Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/34

 10 CHAOSIEK. doubtless of the Tungusic people around them. But whence they came, and when they emigrated, history will never inform us. That they were savages, to begin with, is pretty certain. The first historical ray of light — creating, however, only a questionable twilight, is that Woo Wang, son of Wun Wang, and founder of the Chow dynasty (ac. 1 J 22), invested his younger brother Kitsu with the feudal sovereignty of Chaosien. But Chinese scholars state that the 'investment'' is a euphemism to shield the t^haracter of the ancestor of Confucius, — ^the truth being that Citsu, a faithful and upright man, found it necessary to leave his elder brother's court ; and having fled to Chaosien, was there elected king. He refused to acknowledge the supremacy of the new emperor, or king Woo, as the ruler of China was then styled. Both Chinese history and Corean tradition agree in representing Kitsu as the civilizer of the aborigines of Chaosien. But Corean tradition, written or oral, is dependent on Chinese history ; for as we shall see, the present Corea is inhabited by the descendants of men who had no connection with Chaosien. Elitsu is said to have taught Chaosien propriety or etiquette (ii), uprightness or integrity (yi), agriculture, the rearing of silkworms, the spinning of silk and its weaving. He established eight laws, which were so well observed that theft was unknown, no house was barred, no store locked, and no woman unfaithful The wide plains and innumerable vallies of inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and Corea were peopled in the time of Confucius, full five centuries before the Christian era. When he was travelling about among the kingdoms of China^ he is said to have desired to visit and live among the "Nine Ti."* Nine Yi and their oountries as follows:—!, the Kuen Ti in Hiientoo; 2. Yu Yi in Lolang; 3. Fang Yi in Gaoli; 4. Whang Yi in Manjie; 6. Bai Yi m Fooytt; 6. Chu Yi in Swokia; 7. ffHen Yi in Doongtoo; 8. Fung Yi in Wo Yin (Japan); 9. Yang Yi in TienbL The first five were east and north-east of Liaotnng. Some of the others I cannot localise. The name Yi is variously interpreted. The word means to "squat,** hence "without propriety or manners.*' It also means to ''ward off," "butt," and is applied to "working the ground," hence supposed to mean "benevolent," from the desire to see things live. This latter is the common rendering.
 * The "Investigation into the Men and Things" of the Four Books, allocates the