soul, spirit, as independent of Matter and ruling it arbitrarily, are utterly unknown in the Chinese language.... This range of ideas has become so completely one with the language itself, that the first verse of the book of Genesis cannot without considerable circumlocution be translated into genuine Chinese."--It was this very thing that led Sir George Staunton to publish a book in 1848 entitled: "An Inquiry into the proper mode of rendering the word God in translating the Sacred Scriptures into the Chinese language."[337] [328] This is equivalent to imputing to the Chinese the thought, that all princes on earth are tributary to their Emperor. [Add. to 3rd ed.] [329] "Description du Tubet," traduite du Chinois en Russe par Bitchourin, et du Russe en Français par Klaproth, Paris, 1831, p. 65. Also in the "Asiatic Journal" new series, vol. i. p. 15. [Köppen, "Die Lamaische Hierarchie," p. 315.--Add. to 3rd ed.] [330] "Lettres édifiantes," édit. de 1819, vol. viii. p. 46. [331] "Description of the Burman Empire," Rome. 1833. p. 81. [332] Colebrooke, "Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society," vol. i.; "Essay on the Philosophy of the Hindoos," published also among his "Miscellaneous Essays," p. 236. [333] "Investigations concerning the Tibetans and Mongols," p. 180. [334] Morrison, "Chinese Dictionary," Macao, 1815, and following years, vol. i. p. 217. [335] Upham, "History and Doctrine of Buddhism," London, 1829, p. 102. [336] Neumann, "Die Natur-und Religions-Philosophie der Chinesen, nach den Werken des Tehu-hi," pp. 10, 11. [337] The following account given by an American sea-captain, who had come to Japan, is very amusing from the _naïveté_ with which he assumes that mankind consists exclusively of Jews. For the "Times" of the 18th October, 1854, relates that an American ship, under command of Captain Burr, had arrived in Jeddo Bay, and gives his account of the favourable reception he met with there, at the end of which we find: "He likewise asserts the Japanese to be a nation of Atheists, denying the existence of a God and selecting as an object of worship either the spiritual Emperor at Meaco, or any other Japanese. He was told by the interpreters that formerly their religion was similar to that of China, but that the belief in a supreme Being has latterly been entirely discarded--(this is a mistake)--and he professed to be much shocked at Deejunoskee (a slightly Americanised Japanese), declaring his belief in the Deity." [Add. to 3rd ed.]