The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-07-29
Chinese Discovery of America
400 Years Ago.

Chinese Discovery of America
b.. 14oo Years Ago. ,I,
The Spaniards discovered America
$40 years ago. The Welsh claim an
earlier discovery in favor Of their Prince
MaGoc. The Mortimer of tho eleventh
century, claim the honnr of the first dis.
covery at even an earlier date. But the
Chinese claim it prior to them all-at a
time according to their history about
1400 years ago 81
In Chinese history VIC find descrip
tons of vast country 1000 le to the
Eastward, across the great ocean, which,
from the description given, must be cal
ifornia and Mexico. The account saws
that several Buddhist priests at Bipg.
chau, about A. d. 499, having arrived
there, reported that F1sang (America)
lay to the east about 20 900 le, or 5000
miles from Japan and that in A. D..
456,fve mendicaut priest went there and
distributed Buddhist tracts aud images
among the inhabitants, which by that
means changed their customs, as Budd-
hism was not formerly known to them.
The description Of Fusang, as given
by the Chinese historian, differs but lit
tie from that given by the Spaniards,
when they conquered Mexico. He calls
the country Fusang, from the name of
particular tree that grew there, and
which he describes thus: The leaves
of the Fusang, when first produced, re-.
semble those of the bamboo. Tho in.
habitants eat the fruit, like pears, and
weave its bulk into cloth for clothing
and articles of embroidery. They have
books, which are written on the bark of
a fusang." OF this tree (tho maguoy, \
Prescott says that /" its bruised leaves
afforded paste, from which paper was
made; its juice was manufactured into
an intoxicating beverage, 'pulque, Of
which the natives, to this day, are exces.
sively fond its leaves supplied an i'm.
penetrable thatch for the humble dwell
ling thread of which course stuffs
were made, and strong cords from its
tough and twisted fibres, pins and nee
dies were made of its thorns at the ex.
properly cooked, was converted into a
palotable and nutritious food. The ma.
guey, in short, was meat drink, clothing
and writing for the Aztec Surely
never did nature enclose, in so compact
form, SO many Of the elements of hu.
man comfort and civilization.
Again. Tho Chinese historian states
"that they had not iron but they posses
sed copper. They did not esteem gold
and silver. The use of iron was un,
known to them but they found sub
sttute in an alloy of copper and tu, with
which they could cut metal and stones. i
Silver the great staple of their country
at the time of the conquest, may have
| thousand years earlier, been unnoticed
or uncoveted BY them.
BY carefully examining the Chinese
history and comparing with that o
Prescotts Conquest of Mexico" ",
find but few points of difference. Ii
their treatment Of criminals, habits O
the judges. religion, and ip many othel
respects, they agree with each other S,
well, that no doubts need be entertained
in the least, regarding the authenticity
of the Chinese accounts. The religion
of the Aztecs was in most respects lik,
Buddhism. Their arts, institutions, ant
customs. were almost the same as thos,
of the Chinese. By a careful examina
tion and contrasting of both histories
inquiring minds will not doubt in tn,
least that the Chinese discovered thi,
continent thousand years earlier thar
any other nation.
Most people in California have motto
ed the similitude existing between the
Indians and Chinese both in feature
and the accent Of their monosyllabi,
dialects, and from my own experience
find that they are nearly the same. Th,
Chinese accent can be traced throuphou
the Indian language though the mos
of the Digger Indians with whom l hav,
conversed, speak of the ancient Azte
language. Not wishing to pursue thi
subject much farther at present, | vii
transcribe few words for the pufpos
of showing the anology, as follows;
Indian Chinese, English
Nsng-a, Nang, Man
| NI.eO0 500 Had