Page:China- Its State and Prospects.djvu/124

 by a little figure, pointing to the south, whichever way the carriage turned.

At a later period, we have a more credible account of this discovery, in the reign of Ching-wang, of the Chow dynasty, B.C. 1114; when it is said that some ambassadors came from the modern Cochin-China, affirming, that having experienced neither storm nor tempest in that country for three years, they imagined it was in consequence of the sages then existing in China; and therefore had come to pay court to them. On the return of these ambassadors, they knew not what course to take; and the prime minister of China gave them five close carriages, all provided with instruments that pointed to the south: with these they were enabled to find their way, and in a year arrived at their own country. "Hence," adds the historian, "these south-pointing carriages have ever since been used as guides to travellers." There are several other references to this important invention at later periods, so as to make it evident that they possessed the discovery before the people of Europe, and it is not improbable were the means of communicating it to us; for it is well known that Marco Paulo, the Venetian traveller, visited China A.D. 1275, and that the mariner's compass was not invented by Gioia, of Naples, until A.D. 1302, so that it is not unlikely that the Italian communicated it to his countryman. Though the Chinese have not much improved the art of navigation, and have allowed us to exceed them in nautical science, yet we should remember from whence the grand invention was derived, and accord the due meed of praise to those who so early possessed it.