575 Fu An 傅安 (T. 志道). Died A.D. 1429. A Supervising Censor, who was dispatched in 1385 with two other Censors and a eunuch named 劉惟 Liu Wei, to open communications with the nations of Central Asia. They traversed the desert of Gobi and reached Hami; thence on to Karakhodjo and Ilbalik, the ancient capital of Kuldja. Their mission was successful as far as Samarcand, the various places visited acknowledging the suzerainty of China. There however they were imprisoned until 1407. The survivors, including only 17 of their original escort of 1500 men, were then sent back and were well rewarded on arrival. Fu An and his companions went on six missions altogether, chiefly to Samarcand, Bishbalik and Herat, until in 1415 Fu An retired to wait on his aged mother.