[The following description is translated from a copy of the Periódico
Hebdomadario Escolar (i.e., “Students’ Weekly Paper”) for
November 9, 1901, being no. 6 in order of issue of that paper. It was
there published by Clemente J. Zulueta (now deceased), then professor
of history, and later engaged in archival researches in Spain for the
Philippine branch of the United States government, who was a man of
real ability. He himself communicated the existence of this publication
to us; the copy of the paper, which is rare, was lent us by James A.
LeRoy. An editorial note at the beginning of the chapter reads as
follows: “As we consider it of some importance to the historical, or
rather pre-historical, cartography of Filipinas, we transcribe the
following lines, which are a Spanish translation of chapter xl of the
geography of the Chinese writer Chao Ju-kua. [1] Professor Blumentritt
translated it from the English, and Dr. Hirth translated directly into
English the MS. of Chao Ju-kua [ca., 1891] who according to
Blumentritt, flourished in the thirteenth century—that is, three
centuries before Magallanes’s expedition.” Our search for the
translation by Dr. Hirth has been unavailing, and we are therefore
compelled to retranslate Blumentritt’s translation. Concerning this
translation we are furnished the following information in a letter from
James A. LeRoy, dated January 27, 1904: “Zulueta owns the original
letter and the translation of this chapter as written out by Ferdinand
Blumentritt and sent to Rizal while the latter was in exile in 1894.
Blumentritt made the annotations to the chapter, as is proved by his
letter. In his letter to Rizal enclosing the translation of the
chapter, Blumentritt tells Rizal that the previous year (1893) a friend
of his in Madrid had published (how or where is not told) his
hastily-made version of this chapter, with hasty notes, which he had
sent this friend for his own use in a study of the prehistoric
Philippines, but had no idea that it would be used independently.” A
Spanish version with parallel English translation appeared in Revista
historica de Filipinas (i.e., “Filipino Historical Review”) for
June, 1905 (vol. 1, no. 2), which is signed by P. L. Stangl. His
version differs from that of Blumentritt given by Zulueta, being
divided into two chapters—xl, called “Ma-yi,” and xli, called
“San-Hsii.” We have, however, preferred to use Zulueta’s version,
as we do not know whence Stangl’s version has proceeded. We subjoin
Blumentritt’s notes accompanying Zulueta’s version, signing such
notes “B.”]