Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-07
COLUMBUS NOT INIT
AMERICAS DISCOVERY MADE BY
CHINESE BUDDHISTS IN 4s9.
VALUABLE FIND IN PEKIN
A Document Telling of the Discovery
of Fusang Unearthed in Lootins
Palace-Many Facts of His
tory May Need Much Revising in
Light of This Find.

Was the real Columbus a China
man? This astounding question is rails
ed by a statement that has just come
from Pekin, reinforced by recent re
markable discoveries in Mexico. II
the loot of one of the palaces in the
forbidden city there was found ar
authentic historical document telling
of the discovery of this continent in
the fifth century of our era by five
Buddhist monks, who voyaged from
China to distant land, now deemed
certain to have been Mexico.
The document is from the pen OF
a historian named Ii Yen Shan, who
lived in the beginning of the seventh
century, and it tells the story as ii
was related by one of those monks
who, more fortunate than his com
panions, returned from the New World
in safety, in the year 499 A. D. He de
scribed the newly discovered country
which he called Fusang, as situated
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 excava-
ton for sewer in Escalileras street
Immediately back of the great cathe-
dral in the modern City of Mexico, a
few days ago, corroborate to an amaz-
ing degree the statements in the his
torical document of Ii Yen Shan.
In the first place no less than a
thousand genuine jade beads were I'M
earthed. No jade in it's natural state
has ever been found in Mexico China
is the only place where it is found,
or even has ben found, so far as is
known.
Second-The ancient Chinese were
as fearless seamen as the Norsemen.
1t is a Wellknown fact that the ma
riner'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
seawOrthiness of their craft
Third-The great oceanic current
which flows northward up the eastern
coast of China passes along the south
ern edge of the Aleutian islands chain
and then sweeps down to the south
again, past the shores of Alaska,
British Columbia and California.
Everything set adrift or dropped over
board on the coast of China comes to
America by this route.
Fourth-Pictures of old matched
rooted shelters in Oaxaca are striking
ly similar to the matched roofs of the
Chinese. The peculiar rain coats
worn by the old Mexican porters are
almost precisely like the rain coats of
| the Chinese.
F1fth-In southern Mexico are found
numerous aboriginal people possess
ing the only true monosyllabic lang
uage-a language in structure singu-
larly like the Chinese-found in that
part of the world. The hieroglyphic
characters used in writing by the
Mayas of ancient Yucatan and Mexico
somewhat resemble those employed by
the Chinese. The Chinese characters
| of today are merely notifications of
| hieroglyphic switch are more or less
Photographic.
| S1Xth-An ancient Chinese symbol
was found carved in a 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 Pro
lessor Saville of the American Mn.
scum of Natural History. He does not
thlnk the Chinese ever liked on this
continent, but admits that there is
striking evidence of the knowledge OF
! things Chinese in old Mexico.
Here is the original document:
'Fu-sang is situated about 10000 i
to the east of the country of Tahar
and an equal distance to the east ot
China. 1t has many trees, whose first
sprouts resemble those of the BAN
boo, and which serve the natives as
food. The fruit is red and shapef
like a pear and the bark of the tree
is prepared in the same manner as
hemp, to be manufactured into clotf
nd lowered stuffs, and the Woo
serves for the construction of houses
Inc inhabitants have a system of writ
ing, 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 trifing faults
are sent to the latter, those guilty. o.
graVer~ crimes to the former. The
male and female prisoners are allow
ed to marry each other and their chill
dren are sold as slaves. When a mar
OF superior rank commits a crime tbt
people assemble in great numbers
seat themselves opposite to the offend
+, partake of banquet and take leav,
OF the condemned person as of one
VINO is about to die. Cinders are the,
heaped about the doomed man. Fo
slight faults the criminal alone i
punished, but for a serious crime hi
children and grandchildren suffe
with him, and in some extraordinar,
cases his sin is visited upon his de
scendant to the seventh generation
Deer are raised just as cattle ar