CHAPTER XXI. CHINA AND HER PHILOSOPHERS. The teachings of Lao-Tsze are not unlike those of Zeno; both recommend retirement and contemplation as the most effectual means of purifying the spiritual part of our nature, annihilating the material passions and finally returning to the bosom of the supreme Reason. HON. S. WELLS WILLIAMS, LL. D. [Illustration: CHINESE ORNAMENTS WITH WORDS OF CHEER.] We now proceed to notice two of the three religions of China, Taoism and Confucianism, leaving Buddhism until the chapter on Buddhism. One-third of all the people of the world are gathered in China. Considered in every way it is a gigantic empire. Its territory stretches over about one-third of the continent of Asia and, next to Russia, is the largest connected empire on the earth. Within its borders occur some of the highest mountains and largest rivers in the world. The pass over the Mei-ling in the north of Kwang-tung province, is 8,000 feet above the sea. The Yellow River is over 2,000 miles long and the Yangtse Kiang is nearly 4,000. China’s various climates allow almost every kind of vegetable and plant to be cultivated. Minerals and metals of all sorts abound, so that no country in the world contains greater wealth. The Great Chinese Wall extends from twenty-two degrees of longitude a little north of Peking, and is from fifteen to thirty feet high, fifteen feet broad and over 1,500 miles long. This was built more than 2,000 years ago. The history of China goes back to 2,000 years before Christ; it has had from those early days a sort of civilization. Two thousand years ago it had canals and other works of inland navigation. The Chinese have from very early times worn silk. The art of engraving on wooden blocks for printing with movable types was known 500 years before the days of Gutenberg. They have used the compass, and gunpowder, and paper for many years. They have had libraries of thousands of volumes from ancient times. Every village has its school. The conceit of the Chinese of their position has been fostered very greatly by their isolation and ignorance of other nations. Their ruler is called the Son of Heaven and his dynasty the heavenly dynasty, whence foreigners sometimes wrongly call the people Celestials. China is called the Middle Kingdom and the Flowery Land. They call foreigners I-Jin or barbarians, also Fank-wei or foreign devils. CHINESE CONTRARIETIES AND LANGUAGE.