Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

 

mmXVi   PRELIMINARY ESSAY.

in the year 985 a journey into the remote countries of the west, and to have brought back with him skilled artizans and various natural curiosities.'

Indeed China is often mentioned in the ancient legends of Persia, but as these seem to be chiefly known through the poetry of Ferdusi, probably little stress can be laid upon such allusions. Thus however Jamshid is pursued through India and China by the agents of Zohak ; Feridun bestows upon his second son, Fur, Tartary and part of China ; Siawush, the son of Kaikobad, marrying the daughter of Afrasiab, receives in dowry China and Khotan ; Kaikhusru (Cyrus) is sent in his youth by Afrasiab beyond the sea of China, and Jiv seeks him all through that country amid wonderful adventures; in the wars of Kaikhusru and Rustum with Afrasiab Rustum captures the Emperor of China on his white elephant ; Lohrasp, the successor of Kaikhusru, exacts homage from the sovereigns of Tartary and China ; Gushtasp (Darius Hystaspes) makes war on Arjash, King of China, pursues him to his capital and slays him there.'

5: Under the third year of Chingwang (B.C. 1113) there is a curious and obscure tradition of the arrival at the court of men from the kingdom of Nili, who had come by sea, and in whom Pauthier again suggests that we have visitors from the banks of the Nile.3 This notion might have derived some corroboration from the Chinese porcelain phials alleged to have been found in Egyptian tombs as old as the eighteenth dynasty ; but I understand that Dr. Birch has demolished their claims to antiquity.

6. Some at least of the circumstances which have been collected in the preceding paragraphs may render it the less improbable that the SIND' of the Prophet Isaiah, a name used, as the context shows, to indicate some nation of the extreme east or south, should be truly interpreted as indicating the Chinese'

7. The name of China in this form was late in reaching the lb., pp. 14-15, and Chine Aricienne, p. 94 seqq.

2 Malcolm's B. of Persia. I am obliged to quote from the French Trans., i, 26-89.

Chine Ancienne, p. 85.

Behold these shall come from far ; and lo these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of &Nix" ver. 12). See article Sinim, in Smiths Diet. of the Bible.