Exploration of the Lake Kingdom, The End of the First Voyage

The boundless sea of sand stretched into the distance, while bright-colored seabirds circled and sang in piercing cries. The wasteland was always sparsely inhabited, with only faint traces of green. Yet behind that desolation lay the vitality hidden deep in the north, and land without end!

At that moment, Chiwako stood atop a dune, gazing at the new mountains and sea to the north. They were bleak mountains, and a sea of desert. Memories from the past several months surged into his mind scene by scene, filling him with endless emotion.

In mid-December of last year, the kingdom's fleet had officially set sail from the mouth of the Talsas River. They had followed the coast, hearts full of the unknown and unease, sailing toward the northwest of the world. At that time, Mekat's first measurement had been 18 degrees north star.

At the end of December, the fleet reached villages in the heartland of the southern Tecos tribes, at the edge of the Fire River Plain, to resupply, and encountered envoys from Fire River City who had come to question them. The recorded position had been about 19 degrees north star.

At the beginning of January this year, the fleet reached the mouth of the Lerma River, the center of the northern Tecos tribes, the flourishing Three Rivers City. There, they suffered an attack from hostile Tecos clans and lost more than a dozen men killed or wounded. That place was close to 21 degrees north star; they had already traveled roughly fifteen hundred li!

In late January, the fleet arrived at the mouth of the Pia River and encountered their first unknown tribe, the Totorames. Everyone resupplied at the Totorames' Fish Mountain Village, and heard of the Mayo people farther north. As for Fish Mountain Village's location, it should