of heaven," which explains why
the ideogram is a star. According to Mr. K. Douglas (p. 171) "Mr. Ball has
practically demonstrated that the Chinese and Akkadian are the same tongue
and that everywhere in China we are reminded of that great centre of
civilization in Babylonia."

An investigation of the Taouist religion reveals that it consists chiefly
of star-worship, stars being deemed "divine." "Among the liturgical works
used by the priests of Taou, one of the commonest consists of prayers to
Tow-moo, a female divinity supposed to reside in the Great Bear. A part of
the same constellation is worshipped as a male spirit under the name of
Kwei-sing" (Edkins).

A name closely resembling the latter in sound, Tseih-ching, and meaning
the "Seven Regulators" is now applied to the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In ancient times, however, according to native
authorities, "this term was used to designate the seven bright stars of
Ursa Major which subsequently, by an astrological device, were associated
with the seven planets; so, that, by metonymy, the latter became the
established meaning."(86)

The association of the term "Regulators" with Septentriones is
particularly interesting because the seven-day period has been employed in
China from time immemorial, the seventh day being invariably marked by the
ancient character mih, which means "quiet, secret or silent." In the
modern Chinese almanacs and astrological works "the mih days are marked by
the four constellations which correspond among the seven planets to the
principal one among them, the Sun" (_cf._ Wylie, On the Knowledge of a
weekly Sabbath in China, _op. cit._ p. 86). I am strongly tempted to refer
the origin of the Chinese mih or quiet day, on which rest was generally
observed, to that remote period of time when, to primitive observers, one
of the stars in Ursa Major would have appeared more closely associated
with immovability and nearer the polar axis than its companions (see pp.
20 and 21).

If we pause here to review the preceding data we are particularly struck
at the unanimity of evidence establishing that even the most ancient form
of civilization and religion was not indigenous to China, but was carried
there by colonists from distant parts, presumably from Babylonia. The
latter conclusion finds a strong support in the undeniable fact that
during subsequent centuries a steady stream of emigration has carried
colonists of different