Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2019 | Page 44

The Great Ming Treasure Voyages
St. Joseph's College, Gambhir, Chirag Rai - 16
The Ming Treasure Fleet was a pioneer in what it set out to do. It carried cargoes of gold, silver,
silk, spices, sandalwood, ivory and countless other precious commodities. The captain and sailors were
looking to make and develop national relations with other countries by giving these aforementioned
materials away as gifts to people. However, the Ming Treasure Fleet also had its fair share of obstacles to
overcome as it had to fight battles with belligerent armies or exchange blows with pirates who wanted to
steal their gold. The fleet of ships was heavily militarized which helped immensely in their clashes. Thus, this
article will discuss the adventures of the Ming Treasure Fleet, the unforgettable sights one would take in, the
sorts of jobs that would have to be done on the ship and what it would be like to have been a young person
on the journey.
To start with, the Ming Treasure Fleet had legendary adventures, quite literally. Swashbucklers
across the board, the captain and sailors are known to have gone on some great adventures as the efforts of
the fleet resulted in seven far-reaching ocean voyages to the in and around the South China Sea, the Indian
Ocean, and beyond. The crew on the ships must have taken in some breathtaking views such as new
locations and different cultures that nobody had heard of then. Therefore, the Ming Treasure Flight must
have had some great adventures.
Next, the types of jobs that would have to be done on the ship will be stated. Tasks such as
keeping the ship clean and cooking for the crew would have to be performed. To add, the ship would have
to remain in optimal condition on the off-chance that the fleet had to go into battle so there must have
been people in charge of repairing any broken parts and maintenance of the hull. Obviously, there were also
captains on the ships and they supervised the day-to-day affairs of the ship as they were in command.
Consequently, there were a lot of important tasks to be carried out on the ships. Fear
To be a young person on the voyages must have had a huge influence on their life after travelling
across the seas as the battles with enemies could have had side effects on the youth such as anxiety and
depression. Such stressful events could have easily traumatized an adolescent and scarred them for life. This
would have taken a toll on people’s mental health.
To conclude, the people on the Ming Treasure Fleet must have had some great adventures and
some scenic views, but to be a young person on the journey must have been a lot to handle and extremely
detrimental to one’s health.