Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-05-01
rHE EossILIzEp EMPIRE.
CAln.'s Place in Ancient His

tory.
Although China has of late been hum
bled by its once despised adversary, ia
pan, the Flowery Land has a wonderful
history, and long before civilization
dawned on these shores the Mongolians
were making practical use Of arts and
sciences. Recently at the Victoria in
stitute-Prof. Hull, F. r. S., in the
-Surgeon-General c. A. Gordon,
NJ. d., c. b., described how the record
ing of the history of China commenced
e6 centuries b. C. by order of Hwauti.
From that date to the present, he said'
the current of history in relation TO
he Chinese people could be accepted
for the most part as correct and con-
tinuous. Hwauti was an extraordinary
emperor. possessed of ''all the talents"
Having vanquished his enemies he set
about improving things in general. He
established the cycle of 60 years in ar
cordance with which Chinese chronol-
ogy has ever since continued to be
reckoned. lie introduced the decimal
sys.esie of notation, encouraged the
study Of astronomy and meteorology-
heing able, ''by means of making ex
periments, to foretell the changes of
the weather and air" He established
methods of measurement by length and
by weight, and made stringent laws
that both should be just; the art Of
cooking in furnaces prepared for the
purpose; the erection of houses in
stead of bowers formed by branches
Of trees. He caused roads, chiefly for
military purposes, to be made, and
bridges erected throughout his domin
ions. One instrument which he in
vented is identified with the compass.
To him also is assigned the introduction
of written characters, his idea in that
respect having been derived from oh
serving the markings on the shells of
tOrtOises. The systematic rearing and
management of silk worms and the
manufacture of the fiber produced from
them into robes of different shapes and
colors were also among the numerous
advances connected with his reign. In
further pursuance of this policy he APP
pointed a professor of music, whose
duty it was to explain the order and
arrangement of the different tones
He taught the way of making flutes, |
flies and organs, trumpets that imitat- |
ed the voice of the dragon, and drums |
that made the noise of thunder. He |
divided his country into principalities. |
in each of which he caused cities to be
erected. He introduced the use of
wheeled carriages, and the training of
horses to draw them. Lastly, he or
dered that collins should be made in
which the dead were to be inferred
After him came several emperors Of ex
traordinary genius and merit, and such
varied subjects as scientific agriculture
and the composing of national songs
received equal attention. In those far
off days Chinese patriots had their own
equivalents for "Rule Britannia" "Thc
British Grenadiers," "Scots wha haze
Mourn pour Ia Patrie," etc. Other
nations, now humbled in the dust, were
rising, and it was during the dynasty
IF Hea that, in consequence of a famine
in Canaan, Abraham proceeded to
Egypt to buy corn, the latter country
being then known as "a land of plenty"
The shepherd kings are considered &c
have invaded Lower Egypt about b. c.
and the duration of their rule
70 have continued 26O years. During
he same period the birth took place
If Isaac (B. c. 1880; of Esau and Jacob
.B. c. 1865 Joseph was sold by his
brethren into Egypt; his family. then
lomadic tribe, settled in the Land OF
Goshen, he himself became minister to
Amosis or Thotmosis, the then reign
ng Pharaoh, and by his foresight pre-
erved the country from famine during ,,
he seven years of sterility. Egyptian
Olonies under Cecrops proceeded to
ireece, where they reclaimed the I'M
civilized races of Attica- So, while the
'reat Chinese empire, which now pre-.
ents to the world a curious specimen
# fossilized civilization, was develop
ng, Persia, Phoenicia, India, Greece
nd Rome grew and gradually spread
heir influence over the great world of
the outer barbarians"
The lecture was listened to with great :
ttention by a large audience.-Leeds
lercnry. +
WHY ENGLAND is GREAT. :