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...is marked with the letters F, G, H, I, K, and they should be read in this order, as follows in the first column.
Two large decorative boxes containing grids of archaic characters and standard Chinese text. The left box is a grid containing: - Characters labeled F, G, H, I, K. - A section with the number 4 and the standard Chinese characters "穂書" (Ear of Grain script) and "神農作" (made by Shennong).The right box is a larger grid containing:
The third form of letters is constructed from the wings of the bird called the Fum hoam original: "Fum hoam"; the Fenghuang or Chinese Phoenix, which is the most beautiful of all that the eye can behold, arranged by the various positions of the feathers and wings. The ancient Emperor Xau-hoam Shaohao, a legendary sovereign of ancient China is said to have used these marks and to have written a book about birds composed in these letters. Thus, the Chinese characters marked with the number five express this: Fum xu Xau hoam çò, which means "The Book of the Phoenix, made by Shaohao," and he wrote it using these and similar characters. The ancient characters are marked with the letters L, M, N, O, P, and should be read in this order; the modern Chinese characters, however, explain them in the manner just described. See the two columns, the last and the second to last.
The fourth form of ancient characters is shown by the signs Q, R, S, T, V, and is constructed from oysters and worms Likely referring to the "Tadpole Script" or "Mollusk Script," often associated with the movements of small aquatic creatures; likewise, the Chinese characters marked with the number 6 explain them with just as many letters: Liteù Chuen kim çò, that is, "the marks of oysters and worms, which King Chuen kim Zhuanxu, a grandson of the Yellow Emperor made, and he engraved a book with these and similar signs." See the two columns shown above.
The fifth form of ancient characters is shown on the following page with the letters X, Y, Z, A, B, and is composed from the roots of plants; the ancients used these in writing letters and books. The Chinese names marked with the number 7 explain them in this way: Kim yun hoam ty chuen original: "Kim yun hoam ty chuen"; likely a reference to the 'Cloud Script' of the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, that is, "letters with which they wrote documents and books."
The sixth form of characters, marked with the letters C, D, E, F, G, is composed of the shortened tracks of birds, which King Choam ham Cangjie, the legendary four-eyed official said to have invented Chinese writing after observing bird footprints once used; thus the Chinese characters marked with the number 8 explain: Choam ham miao cye chi; that is, "Choam ham described books from the shortened tracks of birds." The figure follows.
The seventh form of characters, constructed from tortoises, is marked with the letters H, I, K, L, M; these were discovered by King Yao Emperor Yao, another of the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Thus the Chinese names marked with the number 9 explain: Yao yn quey çò, that is, "King Yao made letters by means of tortoises." This figure also follows.