As illustration only; From an old Chinese drawing of the
Islamic empire: Hormuz
Li Hsien (Compiler); Ta Ming i t'ung chih
(the great geography of the Ming) (1461)
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Da-Ming yitong zhi 大明一統志 "Records of the unity of the Great Ming" is the imperial geography of the Ming compiled under Emperor Yingzong 明英宗 (r. 1435-1449; 1457-1464). It comprises 90 juan and was compiled by a staff under the directorship of Li Xian 李賢 and Peng Shi 彭時 (1416-1475). In the list of tribute countries; the ones bringing giraffes zebra etc. are mentioned again.
Taken from: AC Moule; Some foreign birds and beasts in Chinese books.
Yuan 90
榜葛刺國 Bang-ge-ci-guo (Bengal)
Successive changes: an ancient capital of the West, India has five countries this being the eastern one. This large
country send tribute in the sixth year of Youngle. In the 12th year an envoy was
send to pay the tribute of a Qilin (giraffe) and other things…………………………………
天方國 Tian-fang-guo (Mecca)
Its history is ancient, it is the old Hall of Heaven also known as the Western Regions, it came to China during Xuande (1). The king send the envoys together with others to pay the tribute……………(Native products) native horses eight food high, xu-jin-po, coral, rhinoceros horn. The people contributed towards the tribute with local silk and brocade.
忽魯謨斯國 Hu-lu-mo-si-guo (Hormuz)
Successive changes: [These] were never examined. During the Yongle (4) reign of the present dynasty, the king of [that] country sent his envoy Malazu (2) and others to come to Court and offer local products as tribute. Local products: Big horses, Western Ocean cloth, lions, ostriches ([Comment:] Lifting up its head, it can [reach] a height of seven chi [ca. 2.5 m]), zebras ([Comment:] They resemble donkeys, are patterned [with stripes] and are lovable), ling-sheep ([Comment:] Those with a large tail weigh over twenty jin [ca. 12 kg]; for moving it a cart is used to carry the tail. ), and the long-horned mahashou ([Comment:] Its horns are longer than its body).
忽魯母恩國 Hu-lu-mu-en-guo (Hormuz).
Successive changes: [These] were never examined. In the third year of Yongle (4)(1405) the king of [that] country dispatched his envoy Sijiding (3) and others to come to Court and offer local products as tribute. Local products: Sandalwood, su incense and pepper.
麻林國 Ma-lin-guo (Malindi)
Successive changes: [These] were never examined. During
the thirteenth year of Yongle (4), the king of [that] country sent his envoy to offer a Qilin (giraffe)and other things.
Successive changes: [These] were never examined. During the Yongle (4) reign, the king of [that] country sent his envoy with a tribute party: native produced western horses, he-ding (big-crane), tuo-ji (camel-chicken: ostrich), fu-lu (zebra), pian-nao (piece of brain= amber?), chen-xiang (incense), ru-xiang (fragrant milk).
(1) Xuande; Hsuan-te: Hsüan-te reign (1426–36). Also known as Xuande Emperor.
(2) Malazu: send by Saif ad din Mahar (1417-1436) in their second entry on Hormuz the envoy is called Sijiding. The Mingshilu records the arrival of Malazu on 14 sept. 1433. Together with nine other countries offering giraffes, elephants, horses etc. So the mention that he came during the Yongle reign is wrong.
(3) Sijiding: see above for Malazu.
(4) Yongle: — personal name Zhu Di, or Chu Ti— was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
