Zheng He in America

Menzie does make some compellling arguments about China discovering the Americas. The accuracy of the maps of the two islands serves as such an important piece of evidence suggesting Chinese arrival. Menzie was fascinated that they even got the three bays down. However, on the next island over with the volcano, the old map has a clear depiction of a bay, but the modern map shows no bay in that same location. I fail to see how Menzie can accept a false placement of a bay and accept three correct ones, unless volcanic eruptions filled in the bay. 

Stones in a peculier arrangement points to an idea that a civilization has come and gone. I don't see why Menzie thinks that it had to have been a Chinese civilization. People have been in America before the arrival of people from ships from the eastern hemisphere, and they could have made those stones. Also, I don't see why an armada of ships would stop to build shelter and then go back to the waters.

Two-Way voyaging

Two-way voyaging occurred much more frequently than I had thought in Pacific Islands.  Regarding politics, voyaging acted as a method of escape.  Mo'ikeha, the chief of Tahiti, fled from his home in order to escape domestic difficulties.  Two-way voyaging allowed for people from Hawai'i and Tahiti to intermingle.  Two-way voyaging allowed for the spread of ideas as well.  La'maikahiki of Tahiti brought a god with him when he traveled to Hawai'i.  Two-way voyaging acted as a vessel for the spread of ideas and ease from turmoil.

Muslims and Christians

Based on the Christian documents, it does not seem possible for them to have had a more positive relationship with Muslims.  William of Tyre, the archbishop of Tyre, had nothing positive to say about the Muslims.  He seemed to have antagonized them at every given opportunity.  In Tyre's story of the Muslims blaming the Christians for placing a corpse of a dog in a Muslim temple, Tyre expresses his dissatisfaction against the Muslims; they threatened to slay every Christian for the action of a Muslim infidel.  This situation seems like a reasonable one to express his dissatisfaction of the Muslims.  However, in his first statements, he claims that Muhammad is not some proclaimed prophet.  Rather, he is an infidel who is the Son of Satan.  This antagonization of Muslims had no specific event to inspire it.  It was simply said, from what I know, from frustration.  And something coming from someone as high as an archbishop has the power to influence many others.