The kingdoms of the Southern Sea海南諸國
1Preface to the kingdoms of the Southern Sea
海南諸國，大抵在交州南及西南大海洲上，相去近者三五千里，遠者二三萬里，其西與西域諸國接。漢元鼎中，遣伏波將軍路博多開百越，置日南郡。其徼外諸國，自武帝以來皆朝貢。後漢桓帝世，大秦、天竺皆由此道遣使貢獻。及吳孫權時，遣宣化從事朱應、中郎康泰通焉。其所經及傳聞，則有百數十國，因立記傳。晉代通中國者蓋鮮，故不載史官。及宋、齊，至者有十餘國，始爲之傳。自梁革運，其奉正朔，脩貢職，航海歲至，踰於前代矣。今采其風俗粗著者，綴爲《海南傳》云。
The kingdoms of the Southern Sea lie for the most part on the islands of the great sea south and southwest of Jiaozhou. The nearest are three to five thousand li away, the farthest twenty or thirty thousand li, and on the west they border the kingdoms of the Western Regions. In the Yuanding years of Han, Lu Bode, General Who Quells the Waves, was sent to open Baiyue, and the commandery of Rinan was set up. The kingdoms beyond that frontier have all paid tribute since the time of Emperor Wu. In the time of Emperor Huan of the Later Han, Daqin and Tianzhu both sent envoys with tribute by this road. When it came to the time of Sun Quan of Wu, Zhu Ying, attendant officer for spreading civilization, and Kang Tai, palace gentleman, were sent to open relations with them. What they passed through and what they heard of came to a hundred and several tens of kingdoms, and on that ground records and accounts were set down. In the time of Jin (晉) those who reached China were few, and so the historians did not record them. By Song and Qi more than ten kingdoms came, and accounts of them were first composed. Since Liang received the mandate anew, those who honor the imperial calendar and keep up their tribute duties, crossing the sea year after year, have surpassed the former ages. Now the plainer part of their customs is gathered and strung together to make the Hainan zhuan (海南傳).