The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-07-18
EARLY CHINESE EXPLORERS
Records Prove That They Visited
Mexico 300 Years Ann

records Prove That They Visited
Mexico l, 800 Years Ago,
There is abundant evidence to show the
accurate knowledge possessed by the
Chlnese OF the coasts of the Northern
Pacific as far as kamchatlza, of which
country very full accounts are given Nv
their writers in the sixth and seventh
centuries, says Leisure Hours. The dis
lance to kamchatka from China is given
with great eXactness, and mention is
made OF the Aleutian Isles to the east of
IL, ana the custom of painting their bodies
praciced by the Inhabitants of these
islands. 1t is not such very long step
from the Aleutian Isles to the peninsula
Oh Alaska, and this, too, appears to be
clearly indicated in the Chinese records of
that early date. Further, at the end of
the fifth century the Chinese discovered a
country lying great distance 10 the
southeast OF Alaska, which there seems to
be good reason for placing III Mexico or
Central America.
The evidence for this discovery is based
on the report of a Buddhist priest named
Hoel Shin, which was ordered on the
official annals of the empire Hoei Shin
had returned to China from lone iour-
ney TO the East in A. D. 400, and he states
that he had visited a country which he
had named Fusang, after Chinese plant
which resembled one that grew in the
newly discovered land and which the in
habltantS made use of for various pur-
poses. lie adds various particulars about
the country and says he had been Dre-
coded by five mendicant Buddhist monk G
from some Asiatic Kingdom, who had in
troduced the religion OF Buddha into En-
sang in ass \. d.
An Embassy from this distant land is
recorded on one occasion. bnt there il
no no record OF any subsequent visit of the
chinese to 1t. The evidence consequently
rests on the veracity of Hoei Shin. Al
tempts have been made to throw doubt
on the statements. 1t remains to be con
Sldered, therefore, whether the particu-
lars mentioned accord with what we
know OF these countries before their occu-
patton by Europeans. 1t was certainly
not with the Aztec monarchy that Hoei
Shin came in contact; not even with the
Ioltecs, those somewhat mvsterious and
apparently more highly civilized prede-
cessors OF the Aztecs. The journey was
made IN the dim pre-Toitec period, of
which only the taintest outlines survive.
et this age was in all probability one of
higher stage OF culture than succeeding
periods, II 1t was then, as appears likely,
that the vast cities whose ruins still as
tonlsh that traveller in Central America
were the abodes ora teeming population
and the seat OF a mighty empire.
1t IS obvious, therefore, that we have
no right to expect any perfect resem-
blance OF the Mexican of the fifth CEN
fury to the Mexican of a thousand wears
ago, while, if any points Of coincidence
exist, the fact must be of great value as
evidence. Now, it is astonishing how
many Of the particulars in the Chinese
record do agree very closely with the
well-known facts about the inhabitants
of the district of America in question.
Hoel Shln tells us that the people of En-
sang had monarchical government. with
different orders of nobility. He speaks
OF their reckoning time by cycles of wears,
lie mentions also the custom OF accom-
panylug royal professions with the
SOUNDS OF horns and trumpets. He saws
that the houses were built of wood; that
IRON was unknown; that copper, gold
anu SILVER were known, but not used in
exchange nor much valued.