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Maokun's map of east Africa translation (2)
Works used: Mills, J. V. G., trans., ed. Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng-lan: The Overall Survey of the Ocean’s Shores (1433). Hakluyt Society Extra Series 42. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1970
Zheng He and the African Horizon: An Investigative Study into the Chinese Geography of Early Fifteenth-Century Eastern Africa. By Clifford J Pereira.
"Zheng He's Navigation Chart" is not the "Complete Navigation Chart of Zheng He's Fleet" by Zhang Zhiqiang.
Note: Hua Kai is a star used for navigation; The Pei ch'en star (polaris) which is also used is the North star.
Sailing Directions
On the map are also two important sailing directions:
The first one starts from Male (Maldives) to Mogadishu; it reads:
From Kuan hsu liu (Male Island) steer 255 deg-270 deg ; after 150 watches the ship makes Mu-ku-tu (Mogadishu).
The second one is the one which winds along the east coast of Africa. It reads;
(we start reading from the south) (When you are ) in ( the latitude where the altitude of the ) Hua kai star (perhaps 50 of Cassiopeia)(is) less than 5 fingers ( 3deg 12' S) (and) are going to (the latitude where the altitude of the ) Pei ch'en star (polaris)(is) 4 fingers (6deg 25' N), you set (your course) upon the Tou (star) (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta of Ursa Major). When mountains appear, you set a compass (-course) of 15 deg-30 deg. (After) 65 watches the ship reaches Ko-erh-te-feng (Guardafui), (which is) Ha-fu-erh-yu (Hafun) . (When you are ) in (the latitude where) the angle is 3 fingers (4 deg 49' N), mountains appear. Going to (the latitude where the altitude of Pei ch'en is) 6 fingers 2 quarters (10 deg 26' N) (you go) straight around that place on (a course of ) 60 deg...... Again (when you are ) in (the latitude where the altitude is ) 6 fingers 2 quarters, there will be mountains to landward.
Note that the big island is Ceylon; the small islands in the middle the Maldives and the land in the upper left corner South India.
Folio 19V
10) 木鲁旺 : Mu lu wang ; Mills has Brava (1°36’N) a repetition as he identifies two places as Brava. Pereira has Mambore/Omwe (1°80S) but he adds that the site really is unidentified. Here for the third town in the drawing of three, I follow the idea of Zhang Zhiqiang who changes 木鲁旺 into 木鲁旰 mu-ru-kan (Merka, Marka, Merca). Merca (1°40’N) is located about 70 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu.
11) 十剌哇 : Shi la wa. Mills has Brava Town; Pereira has Shihlawa/Bulawa ; Baraawe Town. (1°07’N). Zhang Zhiqiang idem.
In Wikipedia it is noted as a scribal error. The 十剌哇 should be 卜剌哇(Bulawa).
12) Hua kai (Huagai, perhaps 50 of Cassiopeia), Eight fingers (1°36’N)
13) 起荅兒 : Qi da er. Mills has Ch’i-ta-erh (Qidaer) Ras Kitao Cape (2°18’S) (on Manda Island). Pereira agrees. Zhang Zhiqiang has Kilwa. Here we have a new group of three town (nr13-14-16). Their drawings are very different from the previous group of three towns. Here they are very close together but absolutely not connected to each other (but in some editions there is a thin line connection drawn between this Ras Kitao and Merka). They are simple rocks. As it turns out they are the three biggest islands of the Lamu archipelago. Maokun and Ibn Majid (1470) are the two only authors to mention Ras Kitao.
14)慢八撒 : Man ba sa. Mills has
Mombasa (4°04’S) Zhang Zhiqiang also.
Pereira has Mfasa on Pate Island (2°01’S). In Swahili adding an M in front of a word is not unusual. I agree with Pereira. Maokun together with Ibn Majid (1470) are the two only authors to
mention Faza. Ibn Majid as Faza Ali. (The Portuguese: Ampasa).
15) Hua kai (Huagai, perhaps 50 of Cassiopeia), Seven fingers (0°00')
Faza island; an island inside Pate Island.
16) 者剌则即哈剌 : Zhe la ze ji ha la : Mills has Jezira Gezira and makes it refer to the two islands Pemba and Zanzibar (Jazira or Gezira means island). Pereira has Shela on Lamu Island (2°18S). Zhang Zhiqiang has after changes on some of the Chinese characters: Sofala-Shirazi. I support Pereira: Shela Jazira (=Island). On one of the three main islands of the Lamu archipelago. Shela (nr 16) and Kitao (nr 14) are in reality very close together as they are towns on opposite sides of the channel that separates the two islands. Just like in the drawings of Maokun. Nr 14 Mfasa is on an island a bid further away. This is the only medieval mention of Shela available.
17) 門肥赤: Men fei shi. Mills has (Menfeichi): Mafia Island (7°58’S). Zhang Zhiqiang has Malgache (Madagascar). Pereira has Ungwana (2°50’S). I support Pereira. At the place of Ungwana there are several Swahili Stonetowns in close proximity: Just before entering Kipini bay the Wanawali Sabaa tombs, at the entrance Kamwana ruins; followed by Shaka ruins and close to Kipini Ungwana ruins.
Ibn Majid (1470) mentions Ras Shaka as Chika and Ungwana as Hudani and also as Hawadani.
18) 葛荅幹 : Ge da gan; Mills has Ko-to-kan for Quitangonha island (14°51’S). Pereira has Ras Ngomeni (3°0’S); Zhang Zhiqiang has unidentified. I support Pereira.
The promontory of Ras Ngomeni sticking 7 km into the sea is nicely added to Maokuns chart (as also he did for Ras Hafun). The map or description from which he took his information must have been very detailed.
19) 麻林地 : Ma lin di; Mills has: Malindi or Mozambique (15°0’S). Pereira has Malindi (3°13’S). Zhang Zhiqiang has a place in the harbor area of Zanzibar which is also called Malindi. The building is unique on the map. Its closest by relative is found on the other end of the very long map and is related to the Shamanism cult. As Malindi is the town who brought a giraffe to China (an auspicious animal) it clearly is considered a place where special powers exist.
The little flags on the pole show we have here a religious building of a Shaman.
