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[[underlined]] Chapter V. [[/underlined]]
78.

of the Wei River 渭河, in central Shensi; for there, we knew, were very many ancient sites of the greatest historical and cultural interest.

[[underlined]] Preparations for our Journey. [[/underlined]]
At this juncture I learned that at the request of the governor of Shensi, Gen. Liu Chên-hua 劉鎮華, a protégé of Marshal Wu P'ei-fu, the China International Famine Relief Commission were about to investigate the practicability of installing a new irrigation system in the valley of the Ching Ho 涇河, a northern affluent of the Wei (50). At the sugges-
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(50)
   It is on the upper waters of the Ching River, around the present Shensi-Kansu border, that we first find the Chou people seated, in the days prior to their overthrow of the Shang Dynasty and their conquest of northern China.
   My reasons for believing that the latter events took place during the middle of the 11th century before our Era rather than in the year 1122 B.C., the "orthodox" date, I have set forth in my paper, "The Chronology of Ancient China", in the [[underlined]] Jnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. [[/underlined]], vol. 52, no. 3, pp. [[strikethrough]] 22 [[/strikethrough]] 232-247.
   Irrigation systems have been operated intermittently in the valley pf the Ching at least from the close of the Chou period onward; the first canal of importance dug for that purpose is said to have been completed in 246 B.C., the year when the future "First Emperor" succeeded to the throne of the state of Ch'in.
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tion of Mr. Walter H. Mallory, then in charge of the Commission's work in China, we arranged that our two parties should travel in company, for mutual protection, as far as the provincial capital, Hsi-an 西安 Fu. The American Minister, Dr. Schurman, provided us with an official letter of commendation to Gen. Liu. He also kindly sent the latter a personal telegram bespeaking his good offices. The general responded with cordiality, assuring the Minister that he would give us all possible assistance in the conduct of our explorations.

[[underlined]] Journey to Hsi-an Fu. [[/underlined]]
   On March 10, 1924, Mr. Wenley, Mr. Ch'iu, Mr. Tung, and I, in company with Mr. Mallory, left Peking by train for Honan province. There

Transcription Notes:
Smithsonian, please confirm Chinese characters. characters verified.