" ... Verbiest was desired to accompany the train of the emperor ... His two letters, in which these journeys are respectively described, were regarded with great interest on their arrival in Europe. The originals, in all probability, were written in Latin; for although Verbiest was a Fleming, and many of the Jesuit narratives were written in other languages than Latin, yet Dutch, we may conclude, would be less acceptable to those to whom the letters were sent than Latin, with which the writer was so perfectly conversant ... In the preface to this little work, the anonymous editor asserts that they are translated word for word from the originals."--R.H. Major, introd. to P.J. d'Orléans, Hist. of the two Tartar conquerors of China, 1854

Prefatory letter, "Au roy," signed "D.D."

In A. Backer, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, Nouv. éd., t. 8, col. 583, the original of one of the letters is entered as: Epistola r.p. Ferdinandi Verbiest, 4 octobr. 1683. ["Elle se trouve aux archives générales du royaume [de Belgique]]" cf. J.B. Du Halde, The general hist. of China, 1736, v. 4 (front.: port. of Verbiest)

"Nouvelle descente des Espagnols dans l'isle de Californie. L'an 1683": p. 79-110. [" ... Sous la conduite de dom Isidore d'Atondo admiral de la Nouvelle Espagne, des lettres duquel on a tiré ce qui est écrit dans cette relation."--p. 82]

Sabin 98928

Microfiche. Woodbridge, CT : Research Publications, 1991. 2 microfiches : negative. (Selected Americana from Sabin's Dictionary of books relating to America, from its discovery to the present time ; 4813-4814)