The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-11

come from country lying great distance
to the east. His story SO excited the in
tcrest Of the Government that the impe-
rial historiographer was commanded to en-
ter it upon his official records. Although
the Chinese and Japanese both are thor
oughly familiar with the story Of Hwui
Shan's discovery. the celebrated Chinese
scholar, Ma Twan-lin, searched the orig
inal records and made copy of the i'm
perial historiographer's original digest that
1t might be proved beyond the shadow Of a
doubt.
Hwui Shan was Buddhist missionary
priest. With five brother missionaries he
left China. sailing north by the peninsula
OF kamchatka, to the Aleutian Islands,
eastward to Alaska, and thence to Fusang.
which is the name of the country he tells
the most about. He describes the people
he encountered on his voyage. The
Aleutian Islanders, he said, were happy
joyous people, having the custom Of tat
tooing their bodies. and they received the
stranger with great show of hospitality
East of these islands was the country he
called the Great Han whose inhabi-
tants had no implements OF war nor car
tent to live by hunting and fishing. The
description Of a people applies truly-to
the inhabitants of Alaska, the Eskimos,
who are peaceable people. never having
been known to have had wars of any kind.
Fusang, literally the Land Of the Null
berry Tree" is described as being stu
ated twice 10000 II to the east Of Great
Ham BY glance at the map it will be
seen that an easterly course from that
part Of Alaska nearest the Aleutian ISL
ands would bring the navigator to Brit
ish Columbia. but then the old Buddhist
missionary may have been careless In re-
gard to his sailing directions, or the i'm
perial historiographer may have car less
ly substituted east for southeast Twice
10000 liz is figured yariousiy between
5000 and 1000 miles, and that distance
in southeasterly direction from Alaska
nearest the Aleutian Islands would bring
the navigator off the coast of Mexico
Now, Hwui Shans account of Fgslng
and its people where he appears to have
tarried some time. applies to Mexico II
particular attention was called to the
fact that the inhabitants Of the country
had no walled cities or towns, which
would be the first natural observation
of Chinaman arriving in a thickiy pop
ulated country from one where every
i
China.
Hwui Shan describes the houses of Flu
sang as being constructed of adobes or
sun-dried bricks, similar to those of the
Pueblo Indians of the present day. and
then he gives a faithful description OF the
Mexican agave. that most useful of all
plants to the native Mexican. He said
they made cordage and paper from its
fibre and ate the tender sprouts OF it's
young roots. He speaks of milk which
was probably none other than the fer
ment juice of the maguey. the pulIue of
the present day. and calls the tuna, the
fruit of the cactus, which We call pickly
pear, red pear, which. if not pluckei,
remains on the tree throughout the sea-
son. The people had no iron, but rsed
copper in variety Of ways. and gold was
of no value. Speaking of the inhabitants,
he said the children married at very
young age, which is true of the aboriginal
tribes of Mexico.
The religion of Buddha was founded in
central India about the beginning of the
Christian era. No Jew, Greek. Roman. or
Brahman had ever thought of converting
anyone to his religion. BY them religion
was considered private or national prop
erty, with which no outsider had any bust
ness to interfere. But Buddha the founder
of Buddhism, commanded his proselytes
to go forth with his doctrines and preach
them in every part of the world. Thus
with religion East Indian arts were car
ried into China and Buddhism was event.
ually accepted as religion by the Chinese.
who preserve in their records accounts of
Journeys made by various devotees of the
Buddhist religion in 3S5 A. D., 399. SIS. and
500 These accounts are all written by the
Buddhists themselves whereas the account
# Hwui Shan is chronicled by the Imperial
After the destruction OF the dynasty of
Tsin in 400 China was divided into two
empires, that of the north and that of the
south Ii Yen Chen. Chinese historian,
who wrote the history of these two en-
pires about the beginning OF the seventh
century, gives an account of Fusang ard
describes how the land is reached by sail
ing along Kamchatka, the Aleutian ISL
ands. and the coast of North America.
BY this route the navigator is out of sight
of land but oncc. and that but for a dis
lance of 200 miles The Yuen Kin Lu
Han, the great Chinese encyclopaedia.
gives an account of the discovery of Flu
sang by Buddhist priest, who arrived in
the village of King Chow on his return
from a voyage to that kingdom. The ar
Licle is illustrated with picture Of a ma +,
i've of Fusang milking hind with white |
spots. its young standing near, also spot
ed. The picture is probably imaginary, |
but it is curious to note that this species |
Of deer is found in Mexico.
We have it that Hwu Shan, returned to |
1hina. that he was a missionary priest, who |
lad been to some country far to he east. |,
where he had left his five companions to
AIRY out the missionary work commanded |
~ Buddha the founder of their religion. |
Whatever became Of these five missionaries |
We can only conjecture. thousands years
lave passed since Hwui Shan arriva ID in the |
'illage of King Chow and related his won
.erful discovery, and the prov. " the !
Spanish caravels pillow the Caribbean Sea |
md Mexican Gulf. They find a people in
lahiting the mainland possessing a civili- !
alton nearly equal to their own. The Az
ecs inhabited well-built cities, possessed |
written records and maps, and made paper
rom fibre OF the agave. Their advanced
tate of civilization was marred only by
heir abomnable human sacrifices.
The Mayas of iucatan had attained even
greater degree OF civilization than the
iztecs, especially in arts and architeesu-
al science, as the remains Of their cities
md temples attest to this day. The Span
ards. in their blind zeal fer the Catholic
aith, destroyed nearly everything they
,0uld get their hands on which showed
he civilization of these people. Whence
hey got this civilization has often teen
'sled.
The Toltecs appear to be the first OF
he aboriginal races who had attained any
legree of civilization. THY inhabited the
Valley CT Anahuac the Valley of Mexico),
,uilt cities and temples and did not IN
lulge any fiendish desire for human sac
'iires. The Azteos a fierce. wariike
ribc. came down from the north, desc
atcd their cities. drove the Toltecs south,
nto Central American and fucatan, and
COX to themselves some of their arts mad
So that we see the civiiiza-