Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-10
AMERICAS DISCOVERY
Sew York nernld.

4
This astounding question 10 raised by
a statement that has just come from
Pekin, reinforced by recent remarkable
| discoveries In Mexico. In the loot Of
one CT the palaces In the Forbidden
City there was found an authentic his-
tnrioal document telling OF the dis
covery Of this continent In the fifth
century Of our era by five Buddhist
monks, who voyaged from China TO a
distant land, now deemed certain to
have been Mexico.
The document is from the pen Of q
historian named Iii Yen Shan, who
| lived in the beginning OF the seventh
century. and ii tells the story as II was
| related by one of these monks, who,
mo fortunate than his companions,
returned from the New World 10 safety,
| in the year 400 A. ID. He described
the newly discovered country, which
he called Fu-Sang, as sitrattd some
| 1000 miles to the east OF China. The
distance is stated in Ii, three OF which
are about equal to one OF our miles.
The wonderful discoveries of the
capitol OF the ancient Montezumas BY
workmen who were making an ex-
oavation for a sewer 10 EscalilleIas
| street Immediately back OF the great
cathedral 10 the modern City of
Mexico, few days ago, corroborate
tn AN amazing degree the statements In
the histot ioal document OF Iii Yen
| Shan. - Y
In the first place no less than q
thousand genuine jade beads were YIN .
earthed. No jade In lis natural state
has ever been found in Mexico. China
is the only place where 1t Is found. or
ever has been found, SO far as lie
known.
Second The ancient Chinese were as
fearless seamen MS the Noisemen. 1t
Is well-known fact that the maliner's
compass is of Chinese origin. Time
and again Chinese junks have been
found stranded on the SHORES of
Alaska, British Columbia and as far
south as Oregon. This proves the sea-
worthiness OF their craft. b,p IL
Third-.,Fhe great oceanic current
which flows oorthward up the eastern
coast OF China passes along che south.
ern edge Of the Aleutian Islands ehain
| and then sweeps down to the south
again, past the shores of A laska, British
Columbia and California. Every thing
set adrift or dropped overheard on the
coast of China comes to America by
| this route.
Fourth FIXTURES Of old thntched
rnofed shelters in Oaxaca are strikingly
similar 10 the matched roofs of tue
Chinese. The peculiar rain coats worn
by the old Mexican porters are almost
precisely like the rain coats of the
| Chinese. et Ft3 Z
Fifth In Southern Mexico are found
a numerous aboriginal people possessing
| thu nply frua p,annav al Ita
a language In structure eingularly like
the Chinese-found in that part Of the
world. The hieroglyphic characters
used in writing by the Mayas of an
cient Yucatan and Mexico somewhat
resemble those employed by the
Chinese. The Chinese oharacters Of
today are merely notifications of hero
glyphics which are more or less PHOTO
graphic.
Sixth-An ancient Chinese symbol
was found carved in block OF stone,
which seemed to have been part OF an
ancient altar. Other Mexican images
With figures having Chinese turbans
and Oriental features have been found
in Southern Mexico, according TO Prof.
Sapille Of the American Museum OF
Natural History. He does not think
the Chinese ever lived on thie cont
nent, but admits that there is striking
evidence of the knowledge of things
Chinese in old Mexico.
Here Ia the original document: vi
'Fu-SaDg is situated about 20, 900 II
to the east Of the country OF Tahan and
an equal distance to the east of China.
1t has many trees, whose first sprouts
resemble those of the bamboo, aud
which serve the natives as food. The
fruit Is red and shaped like pear and
the bark of the tree is prepared 10 the
same manner az hemp, TO be manufsc-
tured into cloth and lowered stuifs, and
the woDd serves for the construction OF
houses. The inhabitants have system
OF writing, and make paper from tree
bark. They possess neither arms nor
troops and they never wage war.
According to the laws of the king
dom, there are two prisons, one in the
north, the other in the south. Those
who have committed trifiiug faults are
sent to the latter, those guilty of graver
crimes to the former. The male and
female prisoners are allowed to marry
each other aud their children are sold
as slaves. When man Of superior
rank commits crime tho people
assemble in great numbers, seat them
selves opposite to the offender, partake
OF banquet and take leave of the
conden ned person as Of enc who Is
about to die. Cinders are then heapeu
about the doomed man. For slight
faults the criminal alone is runishe1
but for serious crime his children
and grandchildren suffer with him,
and in some extraordinary CAGES bis
sin is visited upon his descendants to
the seventh generation. tg4Gi
Deer are raised just as cattle are IL
China, and cheese is rade from the
milk OF the females. kind OF red
pear is found there which is good at
all seasons Of the year. Grapevines
also are plentiful. There is no iron.
but copper is met with. Commerce is
free and the people are not given to
haggling about prices.
This ia the manner Of their mar
riages: When a man wishes TO we'd d
girl he erects his cabin just beiore the
door OF hers. Every morning and even
Ing he waters ard weeds the ground
and this be continues TO do for whole
year. II by the end Of that time the
girl has not given her consent to th
union his suit is lost aud he moves
away. but If she is willing he marriet
her. The marriage ceremony ID almost
the same as that observed in China.
Images of the spirits of the dead
are placed on kind of pedestal, and
prayers are addressed to them morning
and evening. The King does noi
meddle with affairs OF government
until he has been three years on the
throne es Ell
I'm former times the religion Of