FUJI-HE, or Fun-HE-SHE (ante), usually set down as the first of the emperors of China; possibly a real, but more likely a mythical person. His era would be about 3,000 B.C. It was an ancient belief of Chinese writers that there had existed a period of 2,267,000 and odd years between the time when the powers of heaven and earth first united to produce man as the possessor of the soil of Chiva, and the time of Confucius. This having been accepted as a fact, it became necessary for the early historians to invent long lines of dynastic rulers to fill up the gap between the creation and the period with which the book of historical documents commences. Accordingly, we find a series of ten epochs described as preceding the Chow dynasty. The events connected with most of these are purely fabulous, and it is not until we come down to the eighth period that we can trace any glimmer, however obscured, of history. This, we are told, com menced with the reign of Yew-chaou She (the "Nest-having"), who, if such a man ever existed, was probably one of the first of those who; as the immigrants increased and multiplied, was chosen to direct their counsels and to lead their armies, This chief induced them to settle within the bend of the Yellow river, the site of the modern prov ince of Shan-se, and taught them to make huts of the boughs of trees. Under the next
chief, Suy-jin She (" the Fire-producer"), the grand discovery of fire was effected by the accidental friction of two pieces of dry wood. He taught the people to look up to Teen, the great creating, preserving, and destroying power; he invented a method of register ing time and events, by making certain knots on thongs or cords twisted out of the bark of trees. Next to him followed Yung-ching She, and then Fulm-he, who separated the people into classes or tribes, giving to each a particular name, discovered iron, apcointed certain days to. show their gratitude to heaven by offering the first fruits of the earth-, and invented the eight diagrams which serve as the foundation of the Yih-king. Fult-he reigned 115 years, and his tomb is shown at Chin-choo, in the province of Shen-se, at this day. His successor, Chin-nung, invented the plow; and from that moment the civilization of China proceeded by rapid and progressive steps.