Ancient Chinese account of the Grand Canyon, or course of the Colorado — John Shaqi
Ancient Chinese account of the Grand Canyon, or course of the ColoradoMcAllan, Alexander
History
Ancient Chinese account of the Grand Canyon, or course of the Colorado
McAllan, Alexander
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Chinese; Colorado River (Colo.-Mexico)
Another navigator, who never was without a life-belt,--which he found of
vital use when righting his too often overturned ark,--tells with
amazement of "the waves, torrents, and cataracts of this wildest of
rivers."
A ceaseless basic roar is there,--deadened at times by floods of music,
yet nevertheless eternally there.
The sea connected with the Great Canyon is elsewhere called a =Puh hai=
(the latter term signifying "sea.")
A =Puh hai= is said to be a "Gulf," and we find a Gulf--the Gulf of
California--at the mouth of the Colorado.
It should, however, be observed that the term =Puh= by itself stands for
"an arm of the sea." A =Puh hai= is a Gulf which forms "an arm of the
sea." The Gulf or sea should be shaped like an =arm=--an arm of the
ocean (see Williams' dict. p. 718.)
Now, a glance at the map shows that in a very peculiar sense the Gulf of
California is a =hai= or "sea" which meets the requirements of being
shaped like an =arm=. It is a sea and a gulf and at the same time "an
arm" of the ocean. Truly it is a =Puh hai=.
A great many "gulfs" are quite unlike "arms," being too broad to admit
of such a comparison. But our Gulf of California is comparatively narrow
and is truly an "arm" of the sea. And notice how the water of the
river--our Colorado--"accumulates and so forms a gulf." Such are the
words of the existing translation and they apply completely to the
American situation. Here we find the water of the Colorado accumulating
or widening out until it becomes a great body of water--a Gulf. Indeed
this development or process of expansion is so gradual that it is
impossible for navigators to tell where the river ends or the gulf
begins.
In the Chinese comment immediately before us, however, the =hai= or sea
to the Canyon's river mouth is called a =Sheu=.
Now this term signifies "to rinse the mouth, to scour; to wash out a
thing; to purify." (Williams, p. 757.)
The word =Sheu= is written by combining the characters for "water" and
"to suck in."
It is evident that our Gulf of California is "an arm of the sea" and no
less a =Sheu=. A "mouth" it undoubtedly has, and this mouth is being
ceaselessly "washed," "scoured," and "purified." Even a dentist would be
satisfied! The immense stream rushes out, and tides from the Pacific
rush in. Moreover the Colorado "sucks in" the tidal wave known as the
Bore. Surely we have here the Eastern Gulf sea which is both a =Puh= and
a =Sheu=.
The water of the noisy, restless, purifying stream within the =Ta-Hoh=
was it is said,--
1. =Yu= (which means "used or employed.")
2. =Wuh= (to water or irrigate; to soften with water; to enrich.)
3. =Tsiao= (scorched, burned, singed, dried up.)
4. =Chi= (referring to or denoting.)
5. =Tsze= (here or this.)
Evidently the water of the Colorado was used to =irrigate= some ground
or vegetation which was dried up or =scorched=.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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