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To: JudyB1938
Chinese definitely in W hemisphere in antiquity and again in about 5th century AD. Later is dubious.

Zheng sailed west and definitely was in Arab world and E Africa, but no evidence he ever entered the Atlantic or Mediterranean. Or sailed East, across Pacific to America.

52 posted on 03/04/2002 11:23:29 PM PST by crystalk
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To: crystalk
Zheng "sailed west" and was in India and E. Africa." Absolutely - very well documented. Had the Emperor not dismantled the fleet, the Chinese might have found their way around Africa and "discovered" Europe.

I doubt Zheng made it to America, however. The voyages into the Indian Ocean are well documented, but there is nothing about sailing east across the Pacific. The maps are easily explained because the Chinese were well informed about the outlines of Asia and knew the geographical relationship between Asia and Europe across the Silk Road.

What Columbus did not know was how far Europe was from Asia going west from Europe. Had Zheng cirumnavigated the globe, the Chinese would have known that.

76 posted on 03/05/2002 8:59:18 AM PST by colorado tanker
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