Merenra himself ascended the Nile, and an inscription at Asouan records his passage and return
— (Birch).
The quarries of granite and breccia-verde at Hamamat, worked under this dynasty; to which belong
“ nineteen rock tombs ” at Zauiet-el-meitin ; and a few days farther South, groups of tombs at
. Schech-Said, El-Harib, Wadi-Selin; and farther on at Oasr-e-Saiat, these being the last in this direction
of the “ interesting tombs of the Old Monarchy” (Lepsius eg. and sin. p. i6, 22, and 116).
“ 2577 B. C. = beginning of the Second cycie ” (C^'asse chron. table, further referred to the
“ 2ist year of Chao-hao ” : but reducing the reigns anterior to 2255 to the limit of possibility, makes
the date too early for the commencement of Chinese history).
Fifty-second generation. ' May 1st, 2567, mostly beyond youth :
Merenra succeeded by his brother Neferkara— (Leps. k. pl. 6, and Birch).
2555 B. C. ( = 2608 — “ 53 ” = 2496 calendar years J - “ 7 5 3 ” of the Afr.-Maneth. table).
The “ nitbkris” ( = Seventh dynasty of seventy days) is placed “ before Neferkara” in the
Turin papyrus (Birch).
2554 B. C. = “ second year of Neferkara,” arrival of a commission to continue the works at
Wady Maghara. — (Birch).
Accession of the Eighth dynasty, a Memphite dynasty. The name of king “ Snofreka-
annu,” not found on contemporaneous monuments, — occurs in about this place in the tablet
at Abydos.
Alorus, a Chaldean, and regarded by the Chaldeans as their first king (Abyden., Beros. in
Alex. Polyhist., Euseb. i. p. 5, and Syncell. p. 39), born in Babylon as early possibly as this
date. — Down to the time of the Assyrians, “ 9 -j- 49 + 11 -(“ 8 -(- to ” = 87 kings of Babylon are
enumerated by Berosus ; the alleged additional “ 86 ” may therefore be compared.
The Shemitic or Chaldean language and nationality, as early therefore as the time of Alorus.
2548 B. C. ( = 2555—■ “ 7 y e a r s ” of the Afr.-Maneth. table), accession of Phifips. The
name of king “ Nofreka-pepi seneb,” not found on contemporaneous monuments,— ^is next in
order in the tablet at Abydos.
Fifty-third generation. Sept. ist, 2534, mostly beyond youth :
Alaparus son of Alorus, reigning at Babylon (Beros. in Alex. Polyhist., Euseb., and Syncell.),.
The name of king “ Nofreka * * * not found on contemporaneous monuments, — is next
in order in the tablet at Abydos.
“ 2517 B. C. =; beginning of the Third cycle ” (Chinese chron. table, further referred to the
“ 8ist year of Chao-hao ” ; but reducing the reigns anterior to 2255 to the limit of possibility
makes the date too early for his accession).
The name of king “ Nofrekara-rerele,” not found on contemporaneous monuments, — is next
in order in the tablet at Abydos.
Fifty-fourth generation. Jan. 1st, 2500, mostly beyond youth :
2497 B. C. ( = 1413 “ 348 -f- 103 -J- igo + 443 years” of the Egyptian Chronicle, = 2498
calendar years = “ 348 + 103 190 -J- 16 -(- 43 -j- 185 -f- too -f- to o ” of the Euseb.-Maneth.
table, the Afr.-Maneth. table giving 2609 — “ 100 — i — 12 ” = 2496), a date possibly marking
I the accession of Ahthoes or Ahth6es head of the Ninth dynasty, a Heracleopolite dynasty.
Ahthoes proved “ more cruel than any of his predecessors,” and “ wrought evil throughout all
E g yp t” until becoming insane he was killed by a crocodile (Maneth.). The name of Nofrekarakhentu,
not found on contemporaneous monuments, — occurs in about this place in the tablet at Abydos.
A Chaldean named Almelon or Amelon, of the city of Pantibiblis, reigning at Babylon — (Berosus
in Alex. Polyhist., Euseb , and Syncell.).
The name of Tatkarama . . . ., not found on contemporaneous monuments, — is next in
order 'n the tablet at Abydos.
Fifty-fifth generation. May ist, 2467, mostly beyond youth :
Ammenon, a Chaldean of Pantibiblis, reigning at Babylon — (Berosus in Alex. Polyhist.,
Euseb,, and Syncell.).
The name of Nofrekaranebi, not found on contemporaneous monuments, — is next in order
in the tablet at Abydos.
“ 2457 B .C . =► beginning of the Fourth c y c le ” (Chinese chron. table, further referred to
the “ 47th year of Tchouan-hiu ; ” but clearly too early for his accession). Fou-hi, founder of
the Chinese empire, may have been at this time living.
Hardly earlier than this date the Sixty-year period established in China, possibly, as alleged, by
Fou-hi (Pauth. p. . . . ), but clearly derived irom Bahylnnta., Sexagesimal arithmetic anc] knov/\ec\ge
of the Egyptian Division of time being implied. From the time of adoption — the Chinese chrono-
lo,E;ical reckoning has continued uninterrupted ; a circumstance without parallel, most nations having
yielded to the seductive innovation of counting by centuries.
■ Castanea vesca of Eastern Asia. Called in Britain chestnut, by Chaucer “ chastem” (P r io R m
Celtic “ castan” or “ kistin ” (Davies, and Legon.), in French “ chataigne” or “ man-on (Nugent) in
Cermany “ kastanie ” (Grieb), in Italy “ castagno ”- and “ marone (Lenz), in Greece kastania
rs ibth ) Indigenous in Northern China, — relics of the original forest remaining throughom the
Tcheou dynasty to th e Han “ about B .C . 200,” the fruit more esteemed ‘ 7 " “
the tree continues to be cultivated (Cibot mem. Chin. 111.) ; was observed by Kaenqrfer, and Thunbe g,
n Tapan as far South as Jedo and Miaco,and called “ ku ri” or “ ruts.” Westward is not enummated
amono- fruits known to the præhistorical Greeks, but was brought from Sardes (Plm. xv. 2 0 , and
derived its name, according to Nicander alex. v. 271 and scholiasts, from the a ty of Kastanithi (in
Pontus or that in Thessaly) ; the “ sarthiane valanos” is mentioned by Diphilus, and Dioscorides,
the “ amóta” by Agilochus (Athen, ii. 40 to 43) ; the “ karucin to platu ” by Xenophon anfo. v. 4. 29;
the “ thios valanos ëuvôikê” by Theophrastus i. 18 to iii. 10, and the “ kastanëia by Mnesitheus,
Heradeon of Ephesus, and Diodorus ii. 50 : C. vesca was observed by Sibthorp and Fraas seemingly
wild in Northern Greece and throughout the middle region of the mountains ; by Rabbi Schwarz, m
Palestine ; but the nuts known in Egypt in the time of Athenaeus, and observed there by Baumgarten
i 14. were of course imported. Westward, the “ castanea” is enumerated among cultivated trees by
Virril is mentioned also by Columella, Gargilius Martial, and Palladius ; C. vesca has become
naturalized on the mountains of Southern and middle Europe, and a tree near Tortworth in England,
noted for its great size in “ 113s,” continues standing (A. Dec.). By European colonies,-was carried
to the Canary Islands and Madeira (Buch p. 178, and Lemann); and nuts to Northeast America,
where they continue to be sparingly imported, but I am not aware of any attempts at cultivation.
Cannabis sativa of Tartary. Called in Britain hemp, in Anglo-Saxon “ henep (Prior), m Germany
“ hanf ” (Grieb), in France “ chanvre” (Nugent), in Celtic and Arabic “ kanab” (Reyn., Legon., and
A Dec.), in Italy “ canape” or “ canapa” (Lenz), in Greece “ kannavi” (Fraas), in Persian an
Hindustanee “ bang,” in Bengalee “ ganga” (Roxb.), in Sanscrit “ bhanga” or “ gunjika (Pidd.).
Furnishinv the cloth originally worn together with furs b y the Chinese ; — the sign for hemp orourrmg
in alphabetic characters older than the Tcheou dynasty (Hiu-chin, and Pauth. p. 48 to 54) ; J ® / ‘‘J
mentioned repeatedly in the Chou-King; observed by Bunge around villages on the Northern border of
China-' by Kaempfer, and Thunberg, cultivated and springing up spontaneously in Japan, and cMled
“ b a ” or “ m a ” or usually “ asa.” Westward, hempen cloth is mentioned in the-Institutes of Menu
(transl Deslongch.), was worn by the Thracians in the days of Herodotus iv. 74, fomigation with
hemp seed being at the same time practised by the Scythians : C. sativa was observed by Loureiro 11.
p 116 in Cochinchina; by Ma.son v. p. 487. “ e x o tic ” in Burmah and called “ be^^ m known to
l o w to all appearance wild in Siberia (Ledeb.) and Northern Hindustan (Roxb ) is 0 sides cultivated
throughout Hindustan “ for the sake of the intoxicating liquor called ‘ bhang, and the leaves
which are smoked to cause intoxication ” (Rheede x. pl. 60, and Graham) ; was observed by Thunberg
iii. 4 in Austral Africa, under cultivation by the Caffre tribes, and in one instance by Hottentote, and
called “ dakkan” (a name indicating introduction by Hindus); is cultivated even by the natives of
Western Equatorial Africa, where leaves prepared for smoking were prócured by H. McMurtrie
(iourn Bost nat hist.). Northward, the “ kannavis ” is mentioned by Ephippus, and Dioscorides;
was first made into cordage by king Hiero of Syracuse, who imported the material from the Rhone
fAthen v 40)- “ cannabis” cordage is distinctly mentioned by Varrò xxv (Geli. xvii. 3), Columella,
and PlinV a id the use of the fibre is alluded to in the Mishna (Reyn. p. 434) : C. sativa was
observed b’v Fraas frequent in Attica; by Lenz, in Italy; and is known in at least the cultivated state
in Russia and middle Europe. “ About six centuries” ago (Lane), its intoxicating properties became
known in E^ypt, where the plant has since been cultivated under the name of “ sjaranek or
“ hachych” (Forsk Del., and Clot-Bey). By European colonists, was carried prior to 1639 (W.
w lo d ) to Northeast America, where it continues chiefly near dwellings, but on the Lower Ohio is
remilarlv cultivated. The stem according to Burnett, and Lindley, furnishes “ the best of a 1
coVdave ” and the seed has the “ singular property of changing the plumage of bullfinches and gold-
fincheV from red and yellow to black if they are fed on it for too long a time or in too large a
certain knots made in cords ” (the qnippus), by means of which the Chinese were governed,
Fou-hi substituted writing; employing for this purpose the “ koua symbols ” (Confuc. on the
Y Kino- and Pauth p. 25) ; eight in number, consisting of parallel lines variously-broken to signify
“ h e a v ll earth, thunder, mountains, fire, clouds, water, wind ” - (according to their transmitted forms
figured by Pauthier). Evidence exists of the use of these symbols as early at least as the Hia
dynasty (Visdelou pantheon litt. p. 138).
o L o Feb 28th (F. Bailly), conjunction o f ihe planets Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn . .
............................................................. ; described in the Chinese
annals as of “ five planets in the constellation Ing-che.”
J
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