New Lamps for Old: Modern Nautical Terms for Ancient Marine Practices and the Navigation of the Zheng He Voyages

Much is made by some about the supposed superiority of the navigation of one country over another, but the skills of those early mariners, of both the East and the West, were remarkably similar. In the early fifteenth century Arab, Chinese and European methods were fairly basic, with only a primitive compass for directional orientation and other instrumental aids to navigation all in their infancy. Indeed, the age-old 4-Ls of seamanship—lookout, lead, log, and latitude—had not all yet evolved. Many arguments are based on faulty assumptions because of misunderstanding nautical usages and applying modern terms, resulting in an assumption of advanced navigational knowledge in the early fifteenth century.

A Chinese sage said words must be used correctly. If not, people will become confused, so take warning about using modern nautical terms for ancient practices. Two of the leading English experts on Eastern navigation, J. V. Mills and G. R. Tibbetts, admit limitations in navigational terminology. It is with the utmost respect that the following suggestions are made.