A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xviii Part 49

759. Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa. By Thunberg. 1794, 4 vols.

8vo.--This work relates princ.i.p.ally to j.a.pan; and it may justly be remarked, that few parts of the world have met with sucn admirable describers as j.a.pan 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 j.a.pan, 1811-13. 2 vols.

8vo.--j.a.pan 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 circ.u.mstances, could collect or observe. The same remarks apply to his Recollections of j.a.pan. 1 vol. 8vo.

The history of the missions in the East Indies, j.a.pan, 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 t.i.tles and character of the princ.i.p.al of these may be found in the Bibliotheque, 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 t.i.tles of such should not be omitted: the nature of this work is sufficiently indicated by the t.i.tle, and its merit by its having been translated by Forster.

762. Sonnerat, Voyage aux Indes Orientals et a la Chine, 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 Memoires sur l'etat 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. Memoires 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 Chine 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 ma.n.u.script 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 circ.u.mstances which rendered their accounts suspicious in some points, and defective in others, so that the publication of the accounts of the Dutch and British Emba.s.sies added much to our stock of accurate knowledge regarding China. The following is the t.i.tle of the French translation of part of the Dutch Emba.s.sy:

766. Voyage de la Campagne des Indes Orientales vers l'Empire de la Chine, 1794-5. Tire du Journal de Van Braam. Philadelphe. 1797, 4to.--There is also an English translation.

767. Sir George Staunton's Account of the Emba.s.sy of the Earl of Macartney to China. 2 vols. 4to. 1797.

768. John Barrow's Travels to China. 4to. 1804.

These works, especially the latter, together with Lord Macartney's own journal in the second volume of his life, contain a deal of information, considering the jealousy of the Chinese; some additions, corrections, and different views of the same circ.u.mstances, as well as a further insight into the manners of the Chinese, as indicated by their conduct, will be found in the two following works which relate to the Emba.s.sy of Lord Amherst. The first is by the naturalist to the Emba.s.sy.

769. Abel's Narrative of a Journey in the Interior of China. 1816-17. 4to.

770. Ellis's Journal of the Proceedings of the late Emba.s.sy to China. 4to.

771. Relation du Naufrage sur la Cote de l'Isle de Quaelpeart, avec la Description de Coree. Paris, 1670, 12mo.--This work, translated from the Dutch, besides the interest which personal adventures in a foreign country, and under unusual circ.u.mstances, always inspires, gives much information regarding the manners of the inhabitants, and the ceremonies, &c. of the court of Corea,--a part of Asia very little known.

772. Captain Hall's Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea, and the Great Loo-choo Island. 4to.--A work not less valuable for its maritime geography and science, than for the pleasing interest which it excites on behalf of the natives of Loo-choo, and the favourable impression it leaves of Captain Hall, his officers and seamen.

TARTARY, &C.

773. Noord-Oost Tartarie. Par Nic. Witsen. Amsterd. 1705, 2 vols.

folio.--Forster, an excellent and seldom too favourable a judge, speaks highly of this work.

774. Nomadische Streifereisen unter den Kalmuken. Von B. Borgman. Riga, 1805-6, 4 vols. 8vo.--The author of this work resided some time with the Kalmucks, at the command of the Emperor of Russia; and he seems to have employed his time well, in gaining information respecting the past and present state of their country, and their manners, intellectual, moral, and religious state.

THIBET, &C.

775. Antonio de Andrada novo Descubrimento de Grao Catayo ou dos Regnos de Tibet. Lisbon, 1626, 4to.--This work has been translated into French, Italian, Flemish, and Spanish; it contains the narrative of the first pa.s.sage of the Himalaya Mountains. (_See Quarterly Review, No. 48. page 337, &c._)

776. Turner's Account of an Emba.s.sy to the Court of the Teesho Lama, in Thibet. 1800, 4to.--This work is full of information and interest: it relates to the soil, climate, and produce of Thibet; the moral character, and especially the singular religion of the inhabitants, and their inst.i.tutions, manufactures, disorders, &c.

777. Kirkpatrick's Account of Nepaul in 1793. 4to.--This is one of the best accessions to our information respecting this part of Asia which has been produced by our establishments in India.

778. Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul. By Francis Hamilton, (formerly Buchanan). 1819, 4to.--The same character applies to this as to the other work by the same author.

779. Fraser's Journal of a Tour through part of the Snowy Ridge of the Himalaya Mountains. 1820. 4to.--Notwithstanding Mr. Fraser's ignorance of natural history, in a country quite new, and full of most interesting objects in this science, and that he had no means of measuring heights, or ascertaining the temperature or pressure of the air; and notwithstanding a want of method, and a heaviness and prolixity in the style, this book possesses great interest, from the scenes of nature and pictures of manners which it exhibits.

780. Elphinstone's Account of Caubul and its Dependencies. 1815. 4to.--The interest and value of this work arises more from the subject of it, than from the manner in which it is executed; respecting such countries, however, as Caubul, and others as little known and remote, we are glad of all accessions of information.

ASIATIC RUSSIA.

781. Reisen durch Siberien, 1733-1743. Von J.G. Gmelin. Gott. 4 vols.

8vo.--This work is worthy of the name which it bears: it is full and particular on the physical and moral geography of Siberia, but especially on its mines and iron foundries.

782. Voyage en Siberie, 1761. Par Chappe d'Auteroche. Paris, 1768. 3 vols.

4-to.--This work gave rise to a severe attack on it, under the t.i.tle of Antidote. D'Auteroche's object on his travels was princ.i.p.ally scientific, but he has entered fully into the character of the inhabitants, and especially those of the capital, and into the character, and intellectual and moral state of the Russians in general.

783. Relation d'un Voyage aux Monts d'Altai en Siberie, 1781. Par Patrin.

Peters. 1785, 8vo.--Mineralogical.

784. Recherches Historiques sur les Princ.i.p.ales Nations etablies en Siberie. Paris, 1801. 8vo.--This work, translated from the Russian of Fischer, displays a great deal of research, and is not unworthy of an author who imitated Pallas, Gmelin, Muller, &c.

785. Recherches sur les Princ.i.p.ales Nations en Siberie. Traduit du Russe de Stollenweck. 8vo.

786. Description de Kamschatcha. Par Krascheninnikof. Amsterd. 1770. 2 vols. 8vo.--The soil, climate, productions, minerals, furs, habitations, manners, employments, religious ceremonies and opinions, &c., and even the dialect spoken in different parts, are here treated of.

787. Journal Historique du Voyage de M. Lesseps. Paris, 1790. 2 vols.

8vo.--Lesseps sailed with Le Peyrouse, but left him in Kamschatcha, and travelled by land to France with despatches from him; his narrative gives a lively picture of the inhabitants of the northern parts of Asiatic and European Russia. The work has been translated into English; there is also a German translation by Forster.

788. Sauer's Account of Billing's Geographical and Astronomical Expedition to the Northern Parts of Russia, 1785-94. 4to.--An account of this expedition was also published in Russian by Captain Saretschewya, one of the officers engaged in it. Parts of the continent, and islands and seas little known, are described in these two works, but they are deficient in natural history.

789. Holderness's Notes relating to the Manners and Customs of the Crim Tartars. 1823. 8vo.--Mrs. Holderness resided four years in the Crimea, and she seems to have employed her time well, having produced an instructive book on the manners, domestic life, &c., not only of the Crim Tartars, but likewise of the various colonists of the Crimea.

IX. AMERICA.

Those works which relate to the discovery of America, derive their interest rather from their historical nature than from the insight they give into the physical and moral state of this portion of the globe. In one important particular; America differs from all the other quarters of the world, very early travels in Asia or Africa unfold to us particulars respecting races of people that still exist, and thus enable us to compare their former with their present state, whereas nearly all the original inhabitants of America have disappeared.

Referring therefore our readers to the historians of the discovery and conquest of America, and to the Bibliotheque des Voyages, for the t.i.tles and nature of those works which detail the voyages of Columbus, Vespucius, &c., we shall confine ourselves chiefly to such works as enter more fully into a description of the country and its colonized inhabitants.

790. Journal des Observations Physiques, Mathematiques, et Botaniques, faites par le P. Feuillee, sur les Cotes de l'Amerique Meridionale et dans les Indes Occidentales. Paris, 1714. 2 vols. 4to.

791. Suite du Journal. Paris, 1715. 4to.--Excellent works on the subjects indicated in the t.i.tle.