1944, Martin R. Norins, Gateway to Asia: Sinkiang, Frontier of the Chinese Far West, John Day Company, →OCLC, page 34:
From early childhood this second Ma had heard such unbelievable stories about the Ha-mi melons grown in Sinkiang that he was at last setting out to see them for himself. Sipping tea at a roadside inn, the two passed the time of day and soon waxed friendly. "So far as our Iron Bridge is concerned," stated the Ma of Lan-chou, "it is the highest yet. At this date last year a man fell over the side and, when I left, his body had not yet reached the water." "H-m-m," murmured the Ma of Ha-mi. "Yes, that's high. But as far as our melons are concerned, you are wasting your time traveling all the way to Ha-mi to see them. They grow to such a size, you know, that by this time next year they will be with you in Lan-chou." Sinkiang (Hsin-chiang) has often been called the "New Dominion," and to Chinese, exaggerations notwithstanding, this "new" frontier land has for centuries been full of the wonderful, the picturesque, the bizarre, the new. In the olden days one who brought Ha-mi melons to the capital of the Middle Kingdom would merit special favor, and even today the clippers that soar across Northwest China from Sinkiang to Szechwan inevitably carry a few, now and then, as rare delicacies for the people of Chungking.
1990, Yuan-chu Lam, “Memoir on the Campaign Against Turfan”, in Journal of Asian History, volume 24, Otto Harrassowitz, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 106:
In a close examination of Hsü Chin's account, even though the restoration of Ha-mi by force in later 1495 highlighted his effort in reclaiming the influence of the Ming dynasty in that area, his real concern and effort as reflected in his writing was on achieving permanent peace in that area.
In 1693 K'ang-hsi increased the pressure on Galdan by forwarding a Manchu detachment to Ha-mi to prevent the Oirats from obtaining food there. He also admonished Galdan not to attempt an invasion of Tibet or Koko Nor.