Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Monday, July 14, 2025
MUSIC MONDAY
COUNTRY MUSIC NARRATIVES
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Country narrative songs, also known as story songs, are a subgenre of country music that tells a story through lyrics. These songs often feature vivid characters, compelling plots, and emotional depth.
The plots may often be simple and the lyrics aren’t Shakespeare or Yeats but, as I have written before, in 3 minutes the songs both tell a story and have a life lesson, witness The Gambler, A Boy Named Sue, Ode to Billie Joe.
Here is one such . . .
Bob Newhart once said that he didn’t like country music, but that he didn’t mean to denigrate those who did, and for the people who liked country music, denigrate meant 'put down'.
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Old joke... What happens when you play a C & W song backwards?
Answer: Your dog comes back to life, your crops start growing and your wife comes back to you.
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THE COWARD OF THE COUNTY
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Video:
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Lyrics:
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
But something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
They took turns at Becky.... n' there was three of them!
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, He heard these words again:
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.
And I heard him say,
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
I've walked away from trouble when I can.
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
And Papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
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About:
"Coward of the County" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Billy Edd Wheeler and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. The song was released in November 1979 as the second and final single from Rogers' multi-platinum album Kenny.
The evil brothers in this song are the "Gatlin Boys." In real life, Larry, Steve and Rudy Gatlin were a popular trio who performed as "Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers." Not only that, Larry Gatlin had dated a girl named Becky, which was the name of Tommy's girlfriend in the song. "After it came out, we started getting accused of being rapists," Larry Gatlin said. "I think they could have showed a little good taste and used somebody else's name." The songwriters made the dubious claim that the name was chosen because they "liked the sound of it," and that it had nothing to do with the actual Gatlin brothers. "We tried some other names like the Barlow boys, but they just didn't have the grit of the Gatlin boys," Wheeler said.
Rogers has stated that he was unaware of the connection and that he would have otherwise asked for the name to be changed. Gatlin later claimed in an interview that the song’s cowriter Roger Bowling held a personal grudge against him and deliberately included the name.
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Moral:
“Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."
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BTW:
It is ambiguous whether the Gatlin Boys end up dead at the end.
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ON THIS DAY
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July 14, 1789
Bastille stormed by Paris mob
The Storming of the Bastille, which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille.
After four hours of fighting and 94 deaths, the insurgents were able to enter the Bastille. The governor of the Bastille, Bernard-René Jourdan de Launay, and several members of the garrison were killed after surrendering. At the time, the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. The prison contained only seven inmates at the time of its storming and was already scheduled for demolition but was seen by the revolutionaries as a symbol of the monarchy's abuse of power. Its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution.
In France, 14 July is a national holiday called Fête nationale française which commemorates both the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and the Fête de la Fédération which occurred on its first anniversary in 1790. In English this holiday is commonly referred to as Bastille Day.
BTW:
The name Bastille means "fortress" or "castle" in French.
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Sunday, July 13, 2025
ART SPOT
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The artist:
THOMAS DAMBO
Thanks to Sue P for bringing him to my attention.
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About the artist:
Thomas Dambo is a Danish "recycle art activist" who is known for his installations of giant monumental wooden sculptures called trolls, made entirely out of recycled materials.
Although he is well known around the world for his large recycle sculptures and installations, he has also built and placed more than 3500 birdhouses made out of recycled materials and spread them in several cities over the world.
After high school Dambo began studying to become a carpenter, although he quickly became bored with the repetitive work. Searching for a different line of creativity, he applied at Kolding School of Designs and was accepted in 2005. During his early years at the design school, Thomas started to see great potential in all of the stuff that people threw out. He was especially intrigued by all the plywood that was thrown away daily by construction sites and one day when he came across a giant container filled with this, he got the idea for his first major street art project; “Happy City Birds”.
Thomas Dambo hides his giant wooden trolls around the world in wilderness and forests. By doing this, he hopes to lure people away from concrete cities and computer screens, into the wild and reconnect them with the natural world.
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Trolls:
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings.
In later Scandinavian folklore, trolls became beings in their own right, where they live far from human habitation, are not Christianised, and are considered dangerous to human beings. Depending on the source, their appearance varies greatly; trolls may be ugly and slow-witted, or look and behave exactly like human beings, with no particularly grotesque characteristic about them.
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Gallery:
Trolls:
Birdhouses:
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ON THIS DAY
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July 13, 2024
Donald Trump survives assassination attempt.
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a nearby building. Crooks also killed one audience member, Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two others. Four seconds after Crooks began firing, a member of the Butler County Emergency Service Unit shot at him and hit his rifle, preventing him from firing more shots. Twelve seconds later, Crooks was shot and killed by the Counter Sniper Team of the United States Secret Service.
As shots were fired, Trump clasped his ear and took cover behind his lectern, where Secret Service agents shielded him until the shooter was killed. Evan Vucci, a photojournalist for the Associated Press, captured photographs of Trump with blood on his face and ear, pumping his fist in the air and saying "Fight!" as agents escorted him offstage; the images went viral on social media. Trump was taken to a hospital, treated, and released later that day. He made his first public appearance after the shooting two days later at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wearing a bandage on his ear.
The incident is regarded as the most significant security failure by the Secret Service since the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, faced bipartisan calls for her resignation when she testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on July 22; she stepped down the following day. President Joe Biden ordered an independent review of the security arrangements, condemned the violence, and called for a reduction in heated political rhetoric, emphasizing the importance of resolving political differences peacefully.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories spread on social media after the shooting. Lawmakers called for increased security for major candidates in the election, and the Secret Service subsequently approved enhanced security measures, including the use of bulletproof glass at Trump's outdoor rallies.
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Saturday, July 12, 2025
ARCHAEOLOGY
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There is a Facebook page called Archaeology World which features interesting and fascinating items from the past. Recently Bored Panda featured a selection of those items at:
Here are some of those featured items with BP commentaries, headings and BP reader comments.
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The Double Statue Of Mephistopheles And Margarita
Perhaps one of the most incredible sculptures in the world. There is a well-known sculpture called "The Double Statue of Mephistopheles and Margarita". The fact is that on one side of the statue there is a male figure, and on the other - a female one. The sculpture is created from a single piece of the oldest sycamore tree.
Reader comments:
This is an amazing early work that has to be seen to be believed.
Well this is from the 19th Century, made by an unknown French artist. Marvelous piece of woodcarving art. But not really that old. And nothing that was "found by an archeologist" as claimed by the headline...
🎶 Mephistopheles is not your name - I know what you're up to just the same 🎶
Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste..
"The oldest sycamore tree" ? Please explain. Or do you mean from a single block of wood?
They can't explain. They just tossed it in, to make it sound cooler
Where is it?
It's in the Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India. 🙂
Not archaeology.
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Cat Paw Prints In The Medieval Floor Tiles Of The 12th Century Ce St Peter Church In Wormleighton, England
Paw prints have been found EVERYWHERE ancients used baked tile.
We found marten prints in the concrete just hours after it was poured. Why should it have been different throughout history?
We had some of our patio fixed last year. There are paw prints in the concrete. Just wish I knew which of our cats left them!
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Ancient Marvel, From 1516, The Visionary Mind Of Leonardo Da Vinci Manifested In The Form Of A Captivating Spiral Staircase
Is this in the chateau of Chambord?
Yes
It looks like a twisted piece of fabric. F*****g Leo genius.
It reminds of the grand sweep of the skirt of ballgowns from a bygone era
Da Vinci was the most incredible genius to walk this planet, secondary only to Jesus Christ.
Reminds me of a Nautilus seashell.
That is so beautiful. Look at the door with the steps leading onto the steps and imagine trying to do that at night, without electric light and an almost guaranteed low level of inebriation in 1500s. Those stairs have stories to tell of those that bounced on down to the basement from there.
WOW!
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The Appennine Colossus
Built over 420 years ago in Florence, Italy, the Appennine Colossus is half man and half mountain. It was created with a brick core encased by a carved stone exterior that rises 35 feet above the water below. There's even a secret room behind his head with a fireplace that blows smoke through his mighty nostrils.
imagine thousands of years later from now, there will be identical documentaries about Disenyland!
I think the archaeologists will have some interesting theories when they find Legoland
Not archaeology.
Yes it is. It can be studied by archeologists. It is something humans made. It's archeology.
That gives me the creeps.
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Bust Of Maria Duglioli Barberini
Bust of Maria Duglioli Barberini, sculpted by the renowned Italian artist Giuliano Finelli in 1626. Finelli, celebrated for his skillful marble carvings, created a lifelike and dynamic representation of Maria Duglioli Barberini, a member of the influential Barberini family.
Exquisite detail. Love to see someone do that today.
Back then artists were paid so that they could spend years on each work. Don't know about this one but i am assuming haha. Some sculptors today can achieve this level of detail but may not be allowed the time.
The lace work is stunning.
How do you coordinate your hands and eyes to that level? I can't put ice in a cup without dropping at least one cube ffs.
You started an apprenticeship as a small child and worked your way up from dogsbody. For decades of your life you did grunt work chipping out rough forms for your master and gradually working your way up. And if you were very talented, very lucky, and your master didn't go out of business or get disgraced you might get this good.
She died during childbirth at a young age. Her uncle later became Pope and he had the main altar in St Peter's Basilica, Vatican made. On each of the corners of the altar are 2 sculptures, eight in all. And now that I have told you this try looking for the story on Google. The most important altar for the Catholic Church, the altar of the Popes...and...and... !!!!
Unfortunately my first thought was "how do you keep this clean?" 😂 dusting it would be a nightmare
The detail in her hair and on her clothing is amazing.
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Mycenaean Daggers/Swords, Greece 16th - 14th Century Bc, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
Stunning workmanship
So that means they are From 1300 to 1500 years ago. Wow!
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The Gate Of All Nations In Persepolis
A massive guardian statue stands at the Gate of All Nations in Persepolis, the ceremonial heart of the Achaemenid Empire, located in present-day Iran. Commissioned by King Xerxes I in the 5th century BCE, this gate once received envoys from across the empire during New Year festivities. Carved from limestone, the figure features a bull’s body, eagle’s wings, and a human head—symbolizing power, guardianship, and royal dignity. Drawing inspiration from the Assyrian lamassu yet showcasing Persian elements, it exemplifies the empire’s majesty. Although weathered by time, the sculpture still powerfully conveys the artistry and authority of ancient Persia
ISIS or Taliban are the real vandals
Vandals were a group of people whose religion and history were ISISed by Rome and Christianity.
Sorry Dee, it is locals ISSIS and Taliban that destroy the historical wonders
Please tell me the US hasn’t bombed it. 😞
More likely ISIS or other terrorist groups bombing this stuff.
And of course British museum has a whole bunch of the reliefs from there...
There are a few YouTube and TikTok accounts that feature AI reconstruction of some of these sites and artifacts. Some are really not well done but some are and are fun to check out.
What a pity that such symbolism of tolerance and liberalism is under the control of one of the most backward regimes - hopefully, not for much longer.
It's miraculous it's still standing.
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A Statue Of Yasuke, An Enslaved African, Who Arrived In Japan In 1579 And Became The First Black Samurai
Yasuke a tall African man, arrived in Japan in 1579 and made history as the first foreign-born man to become a samurai warrior. Yasuke was originally a slave from Mozambique and was brought to Japan by Portuguese traders. The powerful Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga was fascinated by Yasuke's tall stature and dark skin, and upon seeing him, ordered his servants to try and rub the "black ink" off his skin. Despite this strange encounter, Nobunaga took Yasuke into his service, granting him a sum of money, a house, and a katana. From then on, Yasuke loyally served Nobunaga as an honored samurai, fighting alongside him in fierce battles. He went from being a piece of Portuguese property to a member of the Japanese elite.
Not a Samurai, but rather their version of a Squire, some modern western writers not understanding the Japanese ranking system misinterpreted him as a Samurai, but he the level below that, the equivalent of what a Squire was in Medieval Europe. His story is interesting, and a fascinating piece of history, but keep details correct
There are some depictions which may show Yasuke, but that is a statue by Nicola Roos made in 2017
It appears to be a death mask.
Whoa - impressive!
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The Nushabad Underground City Near Kashan, Iran
The Nushabad Underground City near Kashan, Iran, stands as a 1,500-year-old marvel from the Sassanian era. Carved an impressive 4 to 18 meters deep across three levels, this labyrinth stretches over 4 square kilometers. Its intricate network of tunnels, rooms, and air ducts provided refuge for locals seeking shelter from invaders like the Mongols and Arabs. With hidden entrances tucked beneath homes and forts, plus cunning traps like narrow curving passages, it safely housed thousands for days, complete with wells and storage.
This incredible city was utilized into the Qajar era (1789-1925) but was gradually abandoned as external threats diminished. Its secrets lay buried under desert sands, forgotten by time, until 2005. That year, a Nushabad resident, while digging a drainage ditch, stumbled into a tunnel and unveiled this lost world.
The idea of this is awesome but it sure looks claustrophobic.
I was lucky to visit it a couple of years ago and somehow it's honestly not very claustrophobic, the passages are quite wide and tall. But to be fair, there are electric lights down there nowadays, things might have felt different with only oil lamps in the old days. Plus, it used to hide a lot of people, whole families.
How does something this huge, this amazing, go 'forgotten' for decades and decades until someone digging a ditch accidentally falls into it and OMG there is an entire underground city down here!! WOW! It looks amazing. Look at how sharp those steps look, so perfectly made! You can't argue with the craftsmanship.
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30 Million Year Old Amber Encasing A Praying Mantis
Keep it away from Dr. Hammond!
Proof that prayer doesn't always work
And from here we create Jurassic Park
Gorgeous. I have a small piece with a crane fly preserved. Approx 140 million years old and the species hasn't changed.
WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW, MANTIS???!!
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More to come.
ON THIS DAY
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July 12, 1979
Disco Demolition Night
(Not all the events I post are serious).
Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion on Thursday, July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, that ended in a riot. At the climax of the event, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games of the twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many had come to see the explosion rather than the games and rushed onto the field after the detonation. The playing field was so damaged by the explosion and by the rioters that the White Sox were required to forfeit the second game to the Tigers.
In the late 1970s, dance-oriented disco was the most popular music genre in the United States, particularly after being featured in hit films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977). However, disco sparked a major backlash from rock music fans—an opposition prominent enough that the White Sox, seeking to fill seats at Comiskey Park during a lackluster season, engaged Chicago shock jock and anti-disco campaigner Steve Dahl for the promotion at the July 12 doubleheader. Dahl's sponsoring radio station was WLUP (97.9 FM, now WCKL), so admission was discounted to 98 cents for attendees who turned in a disco record; between games, Dahl was to destroy the collected vinyl in an explosion.
White Sox officials had hoped for a crowd of 20,000, about 5,000 more than usual. Instead, at least 50,000—including tens of thousands of Dahl's listeners—packed the stadium, and thousands more continued to sneak in after capacity was reached and gates were closed. Many of the records were not collected by staff and were thrown like flying discs from the stands. After Dahl blew up the collected records, thousands of fans stormed the field and remained there until dispersed by riot police.
The second game was initially postponed, but was forfeited to the Tigers the next day by order of American League president Lee MacPhail. Disco Demolition Night preceded, and may have helped precipitate, the decline of disco in late 1979; some scholars and disco artists have debated whether the event was expressive of racism and homophobia. Disco Demolition Night remains well known as one of the most extreme promotions in MLB history.
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Friday, July 11, 2025
FUNNY FRIDAY
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Today’s theme: Animals
Enjoy.
Caution: risqué content ahead.
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SOME HUMOUR:
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An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.
He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep on the couch. An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out. The next day he was back, resumed his position on the couch and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks. Curious, I pinned a note to his collar: 'Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap.'
The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar: 'He lives in a home with four children -- he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?'
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In America, dogs are K9...
In China, dogs are E10.
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I asked a librarian if she had a book about Pavlov's Dog and Schrodinger's Cat
She said it rang a bell but wasn't sure if it was there or not.
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Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?
Because they.... lactose.....
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A blonde sees a cow with no horns so she asks the farmer, "Excuse me, but why wouldn't a cow have any horns?"
The farmer replies, "Well, ma'am, there are several reasons a cow might not have horns. Firstly, some breeds just don't have horns. Another reason is sometimes we cut them off when a cow gets too rambunctious and too dangerous to handle and be around. Yet another reason is because sometimes when they are calves we put a type of acid where the horns are growing and this stops the horns from forming."
The blonde then points and asks, "OK, but what about that cow, why doesn't it have any horns?"
The farmer replies, "Well, ma'am, the reason why THAT particular cow has no horns is because it's a horse."
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A guy walks into a bar with his pet monkey. He orders a drink and while he's drinking the monkey jumps all around the place. The monkey grabs some olives off the bar and eats them, then grabs some sliced limes and eats them, then jumps onto the pool table, grabs one of the billiard balls, sticks it in his mouth, and to everyone's amazement, somehow swallows it whole.
The bartender screams at the guy, "Did you see what your monkey just did?" The guy says "No, what?" "He just ate the cue ball off my pool table ... whole!"
"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," replied the guy, "He eats everything in sight, the little bugger. Sorry. I'll pay for the cue ball and stuff".
He finishes his drink, pays his bill, pays for the stuff the monkey ate, then leaves.
Two weeks later he's in the bar again, and has his monkey with him.
He orders a drink and the monkey starts running around the bar again. While the man is finishing his drink, the monkey finds a cherry on the bar. He grabs it, sticks it up his bum, pulls it out, and eats it.
The bartender is disgusted.
"Did you see what your monkey did now?" "No, what?" replies the guy. "Well, he stuck a cherry up his bum, pulled it out, and ate it!" said the bartender.
"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me", replied the guy. "He still eats everything in sight, but ever since the cue ball incident, he measures everything first."
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London Zoo acquires, at great expense, a very large female gorilla of a particularly rare species. Right from the outset she is very bad tempered and very difficult to handle. The zoo's vet, after examination, boldly announces that her problem is that she's in heat. If she was to be mated she would become docile and adjust to her new surroundings. But what to do? There are no males of her species available and the other male gorillas are terrified of her.
The zoo administrators remember that one of their zoo-keepers, an Irishman called O'Reilly, who is responsible for cleaning animals' cages, is a large man and notorious for his abilities with the opposite sex. Perhaps they could persuade him to placate the gorilla.
So they approach O'Reilly with a proposition: would he be willing to have sex with the gorilla for five hundred pounds?
O'Reilly asks for the night to think things over and on the following day, says that he'll accept the offer on three conditions: "First, dere's to be no kissin’. Second, if dere’s any children, dey have to be raised Roman Cat'lic."
The zoo administrators quickly agree to these conditions. "But what about the third?" they ask.
"Well," says O'Reilly, "You've got to give me some time to come up wit' de five hundred quid...."
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A scorpion wants to cross a river, but he can't swim. He goes to a frog, who can, and asks for a ride. The frog says, "If I give you a ride on my back, you'll go and sting me." The scorpion replies, "It would not be in my interest to sting you since as I'll be on your back we both would drown." The frog thinks about this logic for a while and accepts the deal.
He takes the scorpion on his back, braves the waters nut halfway over feels a burning spear in his side and realizes the scorpion has stung him after all. And as they both sink beneath the waves the frog cries out, "Why did you sting me, Mr. Scorpion, for now we both will drown?" The ccorpion replies, "I can't help it, it's in my nature."
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The meaning of the story is clear: creatures (including people) will remain true to their natures, irrespective of external influences. The frog takes the scorpion at its word and agrees to transport the scorpion, notwithstanding that there is nothing in it for the frog. The scorpion on the other hand will remain true to its dangerous innate nature, even though it is treated with trust and kindness.
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Alternative version . . .
A scorpion on the bank of the Nile asked a frog to ferry him to the other side. “Oh no,” the frog said. “You would sting me.” “That’s ridiculous,” the scorpion replied. “I won’t sting you, because I can’t swim, and I would drown as well as you.” Convinced, the frog took the scorpion on his back and began to swim the river. In midstream the scorpion’s lethal urge became too strong and he plunged his stinger into the frog’s neck. The stricken frog groaned and asked, “Why, why did you do that? Now we’re both going to die.”
As they both sank under the water the scorpion gave his final shrug and replied “This is the Middle East.”
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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:
There was a young fellow called Bliss
Whose sex life was sadly amiss.
On night flights with Venus,
His recalcitrant penis.
Would seldom do better than
t
h
i
s
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CORN CORNER:
__________
When single ladies get to the age of 50, they tend to get lots of cats.
This phenomenon is known as many paws
__________
My wife just dumped me because of my "stupid comparisons."
I feel like a china shop in a cow field.
__________
I yelled "Cow!" at a woman on a bike. She gave me the finger.
Then she plowed her bike straight into the cow.
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What is the difference between a raven and a crow?
A raven has 17 primary wing feathers, the big ones at the end of the wing. They are called pinion feathers. A crow has 16. So, the difference between a crow and a raven is only a matter of a pinion.
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ON THIS DAY
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July 11, 1405
Zheng starts first major mission
The Ming treasure voyages, under the command of Zheng, were maritime expeditions undertaken by Ming China's treasure fleet between 1405 and 1433. Seven far-reaching ocean voyages were undertaken to the coastal territories and islands of the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, the first starting on this day in 1405.
Zheng first voyage in 1405 involved a massive fleet of 317 ships, including 62 "treasure ships". This fleet, carrying nearly 28,000 crew members, embarked from Liujiagang and set sail for Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and East Africa, showcasing China's naval power and fostering trade.
A more detailed breakdown:
Size of the Fleet: The fleet consisted of 317 ships, including 62 large "treasure ships".
Crew: Approximately 27,800 men served on the fleet.
Purpose: The voyages were intended to display China's power, culture, and to establish trade relations with foreign nations.
Destinations: The fleet visited Brunei, Java, Siam (Thailand), Southeast Asia, India, the Horn of Africa, and Arabia.
Treasure Ships: These were the largest vessels in the fleet, used by Zheng He and his deputies, and were equipped to carry gifts for foreign rulers and valuable goods.
Other Ships: The fleet also included equine ships carrying horses, supply ships, troop transports, warships, and patrol boats.
Significance: Zheng He's voyages were the largest and most advanced of their time, demonstrating China's maritime capabilities and influence.
Scale model of Zheng's ship compared to Columbus's vessel.
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