

One of the most interesting of these Chinese sources is
Ma Huan, the Muslim interpreter of the famous envoy Cheng Ho, whom he accompanied on three of his enormous expeditions.
Ma Huan's book was entitled Y
ing-yai sheng-lan, 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' ‘These daggers have very thin stripes and within flowers and made of very best steel; the handle is of gold, rhinoceros, or ivory, cut into the shape of human or devil faces and finished carefully’ – his description of keris.