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Xuan-de: Year 4, Month 5, Day 17

18 Jun 1429

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When the envoy Ya-lie Ma-mo and others from the country of Java were about to return home, they advised the Auxiliary Ministry of Rites that, on their forward journey, their ship had been damaged by the winds and the seas. They requested that the Guang-dong Regional Military Commission and Provincial Administration Commission be ordered to build them a ship in which to return home. They also wished to trade the goods they had brought for iron in Guang-dong. the Ministry of Rites stated: "It is natural for fan envoys to come to Court and offer tribute. If their ship is damaged, then they themselves should pay to build another. How can they memorialize and annoy the Court! Also, there are regulations prohibiting trade in iron. Neither request can be approved." The Emperor said: "Trading for iron is not allowed. However, when people come to the Court from afar, we should treat them with great kindness. The small amount of funds necessary to build a ship is not worth worrying about. This request is approved."

Xuan-zong: juan 54.4b-5a

Zhong-yang Yan-jiu yuan Ming Shi-lu, volume 18, page 1296/97

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Preferred form of citation for this entry:

Geoff Wade, translator, Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Singapore: Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, http://epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/reign/xuan-de/year-4-month-5-day-17, accessed January 22, 2019