Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/243

 VISIONS OF POWER 219 who is to become " glorious *' by shedding rivers of blood ; and in this idea of greatness, China is only in unison with European ideas. In the period of Gwangchi of the Tang dynasty (885-8), Chinda the Kokhan of Hundajin, ravaged the Si and Shiwei (or 8i Shiwei), He then led all the tribes to Abaoji, who was elected king. Then were the eight tribes first united into one. These 8i were originally known as KoomosL As Si they had been of filthy manners ; but were excellent archers, and had frequently harried the northern bounds of Wei. They, with the ancient Kitan, were called Eastern Hoo, and were both broken up by Moyoong, and had to flee for shelter to the regions between Soong and Mo. As Mo is Shamo, and Soong their own first inheritance on the Sira muren river, the locality is easily fixed. The Si were driven to seek shelter on the Wei border by the over- whelming forces of the plundering Gaoli. In 926, after the consolidation into a compact kingdom of eastern Mongolia — ^the site of Moyoong — ^the Kitan began to take steps for laying an empire. They marched eastwards against Fooyii city, of Bohai, and gradually annexed all there was of Bohai west of the Hoorha river. Abaoji, the real founder of the Kitan power, was then reigning. He appointed his eldest son Governor of East Dan, the name which he gave to the conquered Bohai ; and Duagwang, the second son, was made General of Silow, the original Kitan capital He himself lived in Fooyii city. To this city came Kwun, a messenger sent by the Chinese new emperor (p. 215) to report the decease of the late emperor. King Abaoji wept his formal grief according to etiquette ; and dn learning the distracted state of China, said he was grieved he could not at once march with all his men to aid the emperor, but he had too much on hand fighting Bohai on his east ; for it had not yet wholly yielded. Kwun lamented the possiblility that the new heir-apparent might never be crowned. But, like the Pard which has drawn a little blood, the king became less polite as conversation went on ; the desire doubtless growing in his mind to bury his claws deeply in