The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-14
CHINESE EXPLORERS.
Records Prove That They Visited
Mexico 1900 Years Ago.


There is abundant evidence to show the
accurate knowledge possessed by the Chi
nese of the coasts of the Northern Pacific
as far as Kamchatka, of which country
very full accounts are given by their writ
ers in the sixth and seventh centuries.
The distance TO kamchstka from China is
given with great exactness, and mention
is made Of the Aleutian Isles to the east of
it, and the custom of painting their bodies
practlced by the inhabitants of these isl
ands. 1t is not such very long step from
the Aleutian Isles to the peninsula Of
Alaska, and this, too. appears TO be clear
ly indicated In the Chinese records OF that
early date.
Further, at the end of the fifth century
the Chinese discovered country lying a
great distance TO the southeast of Alaska,
which there seems 10 be good reason for
placing 10 Mexico or Central America
The evidence for this discovery is based
on the report of q Buddhist priest named
Hoei Shin, which was ordered on the Off
cial annals of the empire. Hoei Shin had
returned to China frem a long Journey to
the cas-, in a. ID. 499 and he states that he
had visited a country which he had named
Fusang, after a Chinese plant which re-
sembled one that grew In the newly dis
covered land and which the inhabitants
made use of for various purposes. He
and says he had been preceded by five
mendicant Buddhist monks from some
Asiatic Kingdom, who had introduced the
religion of Budda into Fusang in ass A. d.
An Embassy from this distant land is
recorded on one occasion, but there is no
record of any subsequent visit of the Chi
nese TO il. The evidence consequently
rests on the veracity of HOei Shin. At
tempts have been made to throw doubt on
the statements. II remains 10 be con-
sidered, therefore, whether the particulars
mentioned accord with what we know of
these coun tries before their occupation bv
Europeans. 1t was certainly not with the
Aztec monarchy that Hoei Shin came in
contact; not even with the Toltecs, those
somewhat mysterious and apparently
more highly civilized predecessors OF the
AZtecs. The journey was made in the dim
pre-TOltec period, Of which only the faint
est outlines survive.
Yet this age was in all probability one
OF higher stage Of culture than succeed
ing periods, If it was then, as appears
likely, that tile vast cities whose ruins still
astonish the traveller in Central America
were the abodes OF teeming population
and the seat of a mighty empire. 1t is OBJ
vous. therefore, that we have no right TO
expect any perfect resemblance of the
Mexican ot-the fifth century to the Mex
can oil thousand years ago. while, If any
points OF coincidence exist, the fact must
be Of grea: value as evidence.
Now. 1t is astonis hing how many of the
particulars in the Chinese record do agree
very closely with the ne,l-known facts
about the inhabitants of the district of
America in question. Hoei Shin tells us
that the people Of Fusang had a mon
archial Government, with different orders
of nobility. He speaks of their reckoning
time by cycles of years. He mentions also
the custom OF accompanying royal process
sons with the sounds of horns and trum-
pets. He says that the houses wore built
OF wood; that iron was unknown; that
copper. gold and silver were known, but
not sed in exchange nor much valued,