China / by Robert K. Douglas ; published under the direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

  • Robert Kennaway Douglas
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: China / by Robert K. Douglas ; published under the direction of the Committee of General Literature and Education appointed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the forecast “ Gold is exchanged ” in both chronicles. Professor Sayce, being uncertain as to the exact translation, adds a query to the rendering just given, and in the Chinese we have but the words Tui, “ (Coin) is exchanged,” and Puh tui, “ (Coin) is not exchanged.” In the reign of Chwan Hu (2513-2435 B.C.), we find, according to the Chinese records, that the year, as among the Chaldeans, began with the third month of the solar year, and a comparison between the ancient names of the months given in the Urk ya, the oldest Chinese dictionary, with the Accadian equivalents, shows, in some instances, an exact identity. For example, in Chinese, the fifth month was called Haou, “ bright; ” the ninth month Huen, “ dark ; ” the tenth month Yang, “bright,” “the sun,” “the day;” the eleventh month Koo, “ a crime,” “ a failure ; ” and the twelfth month Tsu, “heavy dew or rain.” Turning now to the Accadian, we find that these months were respectively known as Dhe dhegar, “ fire making fire;” Yany anna, “thick clouds;” Abba suddu, “the cave of the rising of the sun ; ” “ the malediction of rain;”1 and lastly, “the month of mists.” Again, the artificial features of the two countries bear a striking similarity, and the following description of Babylonia as revealed by its ruins, might, without the 1 “ Les Origines de l’Histoire d’apres la Bible.” Par Francois Lenormant.
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