1421: Chapter 11

With this chapter I have passed the 300 page mark in this book. However, I would like to continue reading it after the assignment is due. The beginning of this chapter took me all the way back to when the Chinese fleet first reached the Americas from the east. All the ships discussed up to this point travelled down the coast of South America. However, now the book has retraced its steps and is discussing the travels of the part of the fleet that travelled north. At this point in time specifically, Gavin is describing the method that was used to chart the Caribbean. Thus far in the novel, a bit of a pattern has been established. The author has gone back and proven the courses of these Chinese explorations by use of maps, legends, ship wrecks, stone markers, and many other things as well. After these routes are established, it seems that quite often that a later explorer (often the ones we learn about in classrooms) follow those same routes by use of maps and more importantly currents. Once again, this is believed to be the case in the Caribbean. The Chinese had a tendency to follow the current wherever it took them, and this is exactly what Columbus did as well. In his case, when they met the locals, there were stories of earlier outside visitors like Columbus and his men. It is very probable that these men were the Chinese sailors of the great exploration undertaken by Zheng He. Like the Chinese mapping technique used everywhere else, ships were sent out in enormous amounts to map an area. When they came to an island, several ships went to one side while other went to the other side. This method allowed them to map both sides of the island at the same time and cut the amount of time in half... just another way the Chinese proved how advanced they were in seafaring and navigation. Other evidence included the fact that there was iron materials among the natives when the first Europeans arrived. At first, I did not find this very interesting at all, and wondered how it proved anything. However, I soon discovered that Central America is very well known for being one of the few spots on Earth that contains no iron deposits whatsoever. This supports Gavin's thesis very well. Although it was a semi-difficult read, this book has proven to be one of my favorites of the year. It was so different, almost like a science fiction novel, but yet there is evidence to support the theory it is real. Upon reaching my desired number of pages, the author Gavin Menzies has already convinced me that the Chinese had made these voyages. I greatly hope that someday he is able to verify his ideas with credible sources and one day we will all be able to see history rewritten. The Chinese definitely deserve to be commended on undeniably one of their greatest accomplishments ever.

1421: Chapter 10

This chapter continued to reveal the relationships between Chinese and Early American Culture. The Pacific Coast of America still has many of these similarities with China even to this day. Some of these include: Language, Asian chickens, Dye and Art Techniques, just to name a few. Gavin goes into great detail about each one so it is impossible just to classify them as coincidences. Also, once again DNA testing has provided evidence of Chinese ancestry all along the West Coasts of North and South America. It is basically indisputable that the Chinese had a very evident part in America long before it was ever discovered by Europeans. I know I am only about half way through this novel, but with the amount and types of evidence presented so far, I am already convinced that Gavin's theory is correct. He also states that when he was searching to see if there were any others out there that believed the same theory as his that the Chinese had discovered America, he stumbled upon the fact that there have already been over one thousand books published about this particular topic from all parts of the earth.

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.

1421: Chapter 8

Upon greater research into the Chinese's exploration of Australia, he provides even more solid evidence. First, there was the Barrier Reef. This reef is enormous and spans a lot of Australian Coast. The entire reef was mapped in accuracy that almost rivals today's precision. All this occurred nearly 275 years before the first Europeans even saw Australia! However, these Chinese explorers were not just out to map uncharted territories, they were out to discover new riches. When they found Australia, they hit a gold mine... literally. Just like sailing, astronomy, and many other aspects of life, the Chinese were way ahead of everyone else when it came to mining. They actually figured out that certain plants grow over certain minerals. Imagine if that were known in America during the California Gold Rush. There would not have been all those people out there digging in random spots looking for something they would never find. Instead, miners could simply see what plants are growing where, and know exactly where to dig. The Chinese figured this out more than 400 years before the California Gold Rush! However, the sailors wanted more. So on their voyage back to China, they stopped in the Spice Islands and traded for even more goods to take home. This particular part of their trip greatly effected history. It was later discovered that Magellan had acquired a map revealing their course and actually followed it on his circumnavigation of the world. It is astounding how their greed has left such a mark on history. If they had not decided to follow that route, Magellan may have never made it, which it turn effects everyone to sail after him.

1421: Chapter 7

As chapter six left me with the fleet that was traveling eastward from South America, chapter seven picked up with part of the fleet that was traveling westward from South America. It was very interesting to see that because each group of ships used the same navigation techniques, they both arrived at the same final destination, Australia. The Pacific Ocean fleet, as I am calling this group of ships, faced many perils on their adventures. As they reached the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, the eastward currents actually swept them back in the direction they had come from. During this event, several treasure ships were lost. However, the Chinese do not stop and wait for everyone to have a pity party for them. Recently, there was an earthquake in China, killing thousands. Both times, the Chinese responded by trying to rectify their problems immediately. Again and again in history, the Chinese continue to provide examples of their relentless desire to continue forward. The loss of these ships, though, has proven quite beneficial for Gavin Menzies. With the discoveries of these lost ships all over the world, it only helps to further his hypothesis of the Chinese travelling around the world and discovering the Americas. Gavin's last piece of evidence is the Chinese ancestry in the places where the ships wrecked. It is amazing what technology can do these days. By tracing legends to people, and then using their DNA, Gavin was actually able to find that some people surrounding these wreck sites do have Chinese in their blood. To me, that is simply crazy. It is like a real life CSI scenario. Throughout this book, I have been feeling a feeling of pride in these Chinese sailors. Everywhere they go, they mark the lands with gigantic boulders, all bearing the same symbol. To prove it is Chinese, several of these stones have been found in southern China as well. It feels like they were trying to make a statement. Not only were they trying to accomplish the impossible (at the time), but it seems they wanted everyone to know of it.

1421: Chapter 6

As we have already discussed in class, the Chinese people as a whole are relentless in their strive for advancement and new knowledge. With each passing chapter, this fact becomes more and more apparent in this book as well. After discovering South America (along with Magellan's Strait), an Admiral by the name of Hong Bao set sail to explore along the coast of Antarctica. Keeping in mind that the Chinese have dealt with icy waters for centuries, this was still a bold undertaking. Again, the Chinese displayed a knowledge of the stars well beyond that of Europeans at the time, as the used Polaris to calibrate their latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere with Canopus. I was really surprised when they accomplished this. Also, with new locations comes new troubles to overcome. Scurvy had become a problem onboard the ships, and to counter it they found local cabbages that somehow countered the disease. With each new map, I am amazed at the detail the Chinese used so many years before any European exploration even came close to what they had accomplished. The author is almost completely certain, and I agree with him, that most European explorers (including the great Magellan), used maps already created by the Chinese. With the completion of the journey along Antarctica, the ships ventured to Australia and then home to China. However, the great exploration is not over. There is so much left to be told.

1421: Chapter 5

I have never read an author like this before. This guy's passion about finding evidence proving the Chinese did discover America is unlike anything I have ever read before. I am merely 150 pages into the book, and it seems as though he may be running out of options. At that instance, he finds more evidence out of nowhere. After finding as much evidence as he could in maps and records, Gavin then attempted to use plants, animals, and diseases to further prove the Chinese's exploration of America. However, he also found other details other people (including me) overlooked in the maps. In Fra Mauro's map the Piri Reis, a compass was located in the exact location of the Falkland Islands. When I saw this map in the book, I merely thought that was where they put the compass. However, Gavin explained that it was located there because there is a mountain called Mount Adams located there. At that exact point, the sailors were below a star called Canopus, which like Polaris, gave them a point from which to determine their latitude. Small details like this just show his knowledge of maps and his desire to find the smallest details. The author then went on to use animals drawn on the maps to show that the Chinese not only found these places, but explored inland and recorded the areas before Europeans ever set foot in the Americas. Animals like chickens (in South America, the chickens are more similar to Asian chickens than they are European chickens), and plants like maize (a plant that could have only gotten to Asia from South America by sailors) further proved his point. These are things that a retired seaman may not ever consider when trying to use maps to prove a voyage, but Gavin's knowledge obviously goes far beyond that. It will be interesting to see what he uses as evidence next.