To my brother Tom, brave and loyal as the admiral himself. — Ann Martin Bowler
For Father, with whom all things are possible. And for the child in all of us. — L.K. Tay-Audouard
Author’s note: Adventures of the Treasure Fleet is historical fiction. The story is based on seven Chinese naval voyages that took place between 1405 and 1433. Each event mentioned in the story actually occurred during one of the voyages, though fictional details have been added for the reader’s enjoyment. At the bottom of each episode is a summary of historically agreed facts. Diaries of crew members and plaque inscriptions were the primary sources used in writing this book. Well-researched summaries of the voyages were also used. For the continuity of the story, all the voyages have been treated as one. Most, but not all, of the events mentioned in Adventures of the Treasure Fleet occurred during the first voyage. The storm, Saint Elmo’s fire, pirate encounter, as well as the events in Champa, Java, and Calicut occurred during the first voyage, while the events in Malacca and Siam stretched over several voyages. The fleet first visited the Arabian Peninsula during the fourth voyage, and Africa was visited on the fifth voyage.
Acknowledgments: The author wishes to thank Eric Oey, Nancy Goh, Erin Dealey, John Stucky, and her family for their help and support on this project. The illustrator gratefully acknowledges Chung Chee Kit, Tan Ta Sen, Kim Jane Saunders, Julian Davison, Tan Guan Moh, Heng Kok Hiang for their invaluable help.
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd, with editorial offices at 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436, USA and 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167.
Text © 2006 Ann Martin Bowler
Illustrations © 2006 Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
LCC Card No: 2006903177
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0790-8 (ebook)
First printing, 2006
Printed in Malaysia
10 09 08 07 5 4 3 2
DISTRIBUTED BY:
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TUTTLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
Adventures of the
Treasure Fleet
China Discovers the World
by Ann Martin Bowler
illustrations by L.K. Tay-Audouard
TUTTLE PUBLISHING
Tokyo • Rutland,Vermont • Singapore
Long ago the emperor of China called his old and trusted friend to his enormous palace. “I am now the most powerful ruler in the world,” he announced. “We must show the world that China is the largest and richest nation on earth. We will build the greatest ships the world has seen and you, my friend, will command them. You will sail across the seas to befriend leaders of other nations, bring them gifts, and return home with fabulous treasures. This voyage shall bring great glory to China.”
Zheng He was stunned. “Can I lead such a voyage?” he thought. “I have never sailed before! But the emperor saved my life in battle. I must be loyal to him now.”
Bowing low, Zheng He replied, “Emperor, I am honored to lead this important voyage.”
In the autumn of 1405, a massive fleet sailed from China under the command of Admiral Zheng He (pronounced “Jung Huh”). Over the next 28 years, the admiral and his fleet sailed more than 35,000 miles (56,000 km) exploring the vast “Western Oceans.”
The admiral’s beginnings were humble. When Zheng He was only ten his father was killed in a rebellion in southwest China and Zheng He was taken prisoner. This bright, tough boy soon had an unusual stroke of luck—he became the servant of prince Zhu Di (“Joo De”). In time the prince and Zheng He grew to become close friends and the two of them fought to gain control of China. In 1402 they were victorious and Zhu Di was crowned emperor of China, becoming the third ruler of the Ming Dynasty. As emperor, he continued to rely heavily upon his old friend, Zheng He.
Zheng He was tall and stout, with “a voice like a huge bell” and skin “rough like the surface of an orange.” His presence was commanding and his leadership made him perfect to lead the largest fleet the world had known on important voyages of discovery, commerce, and diplomacy.
Soon all of China buzzed with activity preparing for the voyage. Loggers cut massive trees for the ships, carpenters sawed and hammered huge planks of wood, mapmakers drew long sea charts, weavers wove gigantic silk sails, farmers doubled their crops, and artisans crafted their finest wares. The emperor personally selected the finest gifts for kings of foreign lands. He toured the shipyards to exhort his shipbuilders. “Work faster men! The Treasure Ships must sail by winter!” he told them.
Secretly, the emperor was pleased, knowing he was building the largest and finest ships ever made.
Meanwhile, Zheng He studied his sea charts and sought advice from expert sailors. Though he sailed daily, he often lost control of his ship. And while others slept, the admiral worried, “Will I ever learn to control these gigantic ships?”
China’s emperor ordered hundreds of ships to be built and commanded that they be filled with valuable gifts and trading goods. The navy was so large it was named the “Treasure Fleet.” The emperor appointed Zheng He as its commander, naming him “Admiral of the Western Seas.”
Much of China was involved in the construction of the fleet. Beginning in 1404, more than 20,000 craftsmen lived and worked at China’s imperial boatyards in Nanjing. Carpenters, ironsmiths, caulkers, sail makers, and many others toiled day and night constructing the huge fleet.
China’s great shipbuilding expertise was used to build the largest wooden vessels ever seen. The ships were painted with tung oil, a waterproofing mixture that had been used since the 7th century. Dragon eyes were painted on the bow of each ship so that it could “see” where it was going.
To impress foreign leaders,
