Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
navigators began using the compass in making their voyages in the eleventh or
twelfth century.
23
The compass is one of the most signifi cant contributions made by
the Chinese labouring people to world civilization. For, with the invention of that
instrument, man fi nally gave up his old way of sailing closely to, or a short distance
from, a winding and tortuous seacoast, and launched out boldly for the open ocean.
Thus the seemingly unlimited kingdom of billowing waves became another sphere
where man could display his power and adventurist spirit.
It has been conjectured that the knowledge and use of the mariner's compass
passed from China to Europe via the Arabs.
24
At any rate, European seagoing ships
only began using the compass at the end of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth
century. It is conceivable that the direct route across the Indian Ocean joining
Ceylon or South India with the eastern coast of Africa could have been discovered
before the beginning of the fi fteenth century when Cheng Ho made his voyage. But
as far as Chinese maps and documents are concerned, the fi rst unmistakable refer-
ence to the route occurred at the time of Cheng Ho's expeditions. The appended
sailing chart of Cheng Ho shows clearly that there were two direct routes leading
from Ceylon and South India, respectively, to the eastern coast of Africa. The routes
might pass through Kuanyuliu (the Island of Male), but it was not necessary. We
know for certain that in the seventh voyage, Kuanyuliu was used as a midway sta-
tion. Cheng Ho's original chart contains the following note:
From Kuanyuliu… one arrives at Mukutushu (i.e. Moqadisho), following the Keng-yu
needle.
25
We shall fi nd, by checking the route against a modern map, that the sailing direc-
tion is wonderfully accurate, as what he called the Keng-yu needle represents
roughly 262° on the compass.
The geographical work of Fei Hsin,
26
who accompanied Cheng Ho on four of his
voyages, tells us:
Sailing southward from Peiloli (Belligamme) in Ceylon… one may arrive at Brava after
twenty-one days and nights.
With a favourable wind, it is possible to sail from Hsiaokelan (Quilon) to Mukutushu in
twenty days and nights.
Here are clearly set forth the two direct routes across the Indian Ocean, one
leading from Belligamme in Ceylon to Brava on the eastern coast of Africa, and the
other from Quilon to Moqadisho, also on the eastern coast of Africa. However, the
23
Chu Yü,
P'ing Chou K'ê T'an
, Shou Shan Kê edition, Chüan 2, 1922, p. 3. Hsu Ching,
Hsüan Ho
Feng Shih Kao Li T'u Ching
, T'ien Lu Lin Lang edition,
chüan
34, p. 12, 1931.
24
Situzo Kuwabara,
A Study of P'u Shou-keng
(in Japanese), Tokyo, 1935, pp. 92-93.
25
Hsiang Ta,
Cheng Ho Hang Hai T'u
(The Sailing Chart of Cheng Ho), p. 57.
26
Feng Ch'eng-chün,
Hsing Ch'a Sheng Lan Chiao Chu
, Shanghai, 1954, pp. 21, 24.
Hsing Ch'a
Sheng Lan
written by Fei Hsin is one of the three important geographical works compiled at the
time of Cheng Ho's navigations. The other two works are
Ying Ya Sheng Lan
by Ma Huan and
Hsi
Yang Fan Kuo Chih
by Kung Chen. Both Ma and Kung also took part in Cheng Ho's voyages and
gave an account of the countries they visited in their works.
