1421: Chapter 9

Before actually landing in China, Zhou Man's fleet (the Pacific Fleet) was actually taken by the currents of the Pacific Ocean to North America. This is verified by a Chinese ship wreck in the Sacramento River. There, they discovered seeds and plants indigenous to China. It has also been recorded in American history that some Chinese settlers differed from other Chinese immigrants, providing evidence that they were all not just immigrants. The ships then continued south to Mexico, where they met the Mayans. They had finally found what they were looking for the entire expedition... someone who rivalled their engineering and artistic abilities. The Chinese were well advanced in astronomy, sailing, and mining. The Mayans, on the other hand, were very advanced in areas such as art and gem cutting. Their villages were built with extreme detail and their ability to cut and shape gems and stones was sure to impress the exhausted sailors. This chapter really surprised me. I did not expect the fleet to sail right past China and continue on their voyage. I found the exploration of the Pacific Coast of America fascinating in the fact that the Chinese found the Mayans so worthy of trade. Not that the Mayans did not deserve it, I admit that I learned a lot about them in this chapter alone. It was simply surprising to me that they had travelled the entire world and not found anyone yet worth trading with that they did not already know. It is kind of cool that they found those new worthy people in North America.