Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms: Volume 34

Originally compiled by Europeans

Translated by Lin Zexu of Houguan Lin Zexu (1785–1850) was a prominent Qing official best known for his role in the First Opium War. While in Canton, he organized the translation of Western geographic works to better understand the "outer barbarians."

Re-edited by Wei Yuan of Shaoyang Wei Yuan (1794–1857) was a scholar-official who expanded Lin's research into the Haiguo Tuzhi, the most influential 19th-century Chinese work on world geography.

The Small Western Ocean The eastern, northern, and southern regions of the three Libyas original: 利未亞 (Liweiya). This is a transliteration of Libya, used here as the name for the entire African continent. are all contained within this volume

The Eastern African Continent

The Eastern African Continent borders the Indian Ocean original: 因里阿海 (Yinliao hai), a phonetic rendering of "India Sea.". From the coastline in the east to the western interior, its width varies, approximately five to six hundred li li: a traditional Chinese unit of distance, roughly 500 meters or 1/3 of a mile. From Samana original: 舍摩那司 (Shemonasi), likely referring to Sofala in modern Mozambique in the south to the coast of Agas original: 阿嘎 (A-ga), likely referring to Cape Guardafui in the north, the coastline stretches for approximately three thousand li. The land is broad in the north and narrow in the south. In the interior lie the great Lupata Mountains original: 路巴達 (Lubada). These are the Lupata Mountains in modern Mozambique.; their peaks and valleys rise and fall, stretching along the coast. There are two major rivers: the Rufigi River original: 路菲尼河 (Lufenhe), which flows into the sea from Mozambique original: 摩新彌葵 (Moxinmikui), and the Zambezi River original: 偃彌西河 (Yanmixihe).