Zheng He led a fleet of nearly 300 ships that reached the shores of Africa centuries before Columbus. His armada was a floating city with treasure ships over 400 feet that dwarfed the three vessels later used by Columbus. Between 1405 and 1433 AD he commanded seven voyages for the Ming Dynasty emperor, crossing the Indian Ocean and visiting Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. His mission was to forge diplomatic ties and trade links, returning with spices, gems and even