The Destruction of Zhou Man and Hong Bao’s fleets in the Southern Ocean by a Tsunami triggered by a comet
In the book ‘1421’, I contended that the Emperor Zhu Di had sent fleets to the Southern Ocean to determine the precise position of the star Canopus. The Chinese needed this information to establish accurate latitudes and longitudes in the southern hemisphere. (United Kingdom paperback edition, pages 161-3, and diagram 1).
Since the book was published we have received more than 100,000 e-mails and letters and millions of people have visited our website ‘www.gavinmenzies.net’. These visitors from over 130 countries around the world have brought new evidence. To date the most important has been my underestimation of the scale of the undertaking. Instead of 100 ships, over 1000 set sail (800 arrived at Calicut alone). There were many great voyages – Fleets were continuously at sea from 1403 to 1432 and the scale of the losses was even more horrific – more than 900 ships never returned. This is exemplified in the Southern Oceans. The discovery of Zheng He’s records shows that four separate fleets charted the Antarctic not the two I have claimed. Some got further south – deep into the Weddell Sea. This memo describes a catastrophe which overtook the fleets which had sailed south of New Zealand down to Campbell Island and Auckland Island (pp.206-209 of United Kingdom Paperback edition). A huge comet struck the ocean less than a hundred miles from the fleets, incinerating many ships and hurling the blazing wrecks onto New Zealand South Island and the East coasts of Australia, and across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
How this information same to light is an interesting story in itself. A retired Marine Engineer and Surveyor, Cedric Bell read my book at a time when he had already decided to visit New Zealand South Island to see his son Dave and his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Whilst there, Cedric decided to survey the South East coast of South Island. To his amazement magnetic anormal surveys showed that 44 large ships were either buried in the sand or inland. Cedric sent a 130 page report to the company who were then making a television documentary about my book. The lady who was in charge decided Cedric’s report was literally incredible – she put it aside in a drawer without consideration. After some months Cedric, having had no acknowledgement of his report, contacted me direct.
So I had the report for the first time in the spring of 2003. My first thought was also incredulity- how could one person have made such a vastly important discovery on his own? At the time my book was selling well. Provided readers were satisfied the story was credible, it seemed we would have an international best seller and my publishers courage and skill would be recognised. A major error of judgement, on the other hand, could blow our strategy to bits.
I therefore proceeded with extreme caution, though I was never in the slightest doubt that Cedric Bell was not only sincere in his belief but also an exceptionally skilful surveyor. With Cedric’s agreement we discussed a number of test – if any showed an irreconcilable flaw in Cedric’s evidence, he agreed I would not support him. Initially therefore, we selected three sites and subjected each to an array of tests carried out by independent experts – satellite photography compared to local authority maps of underground services (gas, water, sewage), followed by ground penetrating radar, then electro magnetic and sonic scans, analysis and dating of mortar, wood, refined metal and slag. Cedric’s work stood up to each and every test. By the autumn of 2003 I was convinced not by a balance of probabilities but beyond all possible doubt that Cedric Bell was right – his report is a masterpiece which History will recognise as such.
Needless to say New Zealand “historians” and “archaeologists” were apoplectic. They could not produce a shred of evidence that Cedric Bell’s conclusions were invalid instead launching into a tirade of juvenile abuse which I have ignored.
Cedric returned to New Zealand for a second visit and found even more startling evidence. Some of the wrecks were impaled high up on cliffs – one could clearly see the outline of the hull wood and hull lining. The hull lining was analysed and confirmed as man-made. Some of the hulls were charred, others burned through. Some were upside down as if a giant had smashed them into the cliffs. Now and then the cliffs disgorged cannon balls, ships’ bells metal pieces and counterweights from these devastated wrecks.
We all quickly concluded a disaster had overtaken the fleet and the only explanation was that a tsunami was responsible. Giant waves had smashed huge ships upside down into cliffs. We quickly found that Professor Ted Bryant of Woolongong University had written a carefully documented book, “Tsunami, the underrated hazard”, which described his findings that New Zealand South Island had been devastated by fires and a tsunami between 1410 and 1480 AD. Professor Bryant’s book was published well before mine. We realised that the Tsunami and forest fires could have been the result of a seismic event – New Zealand sits on a fault line. Many experts have argued this (Professor Goff and others). However it would not explain how the wrecks were burned before being impaled on the cliffs – seismic events would not cause massive fires at sea. Something else must be responsible. Professor Bryant had found out that the Aborigines in Australia and the Maoris in New Zealand had reported a comet being responsible. Chinese and Mayan astronomers also describe a large blue comet seen in Canis Minor for 26 days in June 1430 – a date compatible with Professor Bryant’s (1410 – 1480) evidence. Then in November 2003 Dallas Abbott and her team announced they had found where the comet crashed – between Campbell Island and New Zealand South Island.
The story now moves to Zhou Man’s fleet proceeding north after leaving Campbell Island, homeward bound for China (diagram 2 and pp. 206-209 of United Kingdom Paperback edition). Two days out from Auckland Island the lookout would have reported low lying land right ahead (Snare’s Island at 48° N 166° 40’E). The fleet must alter course to avoid the island, which would be some ten miles in front of the centre of the leading line of ships. One half of the fleet turns east, the other west; once the island is passed safely the fleets return to their northerly courses. By now the fleet is split into two, the two halves some 20 miles apart centred on position 48°10’ S, 165°50’ E and 48°10’ S, 167°30’ E (diagram 2).
The Comet
Then catastrophe. The comet appears 26 times as bright as the Sun; its screaming noise of 100 decibels blows out the eardrums of the sailors; they receive horrific burns. The comet hits the water about sixty miles south of the combined fleets. Before the gigantic waves more that 700 foot high toss the ships upside down like matchsticks, the masts and rigging have caught fire, fanned by 400 mph winds. Here is the extract, which Dallas H Abbot, Andrew Matzen and Stephen F Pekar of Lamont- Doherty Earth Laboratory, Pallisades, New York and Edward A Bryant, Faculty of Science, University of Woolongong, Australia, submitted to the Meeting of Geological society of America in the fall of 2003.
“Goff attributes coastal abandonment in New Zealand at 1500 AD to an earthquake – induced tsunami event. However the largest historical earthquakes produced maximum tsunami run-ups of 40 to 60 metres. On Stewart Island, New Zealand (see diagram 3) beach sand is present around 220 meters above sea level at Hellfire hut and around 150 meters above sea level at Mason Bay. In Eastern Australia there are mega tsunami deposits with maximum run-ups of over 130 metres and a carbon 14 age of about 1500 AD. Mega tsunami deposits occur on the eastern side of Lord Howe Island in the middle of Tasman Sea, implying a source crater for the tsunami further east. We named this source crater Mahuika for the Maori god of fire. Mahuika crater is 20 ± 2 kilometres wide and at least 153 metres deep. It is on the New Zealand continental shelf at 48.3°S (48 degrees 18’ south) and 166.4° E (166 degrees 24’ east – see diagram 3). Several pieces of evidence point to Mahuika as the source crater for the 1500 AD event. The first is that the crater lies on a great circle path from Australia oriented at about a 45-degree angle to the general trend of the eastern Australian coast. Mega tsunami deposits near Woolongong and at Jervis Bay, Australia suggest a tsunami wave oriented at this angle to the coast. The second is the sub bottom depth of the impact deposit. We have found impact ejecta in all of the dredges near the crater. Because marine sediments are deposited at a rate of about 1cm per thousand years, this is expected of an impact deposit only 500 years old. We are seeking Carbon 14 dates to confirm this. There is the distribution of tektites which are found on the opposite side of the crater from the direction of impact or arrival. Although we found impact ejecta in many samples, only some samples contained tektites. All tektite-beang samples are located southeast of the crater, in the opposite direction from southeast Australia, where the impact fire ball was seen by the aborigines.”
In more recent correspondence the Lamont-Doherty team has narrowed the dating to 1430-1443.
Impact on the fleets – the Coriolis effect of the Tornado
The impact fireball was seen more than a thousand miles away so the heat and flash (26 times brighter than the Sun) would have blinded most of the crew before setting their skin on fire. The tsunami was more than 220 metres (700 feet) high when it reached Stewart Island further north, the wind’s maximum velocity would have been 403 mph (Lamont- Doherty Observatory). The increased pressure caused by the Kinetic energy of the comet would have caused a Coriolis effect on wind direction. The waves would have radiated outwards from the impact zone knocking the eastern part of the fleet northeast to New Zealand and the western part of the fleet northwest to Australia (diagram 4). The fate of each fleet is now discussed separately.
Eastern fleet impaled New Zealand’s cliffs – Cedric Bell’s report.
Cedric Bell’s full report may be read on www.gavinmenzies.net under ‘evidence’ then under ‘independent reports’. In broad terms the 60 wrecks fall into 3 principal groups from south to north I) The Catlins (Southeast corner of New Zealand), 2) around Moeraki and 3) around the Banks Peninsular. A full list of the 60 wrecks is enclosed in the schedules giving latitude and longitude of each.
(i) The Catlins group
The tsunami (700 foot high at Stewart Island) would have carried them to the East of Stewart Island and either onto the Catlins or to seaward east of them. The northwest tornado winds would then have dumped those to seaward on shore. The position of each wreck in this group is compatible with tsunami and tornado created by the Mahuika comet.
(ii) Around Moeraki
The tsunami approaching (modern) Dunedin would have been of sufficient height to carry the junks over the top of what is now the port area of Dunedin. The Moeraki group of wrecks, not least those impaled upside down in the cliffs, is consistent with the waves dumping them either on top of or into the cliffs. Over the years the cliffs have crumbled allowing us to see the wrecks emerging and cannon balls and counterweights dropping out – see Cedric Bell’s photos. Again the position of each group is comparable with the Mahuika comet and resulting tsunami.
(iii) Around the Banks Peninsular
The wrecks are around the Peninsular that is they have been deposited on the south, east and north coasts of the peninsular. For years this had been a great puzzle to me. However the solution becomes clear when studying a great circle map of the South Pacific between the Mahuika impact position and the Banks Peninsular. The tsunami travelling from impact zone, to seaward of Dunedin would continue on a great circle, to pass some thirty miles east of Banks Peninsular. In this position the tsunami run up would have followed the line of the continental shelf curving to the northwest dumping the ships onto and around the Banks Peninsular. Wrecked junks would be approaching from the south; then as the tsunami hurtled north eastwards, and was level with Banks Peninsular the junks would be approaching the Peninsular from the east, then when the tsunami was north of the peninsular the run up would push them northwest on shore.
Once again all the wrecks found by Cedric Bell around the Banks Peninsular are comparable with the Mahuika comet and resulting Tsunami.
The Western Fleet
This fleet had manoeuvred to avoid Snares Island and was some 20 miles to the west of the eastern fleet when the comet struck (diagrams 3&4). Giant waves would have hurled the fleet northwest to Australia. Speaking in broad terms there are nine groups of wrecked ancient wooden ships with ‘Chinese’ Characteristics in Australia 1) on Fraser Island 2) Byron Bay 3) Newcastle 4) Sydney 5) Southeast Australia 6) Green Cape 7) Bass Strait 8) Warrnambool group 9) Western Australia around Flinders Bay. These are listed in the Appendices, some are now described in more detail.
1) Along the New South Wales Coast
Tsunami debris, including blue and white ceramics, is found all along the New South Wales coastline (Professor Ted Bryant). As Dallas Abbott, Andrew Matzen, Stephen Pekar and Edward Bryant made clear the mega tsunami deposits along this coast have maximum run-ups of over 130 metres and a carbon 14 age of about 1500 AD. Further details of wrecks on this stretch of coast are on our website. This stretch of coast is on a great circle path from the Mahuika comet.
The Byron Bay Group – 14 Wrecks
Three of these wrecks are ashore, one in deep water, the rest along the 30 fathom line which appears to me highly significant. If the latter were merchant ships sunk by Japanese submarines one would expect clusters of wrecks as the convoy passed strategic headlands. Instead there are 10 wrecks which follow no recognisable navigation lane their only common denominator being the depth of water in which they have sunk. This is shortly after the continental shelf as the water shallows to 30 fathoms. This is entirely consistent with junks being swept before the tsunami originated by the Mahuika comet. Before the tsunami passes across the continental shelf the waves are not high – the energy is underwater. As the waves enters shallow water it rapidly gains height until by 30 fathoms it is a monster.
A wooden dowel peg from a 51 to 75 metre wreck at Byron Bay has been carbon dated to 1410 A.D. This wreck is far too large to have been Portuguese. It seems to me the 10 wrecks along the 30 fathom line are strong contenders for wrecked junks.
2) The Newcastle group – 12 wrecks between 65 fathoms and shoreline
3) Sydney Group – 16 wrecks
The same argument applies. The wrecks lie along the 30 fathom line.
4) The Approaches to the Barrier Reef
Near Fraser Island a cache of Chinese artefacts have been found near a wreck from which cannons protrude at very low spring tides. Here coins dated pre 1425 have been found. Very old (undated) wooden wrecks have been found on Stradbroke Island and brass pins on Elliot Island. There are four wrecks on Stradbroke Island which local researchers consider ancient Chinese. All of these wrecks are consistent with being cast ashore by the Mahuika comet and resultant tsunami.
5, 6, 7 and 8) ‘The Warrnambool Group’ and Bass Straits Group – 17 wrecks
Two very old wooden wrecks have been found under the sand near Warrnambool, six kilometres apart from each other. The wood is unique to China. It is currently being carbon dated. A wreck on the East coast of King Island has brass pins similar to the Ruapuke wreck. A wreck on the East coast of Tasmania in Storm Bay disgorges Hong Wu (Zhu Di’s father) coins after storms. The first settlers to reach Kangaroo Island found feral Chinese pigs – other feral pigs around Warnnambool have similar (flea) characteristics. There are a further 3 unidentified wrecks along the coast between Warnambool and Kangaroo Island. This coast named ‘The Coorong’ is graced with a number of very old “Chinaman’s Wells”. The Aboriginal people living along this stretch of coast claim foreign people settled amongst them after a shipwreck and before Europeans arrived. In my opinion there are at least 5 junks from Zhou Man’s fleet on this coast.
The Tsunami from the Mahuika impact position would have carried wrecked junks towards Australia. As they approached the coast to the north of the Bass Strait, the Coriolis winds (diagram 7) would have driven them southwest, the combined effect would have driven them west northwest through the Bass Strait dumping two on Flinders Island, one on the east coast of King Island near the Sea-elephant River, another on Kangaroo Island and those on the coast near Warnnambool. The Tasmania wreck is on a great circle route from the Mahuika impact position. All of these wrecks are compatible with the Mahuika comet, resultant tsunami and tornado winds.
9) The Western Australia group
The Southwest tip of Australia is on a great circle route from the Mahuika impact position. Very old unidentified wooden wrecks have been reported near the Blackwood River Estuary, a kilometre inland as well as on the seabed and near Perth. The wreck near the Blackwood River was described as ‘Chinese’. The tsunami would have followed the 100 fathom line so all wrecks are consistent with the Mahuika comet and resulting tsunami.
Summary
Some of these 173 wrecks will turn out to be earlier or later than from Zhou Man’s fleet, others not Chinese. What is unarguable is that the wrecks are either directly on, or nearly on a direct circle path from the Mahuika impact site and each of the 173 wrecks is compatible with it being cast ashore by the comet, the resultant tsunami and tornado. There is only one point in the ocean which could be responsible for the catastrophic event which caused the 173 wrecks, and that point is 48° 18’ south, 166° 24’ east. In my view Dallas Abbott and her colleagues, Stephen Pekar and Andrew Matzen and Professor Bryant are fully vindicated, as is Cedric Bell.
Gavin Menzies
London
14th July 2005
