1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: The Kurral Islands are a relatively remote place off the 7 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: east coast of Russia, north of Japan. It's a volcanic 8 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: chain that most people would struggle to point out on 9 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: a map. The winters are cold, the summers are thick 10 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: with fog. Not what one thinks of when you mentioned 11 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: volcanic island in the Pacific. During the Cold War, the 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: Soviet Union maintained a garrison on the island of Iturup. 13 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: The garrison was small, had six self propelled barges to 14 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: help maintain supply lines between them and the mainland. During 15 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: the winter of nineteen fifty nine, most of these barges 16 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: were beached in order to protect them from winter storms. However, 17 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: in early January of nineteen sixty, Soviet command alerted them 18 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: of an incoming supply ship, so two of these barges 19 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: were fueled and pushed back out into the sea, where 20 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: they were attached with mooring lines. These barges, designated T 21 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: ninety seven and T thirty six, were maintained by small 22 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: skeleton crews. On January seventeenth, while these men were aboard, 23 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: a storm struck. Intense winds battered at the moorings of 24 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: both barges. The tether on barge T thirty six snapped 25 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: and the one hundred ton ship began to drift in 26 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: danger of being swept out to sea. The crew went 27 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: to work right away, starting the barges engines in an 28 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: attempt to keep her away from the rocks, and all 29 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: the while they radioed to shore requesting assistance. At the time, 30 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 1: T thirty six had four men on board and that 31 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: was it. They fought that storm on and off for 32 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: around ten straight hours until finally the winds led up. 33 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 1: It was a slight relief, although only a temporary one. 34 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: You see, they were in the eye of the storm 35 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: and they realized that their safest course of action would 36 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: be to approach the beach with their barge. Around the 37 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: same time, though T ninety seven, the other barge, was 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: attempting to do the same thing, and it had managed 39 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: to beach the barge successfully. As the crew of T 40 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: thirty six steered their barge toward a safer part of shore, 41 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: the unthinkable happened. They ran out a fuel. There was 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: nothing the four men on board could do but wait 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: for the storm to return. The currents carried themselves farther 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: and farther away from the island until they were floating 45 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: in open ocean. Their radio had been damaged during the storm, 46 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: so there was no way to call for help anymore. 47 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: The last message that they sent to the garrison was 48 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: we anticipate disaster. We cannot come ashore. Once the storm sucided, 49 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: garrison launched a search party in the surrounding world. They 50 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,799 Speaker 1: found wreckage floating in the ocean and assumed the Tea 51 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: thirty six had sunk. At the same time, the Tea 52 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: thirty six, still very much afloat by the way, was 53 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: drifting through the North Pacific on a strong current to 54 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: the east, taking them at a speed of seventy eight 55 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: miles per day. The water around the Tea thirty six 56 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: barge was open and very empty, and even worse, the 57 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 1: strong current meant that fishing was impossible, although the four 58 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: men did try their best. TEA thirty six floated through 59 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: a stretch of sea reserved for Soviet missile testing, not 60 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: seeing a single vessel along the way. On their second 61 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: day of floating, they took a complete inventory of their supplies. 62 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: Their food was scant, a small supply of cereal, a 63 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: loaf of bread, and a bunch of potatoes. During the storm, 64 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: diesel fuel had gotten into the potatoes, so those were useless. 65 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: Their only source of fresh water was the system that 66 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: cooled the engine. They rationed all of these carefully and 67 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: collected rain water when they could to stave off their thirst. 68 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: Their three day supply of food last for sixteen days 69 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: once they ran out, though they boiled leather objects such 70 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: as one of their belts, their shoelaces, and the strap 71 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,119 Speaker 1: from a walkie talkie so they could eat them. As 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: you'd imagine, the men lost weight fast, and in the 73 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: winter cold, they all had to share one bunk for warmth. However, 74 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: none of them turned on each other, all grimly determined 75 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: to press on wherever their barge might take them, And then, 76 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: after a grueling forty nine days, their ordeal came to 77 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: an abrupt end. On March seventh, they were spotted by 78 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: helicopters dispatched by the US aircraft carrier, the USS Cure Sarge. 79 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: At first, the Russian sailors attempted to explain to the 80 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: helicopters that they only needed food and supplies and then 81 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: could get back on their own. They feared that accepting 82 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: American help would be seen as betrayal by the Soviet Union, 83 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: but eventually they caved in and accepted American rescue. The 84 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: four Russian soldiers, skinny and disheveled, stumbled aboard the carrier 85 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: in a kind of days. They were cautious with how 86 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: much they ate, aware of the danger of overeating after starvation. Remarkably, 87 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: they received a hero's welcome in both San Francisco and Moscow. 88 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: It seems that even in the height of the Cold War, 89 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: their achievement was seen as a universal human triumph, because 90 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: for as cold as the war might have been, the 91 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: open ocean was far colder. We all know the names 92 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: of famous Western explorers, people like Christopher Columbus, Francis Drake, 93 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: Ferdinand Magellan, but there is one explorer who beat them 94 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: all to the punch, exploring the oceans decades before they did. 95 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: The explorer in question wasn't European either, but Chinese, and 96 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: his name was Janghe. Janghi was born in the early 97 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: thirteen seventies in southwestern China to a Muslim family. Unfortunately, 98 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: they were caught up in the constant fighting between the 99 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,640 Speaker 1: Mongols and the Chinese emperors at the time. When Janghi 100 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: was a young boy, his father was killed and he 101 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: was captured by the armies of the Ming dynasty. After that, 102 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: he was taken to work at the royal courts, which 103 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: should have been a significant opportunity to improve his social standing. However, 104 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: although medieval China was a fairly prosperous and enlightened place, 105 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: service within the court was often brutal. As a result, 106 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: Janghi and other young male captives like him were castrated. Now, 107 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: this was a common practice at the time. The rationale 108 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: was that a eunuch, as these young men were known, 109 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: would not have the ability or the desire to have 110 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: children and therefore create a dynasty of their own. Therefore, 111 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: they could be trusted as the most loyal possible servants 112 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: to the emperor. Janghe was then made a servant of 113 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: the emperor's son Zudi. Zudi was bold and brash and 114 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: prone to getting into trouble, but Janghi, who eventually grew 115 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: up into a seven foot tall bodyguard of sorts to 116 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: the prince, was always there to keep him safe. When 117 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: his father passed away in fourteen oh two, Zudi became emperor. 118 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: Now he was fairly arrogant and selfish as an emperor, 119 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: looking to expand his authority as much as possible. This 120 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: was difficult when the Mongols continued to be a problem 121 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: in the west. Zudi actually moved the imperial capital from 122 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: Nanjing to Beijing so that he could be closer to 123 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: the Great Wall and better direct his armies. But he 124 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: had other plans in mind for his friend Janghi. The 125 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: new emperor wanted Jenghi to expand Chinese authority across the 126 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: Ocean to Southeast Asia and beyond. He believed that all 127 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 1: neighboring countries should acknowledge Chinese superiority and be forced to 128 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: trade with China. To this end, Jenghi and Zudi oversaw 129 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: the construction of the largest navy the world had ever seen. 130 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: They built hundreds of ships, some of them the length 131 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: of a soccer field. These huge ships had four to 132 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: five masts and double layered hulls where large amounts of 133 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: drinking water could be stored. It was still one hundred 134 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: years before the era of European exploration, and here they 135 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: were making ships more advanced than anything the Europeans would 136 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: eventually use. Jenghi set sail. On his first voyage in 137 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: fourteen oh five. He had a combined crew numbering in 138 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: the tens of thousands. Their flotilla was really more of 139 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: a large city. They visited Vietnam, a large part of 140 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: Southeast Asian islands like Sumatra and Java. In subsequent voyages, 141 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: Jenghi sailed as far as India, Eastern Africa, and even 142 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: the Persian Gulf, and in all of these places, Jenghi 143 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,719 Speaker 1: would present the leaders with Chinese gifts like silk and porcelain, 144 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: and demand valuable goods such as spices and jewels. In return, 145 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: the leader had to verbally acknowledge the superiority of the 146 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: Chinese Emperor, becoming a vassal state of sorts. Now. Sometimes 147 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 1: Jenghi ran into a leader who wouldn't give in to 148 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: his demands. In these cases, he would capture the leader 149 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: and take them back to China or they would be 150 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: forced to literally bow to the emperor before being returned home. 151 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: Jenghi's fleet never made it as far as Europe, not 152 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: because as they couldn't, They just didn't have any interest 153 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: in doing so. All the evidence they had about Europe 154 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,200 Speaker 1: at this time was that it was a poor, violent 155 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: place with little in the way of luxury, goods or culture. 156 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: Jenghi's seventh and final voyage took place from fourteen thirty 157 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: one to fourteen thirty three. Now by this point, Zudi 158 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: had passed away and been replaced by his son, who 159 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: was much more conservative. He wasn't exactly excited by the 160 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: fact that his father had nearly bankrupted the country on 161 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: expensive building projects like Janghe's treasure fleet. So Janghe took 162 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: his final opportunity to visit Mecca in modern day Saudi Arabia, 163 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 1: an important pilgrimage for many Muslims. It was something that 164 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: his father had done, but that he had somehow not 165 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: yet had a chance to do. Jenghie passed away shortly after. 166 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: Whether he died at sea or in China is it known. 167 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: The new emperor had many records of his voyages destroyed, 168 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: as well as the entire fleet. It was seen as 169 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: a decadent national embarrassment. Only recently have historians been able 170 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: to piece the story of Jinghi's life back together. His 171 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: voyages may not have been practical, but as we all know, 172 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: sometimes curiosity is its own reward. I hope you've enjoyed 173 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for 174 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show 175 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created 176 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. 177 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 178 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 179 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the Worldoflore dot com. 180 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.