— 42 — 



in some country over the sea, he wanted to tracé him and at the same time 

 to display his military force in foreign countries, in order to 'show that China 

 was rich and strong. 



In the 6th month of the year 1405 he ordered Chêng Ho, his com- 

 panioh Wang Ching-hung ( ] ) and others to go as envoys to the western 

 ocean. They took with them 27800 soldiers, a large quantity of gold and 

 silks, and made sixty two large ships, 440 feet long and 180 feet broad ( 2 ). 

 They sailed from Su-chou ( 3 ) to Fukien and from there they went first to 

 Champa and next to the various barbarian countries, making known the 

 orders from the Emperor. They made presents to the princes and chiefs 

 and those who would not submit, were compelled by force. 



In the year 1407, the 9th month, Chêng Ho and his companions 

 returned and envoys of the different countries foliowed them to the court. 

 He presented also to the Emperor the chief of Ku-kang (Palembang), whom 

 he had taken prisoner. The Emperor was much satisfied and promoted and 

 rewarded them in different ways. Ku-kang is the old San-bo-tsai; the chief 

 of this country, Ch'en Tsu-i ( 4 ), had been carrying on piracy and when Chêng 

 Ho sent messengers with the orders from the Emperor, he feigned to submit 



( 2 ) These improbable dimensions are thus given in our text and we cannot help translating 

 them. It seems however that the Chinese Government, at that time, used Very large ships for its 

 embassies to foreign countries, and we are able to give a more detailed description of one from the 

 Hai Yü, a book published in 1537. 



//In the year 1486 the Emperor sent two envoys to Champa in order to perform the 

 //ceremony of investiture. These officers equipped a large ship for the purpose. When a large 

 //ship makes a voyage, it has a smaller vessel, with several tens of picked men who know 

 //the way on sea, and this vessel, called the i/pilol", goes before the larger one. 



//Behind the large vessel two boats are fastened, to be used for the purpose ofgetting 

 //iirewood and water and to serve in case of emergency ; these are called nfasl horses"" or rrboats 

 //with feet." 



//The soldiers and other peoplc going with these envoys numbered about a thousand; 

 //what with men and what with goods the sliip was overloaded and as the captain was not 

 //well acquainted with the sea, the ship struck on a rock on the coast of Annam ; it broke up 

 //and the two envoys were drowned, which same fate was shared by nincty percent of their 

 //suite. There was on board a man from my village, who managed to save himself with about 

 //seventy others in one of the smaller boats , in which they rowcd to the shore, which was 

 //very near." 



O pflfc wl capita 1 of the present provincc ol' Chiang-su. 

 C") 1^ Jftü É§Ei c ^ c ^ ot the. Chinese in Palembang, q. v. 



