the islands in the great ocean; the clistance is about 3 to 5 thousand li (*) 

 for those that are nearer and 20 to 30 thonsand li for those that are farther 

 away. When sailing in a vessel , it is difficult to compute the length of the 

 road and therefore we nmst recollect that the nmnber of li, given with re- 

 spect to the barbarians of the onter countries, must not be taken as exact. 



History of the Liang dynasty (502—556). Book 54 p, 1. 



The countries of the southern ocean are, generally speaking, situated 

 at the south-west of the land of the Giau-chi and on the islands of the ocean. 

 The nearest are away from 3 to 5 thousand li and the most remote from 20 

 to 30 thousand li; their western parts join the countries at the west of China. 



In the period Yuan-ting of the Han dynasty (116 — 110 B. C), the 

 generals Fu-p'o and Lu-po-teh ( 2 ) were sent to open the south ; they founded 

 the district Jih-nan ( 3 ) and since that time the countries beyond it borders 

 have all come to court and presented tribute. 



Afterwards, during the reign of the emperor Hsiian of the Han dy- 

 nasty (73 — 49 B. C), the Romans and Indians ( 4 ) have sent envoys and 

 presented tribute through the same way. 



In the time of Sun-ch'üan of the house ofWu (222 — -251), twofunc- 

 tionaries, called Chu-ying and K'ang-tai ( 5 ), were ordered to go to the south; 

 they went to or heard from a hundred and more countries and made an 

 account of them. 



During the Chin dynasty (265 — 419) those who came to China were 

 very few and therefore they were not mentioned in the history of that dy- 

 nasty. In the Sung (420 — 477) and Ch'i (479 — 501) dynasties more than 

 ten countries made their appearance and for the first time a notice of them 

 is given. Since the accession of the Liang dynasty (502 — 556), they have 

 come over the sea every year for getting an almanac and acquitting themselves 

 of the duty of tribute, in greater number than in any former time. 



C) The Chinese li .Ep has, in the conrse of time, considerably changed its value; at the time 

 the above passage was written, it may be taken at 340 in a degree. 



O i% ffi -d g§ ff fjg. 



( 3 ) K5» Jih-nan, according to Chinese writers a kind of colony on the spot or in the neigh- 



bourhood of Huë. 



C) ^ Hl; Ta-tsin and ^ Èt T'ien-tak. 



O ^ Jg and |t 0, 



