Arabic travellers mention in particular,
the relief afforded TO the people from the public
granaries during famine. The salt tax, as it
now exists, and the use OF tea are thus noticed:
The Emperor also reserves to himself the rev.
enues that arise from salt, and from a certain
herb which they drink with hot water, and of
which great quantities sold in all the clues,
to the amount of vastsums.
The public imposts are stated to have con-
sisted in duties on salt and tea, with poll tax,
which last has since been committed into tex
on land: these Arabians likewise mention the
bamboo as the universal panacea IN matters OF
police; aud they correctly describe the Chinese
copper money, and porcelain; wine made from
rice; the maintenance of public tea aers 10 the
towns; the idolatry derived from India, and the
ignorance of astronomy, in which the Ars0ians
" ere their first instructors. 1t IS, In fact, I'M
possible to comprise within our limits all the
pertinent remarks, or even small proportion of
the current information which may be found IN
this curious and antique relics OF early Arabian
enter prise From the lights which it affords, as
well as from other sources of information reia.
! ting to the first intercourse of the Mahomedan:
with China 1t has with toIerabie certainty beer
inferred that, previous to the MonguI Tartar
conquest, they resorted to that rich country by
sea chiefly, and in the character oftraders.
Chinese historians reckon thirteen dYnasties
before the Flood which happened in the dynasty
of Shan name famous in China; but the ac
counts up to that period are not to be relied upon
From that date TO the Birth of Christ, five dynas
ties existed, and toward the close of the last,
the Han dynasty, a dreadful civil war broke
out. IL was called the ssWar of the three ma
tions,'' the war having terminated in the estab-
lish nent of three kingdoms. The last Empe-
Ter of this race was conquered by the other
States and was persuaded to resign the impe-
rial seal to the General of his enemies. His
son and heir on this put his wife to death, and
then killed himself. Up to the time of Genghis
Khan, Tartar chief, fifteen dynasties existed.
That famous conqueror arose about the close
of the last and began the wars against China,
by which the Chinese rulers were overthrown.
The grandson of Genghis Khan conquered
China and called his dynasty Yuen, during
which the grand canal and the great wall were
begun. Wickliffe the Reformer, and Marco
Polo, who brought extraordinary accounts from
China, lived about this time. A man named
Choo then reused the Chinese, who expelled
the Yuen Tartars, and established the Ming
dynasty. which continued till the reign OF Char
les tha First of England. The late Emperor
of the race. shut up In his palace by rebel
Tartar subject, destroyed his family, and then
committed suicide, six years before Snaries
died on the scaffold. The founders OF this dy-
M ,tv were Eastern OF Manshur Tartars, who
effected the conquest with ease, in consequence
of a rebellion which then convulsed the empire
No people, indeed, have suffered more from DIS
senssions than the Chinese, and have thereby
;mbibed such horror of civil war that 1t haS
become a proverb-'I would rather be dog In
the time OF general peace than human being
In the midst of wars"
Subsequent to the establishment OF the Mon
eui Tartar dynasty by Genghls Khan, emma
was visited by the Arab, iDu Batuta' whose
tra1,ols have been translated by Professor Lee.
He describes very truly the paper circulation
Instituted by the Mongols, scheme which
subsequently failed, in consequence OF the pa
ner heing rendered utterly worthless by excess
es;ye ;ssues. and the bad faith of the government
which derived profit from the circulation.
Even at that period, Batuta observes that "tney
did not buy or sell with the dirhem or dlnar,ior,
should any one get these coins into his posses
sion. he would melt them down Immediately:
If we may believe him, the Chinese jqnks IN
his time sailed as far as Calicut, and he lhm-
self embarked in one of them on his voyage 10
China. -
This Mahomedan creed seems to have been
established and protected as the religion Oh a
considerable of the population soon ai'sr 5h e
Mongol conquest, in the 18TH century, anu Al II
meets with perfect federation al tne pieseht uay'
its professors being freely admitted to govern
rn.pt off;ces from which Christians are rigidly
Excluded There is considerable mosque at
its naooda or minaret, conspicuous object on
the a5nroach TO the city by the river. Num-
bers 81 that persuasion were met with in every
part Of the route of the two British missions.
In the province OF oman, tneie Were IS So% the