Fei Xin 费信 (1385 - after 1436) was a member of the military personnel of the fleet of the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He, known as the author of his book Xingcha Shenglan (Description of the Starry Raft) about the countries visited by Chinese ships. His book is important although he did not visit East Africa but seems to have interviewed people who did.
Fei Hsin prepared two different editions of this work, one consisting of pure and simple descriptions of the countries visited, and the other being a book of illustrations(the book still exist, the illustrations got lost) presented to the Emperor to win his good graces
Mou-kou-tou-chou- Mogadishu
Pou-la-wa- Barawa
Thou-pou- Djoubo, all my research is leading me to saying that this is Djibouti but i don't really know to be honest, i never heard of a place called djoubo
Normal version
The land of Pou-la-wa (Brava): Going south from Pie-lo-li (Belligam) in Ceylon you reach this country in 21 days. This land is the continuation of t he mountainous country of Mou-kou-tou-chou. They live along the sea coast. The walls are constructed with pilled up stones and the houses with masoned stones. The mountain country has no grasses or trees. The land is a vast salt plain. There are salt lakes, in which you throw branches, when taking them out after some time there is coagulated a white salt. The habits are very simple. There are no fields to feed the people, but they fish. Man and women roll up their hair, the ones wear short dresses, the others put a piece of cloth around them. The married women wear in both ears gold coins and jewellery around the neck. There are only onions and garlic but no cucumbers or aubergines. The country produces the animal ma-ha (Oryx) which resembles the musk-deer, the zebra, which resembles a donkey, the leopard, the rhinoceros, myrrh, incense, ambergris, elephant tusks and camels. As merchandise are used gold, silver, satin and silk, rice, broad beans, and porcelain. The head of the country touched by the presents of the Imperial favors presents local produce as tribute. (fol4v-5r)
The land of Thou-pou (Djoubo). One lives here in solitary and dispersed villages. The walls are made of pilled up stones, and the houses are built with blocks. The habits are very simple. Men and women wear their hair in rolls. The man wear a piece of cloth and the women when they leave put on a head cover, they do not show their body or face. The mountain land is of a red-yellow color. It does not rain for several years and there are no herbs or trees. The have dented wheels to pull up the water from deep holes. They fish with nets. The country produces lions, gold spotted leopards, birds with camel legs up to six or seven feet high of which the feet resemble camel feet, ambergris, incense and golden amber. As merchandise is used vermillion, satin and silk, gold and silver, porcelain, pepper, rice and other cereals. The ruler, receiving the presents was touched and presents local products as tribute. (fol5r)
The land of Mou-kou-tou-chou. From small Ko-lon (Qiulon) it can be reached with favorable winds in 20 days and nights. This country stretches along the coast. The walls are made of cut stone and the houses are constructed in layers up to 4 or 5 floors. The kitchen and guestrooms are on top. Man roll up their hair, the rolls hang then all around and they dress in a piece of cloth. The women put their hair together on the head and put bright yellow varnish. They wear round pieces of metal in their ears, and a silver chain around the neck which hangs down up to the breast. When they leave they wear a single piece of cloth and cover the head, also cover the face with a dark blue piece. On their feet they wear sandals or slippers of leader. There are mountains all over and all is desert. The stony soil is red-yellow: the fields are dry and there is little to harvest. Several years in a row there is no harvest. They dig very deep holes and with dented wheels they get out the water in sheep skins. They are hard headed and quarrelsome. As a military exercise they practice bow and arrow. The rich people practise navigation and business with far off places. The poor fish in the sea with nets. They eat the fish after drying in the sun, they feed them to the camels, horses, cattle, sheep. The products of the country are incense, gold spotted leopard skins and ambergris. As merchandise is used gold, silver, satin in colours, sandalwood, rice and other cereals, porcelain and colored silk. The ruler, observing the rites, sends local products as tribute.
Fei Hsin prepared two different editions of this work, one consisting of pure and simple descriptions of the countries visited, and the other being a book of illustrations(the book still exist, the illustrations got lost) presented to the Emperor to win his good graces
Mou-kou-tou-chou- Mogadishu
Pou-la-wa- Barawa
Thou-pou- Djoubo, all my research is leading me to saying that this is Djibouti but i don't really know to be honest, i never heard of a place called djoubo
| POEM The land of Thou-pou (Djoubo). One lives here in solitary and dispersed villages. This land is situated in a far away western corner. The walls are made of pilled up stones, and the houses are built with blocks. The habits are very simple. There are no grapes are trees. Men and women wear their hair in rolls. (those last ones) when they leave, cover themselves. There is no cultivation in the mountains and the land is vast, it hardly ever rains. (Irrigation water comes out of holes) from deep pumped up with dented wheels. One catches the fish in the sea with nets. The products of the land are lions, leopards with gold spots and ostriches who are 7 to 8 feet high. There is also ambergris, incense and golden amber. As merchandise are used, vermillion, colored silk, gold, silver, porcelain, pepper, colored satin, rice and other cereals. The poem says: The barbarian name for the island is Tchou-pou. The red rocks bring one to feel melancholic. The land is dry and there are no flowers or trees. In the villages there are horses and cattle. The man have the knees covered by short trousers. The women are clothed in simple textiles, draped over the head. Your eyes rove round to meet only sights and stares; Desolation, the whole country nothing but hills. The land of Mou-kou-tou-chou; They live along the sea shore. The people construct the walls with pilled up stones. As military exercise they practice with bow and arrow. Their habits include quarrels and violence. The houses are build of cut stone and four or five stories high, with their kitchens, lavatories and reception rooms all on the upper floors. The men do up their hair in knots hanging all around and wrap cotton cloth around their waists. The women do up their hair in a chignon behind and brighten up the crown with yellow varnish. From their ears hang a number of strings (of coins) around their necks they wear silver rings, and a fringe hangs down on the breast. When they go out, they cover themselves with a cotton sheet, and veil their faces with blue gauze. On their feet they wear shoes or leather slippers. Towards the foot of the mountain (the granite upland stretching from the Shebelle basin to the Juba) the country is a dessert of brown soil and stones. The soil is poor the crops sparse. Rain might not fall for a period of several years. They make very deep wells and draw up the water in sheep-skin bags by means of cog-wheels. They also feed their camels, horses, cattle and sheep on them. The native products are frankincense, gold coins, leopards, ambergris. The goods used in trading (here by the Chinese) are gold, silver, and colored taffetas. The poem says; The foreign name is Mou-kou-tou-chou., the mountains are red and the color of the land yellow. For long periods the sky is clear without rain and for several years the land is without crops. There are found jewels with precious stones and pearls, ambergris and incense. When looking at those objects you disapprove because of the strangeness of them, but if you have obtained them you find pleasure in their perfection. (chII fol6r-6v) The land of Pou-la-wa (Brava). This country is formed on the coast and the population is established in groups. The land is a vast salted plain. There are salt lakes, in which you throw branches, when taking them out after some time there is coagulated a white salt. There are no fields to feed the people, but they fish. Man and women roll up their hair, the ones wear short dresses, the others put a piece of cloth around them. The married women wear in both ears gold coins and jewellery around the neck. There are only onions and garlic but no cucumbers or aubergines. The habits are very simple. For the construction of houses they put stones in rows up to three or five stories high. The country produces the animal ma-ha (Oryx), the zebra, the leopard, the antelope, the rhinoceros, myrrh, incense, ambergris, elephant tusks, camels. As merchandises they use gold, silver, satin, silk, rice, broad beans and porcelain. The poem says: The land of Pou-la stretches along the coast. There are no fields for cultivating rice or cereals. When a branch is thrown into the lake, the salt water crystallizes and becomes salt. Since always cucumbers and aubergines are absent, but there are always onions and garlic. The fragrant woods together with strange animals makes you to admire them. |
Normal version
The land of Pou-la-wa (Brava): Going south from Pie-lo-li (Belligam) in Ceylon you reach this country in 21 days. This land is the continuation of t he mountainous country of Mou-kou-tou-chou. They live along the sea coast. The walls are constructed with pilled up stones and the houses with masoned stones. The mountain country has no grasses or trees. The land is a vast salt plain. There are salt lakes, in which you throw branches, when taking them out after some time there is coagulated a white salt. The habits are very simple. There are no fields to feed the people, but they fish. Man and women roll up their hair, the ones wear short dresses, the others put a piece of cloth around them. The married women wear in both ears gold coins and jewellery around the neck. There are only onions and garlic but no cucumbers or aubergines. The country produces the animal ma-ha (Oryx) which resembles the musk-deer, the zebra, which resembles a donkey, the leopard, the rhinoceros, myrrh, incense, ambergris, elephant tusks and camels. As merchandise are used gold, silver, satin and silk, rice, broad beans, and porcelain. The head of the country touched by the presents of the Imperial favors presents local produce as tribute. (fol4v-5r)
The land of Thou-pou (Djoubo). One lives here in solitary and dispersed villages. The walls are made of pilled up stones, and the houses are built with blocks. The habits are very simple. Men and women wear their hair in rolls. The man wear a piece of cloth and the women when they leave put on a head cover, they do not show their body or face. The mountain land is of a red-yellow color. It does not rain for several years and there are no herbs or trees. The have dented wheels to pull up the water from deep holes. They fish with nets. The country produces lions, gold spotted leopards, birds with camel legs up to six or seven feet high of which the feet resemble camel feet, ambergris, incense and golden amber. As merchandise is used vermillion, satin and silk, gold and silver, porcelain, pepper, rice and other cereals. The ruler, receiving the presents was touched and presents local products as tribute. (fol5r)
The land of Mou-kou-tou-chou. From small Ko-lon (Qiulon) it can be reached with favorable winds in 20 days and nights. This country stretches along the coast. The walls are made of cut stone and the houses are constructed in layers up to 4 or 5 floors. The kitchen and guestrooms are on top. Man roll up their hair, the rolls hang then all around and they dress in a piece of cloth. The women put their hair together on the head and put bright yellow varnish. They wear round pieces of metal in their ears, and a silver chain around the neck which hangs down up to the breast. When they leave they wear a single piece of cloth and cover the head, also cover the face with a dark blue piece. On their feet they wear sandals or slippers of leader. There are mountains all over and all is desert. The stony soil is red-yellow: the fields are dry and there is little to harvest. Several years in a row there is no harvest. They dig very deep holes and with dented wheels they get out the water in sheep skins. They are hard headed and quarrelsome. As a military exercise they practice bow and arrow. The rich people practise navigation and business with far off places. The poor fish in the sea with nets. They eat the fish after drying in the sun, they feed them to the camels, horses, cattle, sheep. The products of the country are incense, gold spotted leopard skins and ambergris. As merchandise is used gold, silver, satin in colours, sandalwood, rice and other cereals, porcelain and colored silk. The ruler, observing the rites, sends local products as tribute.
