759. Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa. By Thunberg. 1794, 4 vols. 8vo.--This work relates principally to Japan; and it may justly be remarked, that few parts of the world have met with sucn admirable describers as Japan has done, in Koempfer and Thunberg. Certainly the natural history of no part, so rich in this respect, has been so fully and scientifically investigated. A French translation of this work was published in Paris in 1796, in 2 vols. 4to. enriched by the notes of Langles and La Marck.
760. Golownin's Narrative of his Captivity in Japan, 1811-13. 2 vols. 8vo.--Japan is a country so little accessible, that every work on it is acceptable. This work does not add very much to what Koempfer and Thunberg have told, but perhaps quite as much as the author, under his circumstances, could collect or observe. The same remarks apply to his Recollections of Japan. 1 vol. 8vo.
The history of the missions in the East Indies, Japan, and China, which were published in the Italian, Spanish, German, and French languages, towards the end of the sixteenth, and the beginning of the seventeenth century, is interspersed with some curious and valuable information regarding these countries; the titles and character of the principal of these may be found in the Bibliothèque, vol. 5. p. 264, 272, &c.
761. Voyage to China and the East Indies, by Rel. Osbeck; with a Voyage to Surat, by Torreens; and an Account of the Chinese Husbandry, by Ekelberg. Translated from the German by J.R. Forster. To which is added a Fauna et Flora Sinensis. 1777, 2 vols. 8vo.--Travels, embracing scientific natural history, by competent persons, are so rare and valuable, that the titles of such should not be omitted: the nature of this work is sufficiently indicated by the title, and its merit by its having been translated by Forster.
762. Sonnerat, Voyage aux Indes Orientals et à la Chiné, 1774. 1781. Paris, 1806. 4 vols. 8vo.--This work is particularly full and minute on the theography of the Hindoos: besides the East Indies and China, it embraces Pegu, the Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Malacca, &c. A translation of part of it into English was printed at Calcutta.
763. Nouvelles Mémoires sur l'État present de la Chine. Par Le Comte. Paris, 1701, 3 vols. 12mo--The best account of China previous to Duhalde's work, though in many particulars extremely partial to the Chinese.
764. Mémoires concernant l'Histoire, les Sciences, et les Arts des Chinois. Par les Missionaires de Pekin. Paris, 1775, &c. 15 vols. 4to.--In this voluminous work is contained a wonderful deal of information on China; the continuation of the work was put a stop to by the French Revolution: it is by far the best the Jesuits have produced on China; and if there are materials for perfecting it, they ought to be given to the public.
765. Description Geographique, Historique, Chronologique, Politique, et Physique de la Chiné et de Tartarie Chinoise. Par Duhalde. Le Hague, 1736, 4 vols. 4to.--Of this work there is an English translation. Duhalde has drawn his materials from a variety of sources, especially from the printed and manuscript accounts of the missionaries; but he has failed to exercise a sound judgment, and a scrupulous examination into the truth of many facts and opinions which he has admitted into his work.
But though the public are certainly much indebted to the missionaries for the information they have given respecting this singular country, yet there are obvious circumstances which rendered their accounts suspicious in some points, and defective in others, so that the publication of the accounts of the Dutch and British Embassies added much to our stock of accurate knowledge regarding China. The following is the title of the French translation of part of the Dutch Embassy:
766. Voyage de la Campagne des Indes Orientales vers l'Empire de la Chiné, 1794-5. Tiré du Journal de Van Braam. Philadelphe. 1797, 4to.--There is also an English translation.