I' j
lllO
C H A P s e t t i n g f i r e t o t h e r o y a l a b o d e , a n d m a k i n g f i v e t h o u s a n d s l a v e s , r e t u r n e d
May,
1827.
t o C h i : ; a .
I t i s s a i d t h a t a t t h i s t i m e t h e i n h a b i t a n t s o f L o o C l i o o h a d n e i t h e r
l e t t e r s n o r c h a r a c t e r s , a n d t h a t a l l c l a s s e s o f s o c i e t y , e v e n t h e k i n g h i m s
e l f , l i v e d i n t h e m o s t s i m p l e m a n n e r . I t d o e s n o t , h o w e v e r , a p p e a r
t h a t t h e p e o p l e w e r e e n t i t l e d t o t h e a p p e l l a t i o n o f b a r b a r i n a s , w h i c h
w a s g i v e n t o t h e m b y t h e a m b a s s a d o r o f J a p a n i n C h i n a , n o r t h a t t h e y
m e r i t e d t h e t i t l e o f p o o r d e v i l s , w h i c h t h e w o r d l i e u - k i e u i m p l i e s i n
J a p a n e s e ; a s t h e y h a d f i x e d l a w s f o r m a r r i a g e s a n d i n t e r m e n t s , a n d
p a i d g r e a t r e s p e c t t o t h e i r a n c e s t o r s a n d o t h e r d e p a r t e d f r i e n d s ; a n d t h e y
h a d o t h e r w e l l - r e g u l a t e d i n s t i t u t i o n s w h i c h f u l l y r e l i e v e d t h e m f r o m t h e
c h a r g e o f b a r b a r i s m . T h e i r c o u n t r y w a s n o t s o p o o r n o r s o d e s t i t u t e o f
v a l u a b l e p r o d u c t i o n s , o r e v e n o f m a n u f a c t u r e s , b u t t h a t C h i n e s e m e r c
h a n t s w e r e g l a d t o o p e n a t r a d e w i t h i t , a n d t o c o n t i n u e i t t h r o u g h
f i v e d y n a s t i e s w h i c h s u c c e s s i v e l y r u l e d i n C h i n a a f t e r t h e c o n q u e s t o f
L o o C h o o , n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h e i n d i f f e r e n c e o f t h e e m p e r o r s w h o , d u r i n g
t h a t p e r i o d , c e a s e d t o e x a c t t h e t r i b u t e t h a t h a d b e e n m a d e t o t h e i r
p r e d e c e s s o r s . I t i s n o t i m p r o b a b l e , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t t h i s s t i g m a , w h i c h
o u g h t p r o p e r l y t o b e l o n g t o F o r m o s a — w l i i c h , t h o u g h a m u c h l a r g e r
i s l a n d , w a s t h e n c a l l e d L i t t l e L o o C h o o — m a y h a v e b e e n a t t a c h e d t o
t h e i s l a n d w e v i s i t e d , f r o m t h e s i m i l a r i t y o f n a m e s .
C h u n - t i e n w a s s a i d t o b e d e s c e n d e d f r o m t h e k i n g s o f J a p a n , b u t
i t i s n o t k n o w n a t w h a t p e r i o d h i s f a m i l y s e t t l e d i n L o o C h o o . B e f o r e
h e c a m e t o t h e t h r o n e , h e w ' a s g o v e r n o r o f t h e t o w n o f P o t i e n . O n
h i s a c c e s s i o n h i s t i t l e w a s d i s p u t e d b y a n o b l e m a n n a m e d L i - y o n g ; b u t
h e b e i n g d e f e a t e d a n d k i l l e d , C h u n - t i e n w 'a s a c k n o w l e d g e d K i n g o f L o o
C h o o b y t h e p e o p l e . H a v i n g r e i g n e d f i f t y - o n e y e a r s , a n d b e s t o w e d
m a n y b e n e f i t s u p o n h i s s u b j e c t s , w h o s e h a p p i n e s s w a s h i s p r i n c i p a l
c a r e , h e d i e d a t t h e a g e o f s e v e n t y - t w o . I n t h i s r e i g n r e a d i n g a n d
w r i t i n g a r e s a i d t o h a v e b e e n f i r s t i n t r o d u c e d f r o m J a p a n , t h e c h a r a c t e r
b e i n g t h a t o f Y - r o f a .
V e r y l i t t l e m e n t i o n i s m a d e o f t h e s o n a n d s u c c e s s o r o f C h u n - t i e n ;
b u t t h e r e i g n o f h i s g r a n d s o n Y - p e n i s m a r k e d b y t h e o c c u r r e n c e o f a
f a m i n e a n d a p l a g u e , w h i c h n e a r l y d e s o l a t e d t h e i s l a n d , a n d b y h i s a b d
i c a t i o n i n f a v o u r o f a n y p e r s o n w h o m t h e p e o p l e m i g h t a p p o i n t t o
s u c c e e d h i m . T h e c h o i c e f e l l u p o n Y n t - s o u , t h e g o v e r n o r o f a s m a l l
town; but the king, desirous of ascertaining w-hether he was a comimtent «LtP
person to succeed him, first made him prime minister; and ueing at .-------
length satisfied that the choice of the people was judicious, he abdicated
.May,
1827.
in his favour, reserving a very moderate provision for himself and tami y.
Ynt-sou ascended the throne A.D. 1260, and reigned forty years.
He is said to have been the first to levy taxes, and to have intro,
duced useful regulations for the cultivation of the soil. In his reign
Ta-tao Ki-ki-ai, and other islands to the north-east and north-west
came under the dominion of Loo Choo. This reign was also marked by
an attempt of the Emperor of China to renew his demand of tribute,
which had not been made for so many generations, that the Loo Chooans
be«an to consider themselves absolved from the obhption. The Emperor
of China, however, determined not to relinquish the advantages
which had been gained by his predecessor Yang-ti, equipped a fleet
for the purpose of compelling payment; but about this time China
havino- suffered a serious defeat from the Japanese, and from the kingdoms
of Tonquin and Cochin China, and lost 100,000 men m her
expeditions against those places, disaffection spread throughout the
troops, and the expedition returned without even having reached its
destination. n „ j ,
Ynt-sou was succeeded by his son Ta-tchni, who was followed by
his son Ynt-see, two princes much esteemed for their wisdom and benevolence.
Not so Yut-ching, a prince of avaricious and voluptuous
disposition, who ascended the throne of his father in 1314 ; during
whose reign the state fell into considerable disorder. The governor of
Ken«-koaey-gin revolted and declared himself King of Chanpe, the
northern province of the island. The governor of Tali also revolted, and
became king of the southern province Clian-iian, leaving Y"ut-clniig to
govern only the centre of the island, which was c a l l e d Tchoiig-chan.
Thus was this island, not sixty miles in length, divided into three independent
kingdoms. The greatest animosity prevailed between these
three principalities; and long and bloody wars ensued. About sixty
years after the country had been thus divided, Tsay-tou, a prince
beloved by his people and esteemed for his valour, came to the throne
of the middle province. It was in his reign that Hoiig-vou, the Em-
3 t