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Subject: Re: Zheng He steered by the stars?
From: Gerard Mittelstaedt (mitt@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sat Nov 23 2002 - 21:55:12 EST
Hi,
I am fairly sure that the answer can be found in one of the
volumes of
Science and civilisation in China,, by Joseph Needham.
Cambridge [Eng.] University Press,
1954-<2000 > <v. 1-4;
v. 5, pts. 1-7, 9, 13;
v. 6, pts. 1-3, 6;
v. 7, pt. l in 19 > illus., maps (part fold.) 26
cm.
-----------
Partial Contents:
v. 1. Introductory orientations.--
v. 2. History of scientific thought.--
v. 3. Mathematics and the sciences of the heavens and the earth.--
v. 4. Physics and physical technology:
pt. 1. Physics, with the collaboration of Wang Ling and the
special co-operation of Kenneth Girdwood Robinson.
pt. 2. Mechanical engineering.
pt. 3. Civil engineering and nautics <======= ??
with the collaboration of Wang Ling and Lu Gwei-Djen.--
----------
Exactly what volume or part I can not say, perhaps vol 4 pt. 3
This is the great multi volume work that could answer your query.
Needham wrote other works that could cover this topic.
- Gerard Mittelstaedt - wearing librarian hat.
Peter Fogg wrote:
>
> That the Chinese were very innovative in all sorts of technical areas
> seems clear.
>
> However a new book '1421, The Year China Discovered the World', by Gavin
> Menzies, published in Australia by Random House, postulates that the
> Chinese admiral Zheng He and his fleet of massive 9 masted junks
> explored much of what we assume was left to European navigators to
> 'discover' some centuries later.
>
> Its fascinating stuff. The contention is that not only did his vice
> admirals Hong Bao and Zhou Man in different ships circumnavigate
> Australia (hitherto first credited to the Englishman Flinders in the
> early 19th century) but that settlements were established complete with
> observation towers and mines were exploited for a variety of minerals.
> I should add that this theory is being contested, not least by Chinese
> historians who thought they already knew all about Zheng He.
>
> The part that intrigues me is the idea that these sailors 'steered by
> the stars'.
>
> The history of European navigation is fairly well known and documented.
> But does anyboby know about what instuments and techniques Chinese junk
> sailors may have had at their disposal? I know they had the compass, and
> may have been introduced it to the west, but star measuring instruments?
>
> Polynesians had a compass that was the night sky itself, knew the
> diffferent stars as they rose and set and could set course according to
> them. I suppose any people that studied the stars for long enough could
> have independantly devised ways of using star positions.
>
> Does anyone know any more?
-- --------------- Gerard Mittelstaedt mitt@XXX.XXX McAllen, Texas USA
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