the northeast 219shih 32:7a; Wu-tai hui-yao 30:12a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5034; Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’ao 326:57b).
On June 11, 925, envoys of the Black River Barbarians to the Later
T’ang court offered presents (Chiu wu-tai shih 32:14b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5034).
In the 8th month (Aug./Sep.) of 928, envoys of the Black River
Mo-ho to the Later T’ang court offered regional objects (Wu-tai hui-
yao 30:12a).
On Sep.14, 929, envoys of the Black River [Mo-ho] to the Later
T’ang court offered regional objects (Hsin Wu-tai shih 6:8a;Ts’e-fu
yüan-kuei p.5034).
On Mar.7, 930, envoys of the Black River [Mo-ho] to the Later
T’ang court offered regional objects (Chiu wu-tai shih 41:1b; Ts’e-fu
yüan-kuei p.5035).^22
In the 5th month (May/June) of 931, local officials informed the
Later T’ang court that Black River Mo-ho had arrived in Teng on
the north coast of Shan-tung to sell horses (Wu-tai hui-yao 30:12a).
The last recorded mission from the Black River Mo-ho was to the
Later T’ang court in 932. Thereafter contacts ceased (Hsin Wu-tai shih
74:1b;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:57b) because the Black River Mo-ho
were absorbed into the Liao empire.
The Black River Mo-ho and the Chinese had a mutual interest in
restraining Po-hai situated between them, which led to close relations
of the classical kind. The other and dominant reason for the missions
was exchange of goods. It has been seen that the mission to sell horses
in 931 arrived in Teng by sea, as no doubt all other missions before it
had done, since it is not probable that Po-hai allowed transit through
its territory. The Black River Mo-ho ships must have departed from
a port on the Sea of Japan and sailed around the Korean Peninsula.
The preferred season was the spring.
This is the distribution by 20-year periods of the 21 recorded Black
River Mo-ho missions to T’ang and Later T’ang:
627-646: 2
647-666: 0
667-686: 0(^22) Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei dates the mission 2nd month, Chiu wu-tai shih 1st month, chi-hai.
The 1st month did not have a day with the cyclical characters chi-hai, so that Ts’e-fu
yüan-kuei is correct. However, Hsin Wu-tai shih 6:8a dates the reception Mar.6.