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)
We need not wonder that the old account connects a revered ancestor with
this glorious and celestial retreat in the Grand Canyon. He is called
=Shao Hao=, and is furthur termed a =ju=, (or sucking child.)
=Shao= signifies "little" or "a little," and =Hao= is formed of the
signs for "sun" and "heaven." It is therefore evident that the =ju= or
infant at the Canyon is (or was) a little sun child, or child of the
sun.
American rulers called themselves "Children of the Sun," and we should
be careful not to confound our Arizona Prince with any Asiatic ruler.
[The =Hao= or =Shao Hao= of supposed Chinese origin is represented by
some different symbols: see Williams' dict. p. 172, columns 1 and 2.]
The little Child of the Sun at the =Ta-Hoh= or Great Canyon should not
be--must not be--confounded with any early Chinese sun-worshiper. We are
to look =far to the east of China= for both the Canyon and the little
Child of the Sun referred to in the account before us.
We are informed that the country connected with the Great Canyon was
called "=Shao Hao's= country" (or the land of the Sun-child) on account
of the little Prince. He entered (=chi=) it, and this furnished the
=reason= (or =chih=) for its title--Land of the Sun-child.
The infant (or =ju=) is distinctly called a ruler (or =ti=.) Moreover,
although he was little (=shao=) or but a =ju= (suckling); he was a
supreme king (or =chwen suh=). (Note 22.)
=Chwen= is formed by putting together the two words "only" and "head."
And =suh= is a Chinese term composed of the two significant words "only"
and "king" (see Williams' dict. pp. 117, 825, 1043.)
Evidently the baby ruler (or =ju ti=) was regarded by his people, in
this region remarkable for its mountains, as the only or supreme
head--the =chwen suh=, as Chinese historians might forcibly phrase
it--of the people ruled.
[Because the infant was king and even the supreme king, it seems
reasonable to suppose that his father was dead (and his mother alive) at
the time when he was carried into the Great Canyon and duly suckled
there.] We need not just here attempt to unravel his history. Enough to
show that our Grand Canyon is positively and clearly referred to in
Chinese literature. We may, however, note the fact that the royal infant
(see translation) belonged to the =Kin Tien= or Golden Heaven family,
and this title must be considered when the history of our Arizona Prince
comes to be investigated. It should further be remarked that the
respected translator has erred slightly in his supposition that the
=Chwen Suh= (or Supreme Head) was "Shao =Hao's descendant=." The
Chinese terms in the original are: =shao hao= (not =hao's=) =ju= (baby)
=ti= (ruler) =chwen suh= (head king.) It was the =little sun child ruler
and supreme king= who was at the Canyon.
Particular attention should be paid to the fact, that, although regarded
as a supreme ruler, the Prince is represented as being but a suckling
(or =ju=) when in the neighborhood of the Great Canyon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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