Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-02-20
CHINESE FIRST.
THEORY THAT THEY WERE DIS
CovERERS OF AMERICA.
HWuI SLAMS STORY OF TRAVEL TOLD
l,4OO YEARS AGo-EyIDENcBs IN
MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.

y
turned to China with the statement that
he had come from country lying great
distance TO the east. His story SO excited
the interes, Of the government that the
imperial historiogrspher was commanded
to enter IT upon his official records.
Although the Chinese and japanese both
are thoroughly familiar with he story OF
Hwui shsn's discovery, the celebrated
Chinese scholar, Ma Twan-liu, searched
the original records and made a copy OF
he imperial photographers original
digest that II might be proven beyond the
shadow Of doubt.
Hwui Shan was a Buddhist missionary
priest. With Eve brother missionaries
ne left China, sailing north by the penin
suia OF Kamc hatks to the Aleutian islands,
eastward to Alaska, and thence to
Fusang, which is the name of the conn
try be tells the most about. He describes
the people he encountered on bis voy-
age. The Aleutiau islanders, he said, were
q happy, joyous people, having the custom
| OF tattooing their bodies, and they re-
| ceived the strangers with great show OF
hospitality. East OF these islands was
the country he called the "Great Ham,"
whose Inhabitants had no implements OF
war, nor carried on a war with any one,
but were content to live by hunting and
| fishing. The description OF this people APP
| plies truly to the inhabitants of Alaska,
the Esquimaux, who are peaceabie
people, never having been known to have
had wars OF any kind.
| Fusang, literally "The Land Of the
Mulberry Tree Is described as being
situated twice 10000 II to the east OF
Great Han" By a glance at the map
1t will be seen that an easterly course
from that part of Alaska nearest the
AIeutian islands would bring the navi-
gator to British Columbia, but then the
old Buddhist missionary may have been
careless In regard to his sailing direction,
| or he imperial bistoriogrspher may have
| earelessIy substituted east for southeast.
"Twice 10000 li'' is figured variously be-
tween 5000 and 1000 miles, and that dis
4 lance in a southessterIy direction from
| Alaska nearest the Aleutiap islands would
bring the navigator off the coast OF Mex
leo. Now Hwui Shan's account OF Flu
sang aud its people, where be appears to
have tarried some time, applies to Mexico.
| His 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
q Chinamsn arriving in a thiekly popu-
lated country from one where everything
! a. a. III
THE CHINESE EXPLORER.
| Hwui Shan describes the houses OF
Fusang 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
that they made cordage and paper from
it's bre and ate the tender sprouts OF its
| Young roots He speaks of a milk which
was probably none other than the fer
mented juice of the msguey, the pulque
of the present day, and calls the tuna,
the fruit of the cactus, which We call a
prickly pear, red pear, which, IL not
pIucked, remains On the tree throughout
the season. The people had no iron, but
used copper In a 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 vas founded in
central India about the beginning OF the
Christian era. No jew, Greek, Roman
I a H.t hi Of arr r.
ing any one to his religion. BY them re-
lIpion was considered a private or ma
tional property. with which no outsider
had any business to interfere. But Bud
dha, the founder OF Buddhism commanded
his proseiytes to 60 forth with his doc
trines and preach them In every part OF
the world. Thus with religion East In
dian arts were carried into China and
Buddhism was eventually accepted as
| religion by the Chinese, who preserve In
their records accounts OF journeys made
by various deyotees of the Buddhist re-
ligion in 3s5 A. D., 800, 5ls and 629. These
accounts are all written by the Buddhists
themselves, whereas, the account oil Hwul
Shan is chronicled by the imperial his
Photographer.
After the destruction OF dynasty OF
Tsip in 40, China was divided into TWO
empires, that OF the north and that OF the
south. LII Yen Chen, Chinese historian
no wrote the history OF these two EN-
pires about the beginning of the seventh
century, gives an account of Fusang, anc
describes how the land is reached by
sailing along Kamchatka, the Aleutiar
Islands and the coast OF North Amerle'
By tails route the navigator Is out o.
sight of land but once, and that Tor
distance OF 200 miles. The Huen XII
Lui Han, the great Chinese encyclopedia
gives an account OF the discovery o.
Fussng by Buddhist priest, who arrived
in the village of King Chow on his return
from a voyage to that Kingdom INT
article is illustrated with picture OF
native OF Fusang milking hind Will
white spots, its young standing near, alst