LEGENDARY ERA, TO THE CHOW DYNASTY (1123 B.C.).--The early annals of the Chinese, like those of other nations, are made up of myth and fable. The annalists placed the date of the creation at a point more than two millions of years prior to Confucius. The intervening period they sought to fill up with lines of dynasties. Preceding the Chow dynasty, the chroniclers give ten epochs. Prior to the eighth of these, there are no traces of authentic history. To _Yew-Chaou She_ (the Nest-having) is given the credit of teaching the people to make huts of the boughs of trees. Fire was discovered by _Suy-jin-She_ (the Fire-producer), his successor. Another ruler (_Fuh-he_), whose date is fixed at 2852 B.C., discovered iron. He also divided the people into classes. His successor invented the plow. These tales, perhaps, retain vague reminiscences of the methods in which useful inventions originated, or of the order in which they appeared. With _Yaou_ (2356 B.C.) we reach the period where the narratives which were compiled many centuries later by Confucius, begin their story. In the mass of fable, there is a larger infusion of historical fact, which, however, it is well-nigh hopeless to separate from the fiction that is mingled with it. In that golden age, few laws were required. We are told that the house-door could safely be left open. Yaou extended the empire: he established fairs and marts over the land. During the reign of _Shun_, who followed him, a tremendous inundation is said to have occurred; and _Yu_, called "the Great," was energetic in draining off the waters. He ascended the throne in 2205 B.C. His degenerate successors provoked a revolt and the introduction of a new dynasty, called the _Shang_ dynasty, whose first Emperor, _Tang_ (1760 B.C.), had a wise and beneficent reign. Tyranny and disaster followed under the later kings of this house; until finally _Woo-Wang_, the first sovereign of the Chow dynasty, acceded to the throne (1123 B.C.).