- 'Throughout
The Country Of Fergana, Wine Is Made From Grapes, And The Wealthy Lay Up
Stores Of Wine, Many Tens Of Thousands Of Shih In Amount, Which May Be
Kept For Scores Of Years Without Spoiling.
Wine is the common beverage, and
for horses the mu-su is the ordinary pasture.
The envoys from China
brought back seeds with them, and hereupon the Emperor for the first time
cultivated the grape and the mu-su in the most productive soils.' In the
Description of Western regions, forming part of the History of the Han
Dynasty, it is stated that grapes are abundantly produced in the country of
K'i-pin (identified with Cophene, part of modern Afghanistan) and other
adjacent countries, and referring, if I mistake not, to the journeys of
Chang K'ien, the same work says, that the Emperor Wu-Ti despatched upwards
of ten envoys to the various countries westward of Fergana, to search for
novelties, and that they returned with grape and mu-su seeds. These
references appear beyond question to determine the fact that grapes were
introduced from Western- or, as we term it, Central-Asia, by Chang K'ien."
Dr. Bretschneider (Botanicon Sinicum, I. p. 25), relating the mission of
Chang K'ien (139 B.C. Emperor Wu-Ti), who died about B.C. 103, writes: - "He
is said to have introduced many useful plants from Western Asia into China.
Ancient Chinese authors ascribe to him the introduction of the Vine, the
Pomegranate, Safflower, the Common Bean, the Cucumber, Lucerne, Coriander,
the Walnut-tree, and other plants." - H.C.] The river that flows down from
Shan-si by Cheng-ting-fu is called "Putu-ho, or the Grape River." (J. As.
u.s.; Richthofen, u.s.)
[Regarding the name of this river, the Rev.
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