very communicative; had not the gift of narration; but the essential portion of what has been preserved of his account of the journey will be found in the Appendix at the end of this volume. The only genuine sketch of the palace of Potala is, I believe, that given in the 'China Illustrata' of Kircher, from Father Grueber.
Grueber was followed by two other Jesuits, named Desideri and Freyre. Hippolito Desideri was born at Pistoia in 1684, became a Jesuit, and was sent to Goa in 1712. In 1714 he went by way of Surat to Delhi, where he was joined by Father Manoel Freyre as a companion. Crossing the Pir Panjal Range the two Jesuits came to Kashmir on the 10th of May, and travelled thence by Leh and over the Mariam-la pass to Lhasa, the journey occupying them from August, 1715, to March, 1716. Desideri remained at Lhasa until 1729, when he was recalled by the Pope, and not allowed to return, owing to complaints against him from the Capuchin friars, who had found their way into Tibet. We have one letter of Desideri, which descibes his journey through Ladak and as far as the Mariam-la pass, but there the narrative breaks off abruptly. A translation of this letter, from the 'Lettres Edifiantes,'[1] will be found
- ↑ The 'Lettres Edifiantes' were brought out by Legobien and Du Halde.
Charles Legobien was a Jesuit, who was born at St. Malo in 1G53, and died in 1708. He published 'Lettre sur les Progres de la Religion a la Chine' (Paris, 1697). After the Emperor Kang-hi ordered the persecution of the Christiana to cease, by an edict, dated March 22, 1692, Legobien published 'Histoire de l'Edit de l'Empereur de la Chine en Faveur de la Religion Chretienne' (Paris, 1698). In 1702 he published, 'Lettres de quelques Missionaires de la Compagnie de Jesus écrites de la Chine et des Indes Orientales' (1 vol. 12mo). The second issue was called 'Lettres édifiantes et curieuses,' and made two volumes, and Legobien brought out six more, making nine in all.
Jean Baptiste Du Halde, also a Jesuit, was born at Paris in 1674, and succeeded Legobien in the work of collecting and arranging the letters written from various countries by the fathers of the Company. His 'Lettres édifiantes et curieuses écrites des Missions Étrangeres' continue the Legobien series from
n'ont point ete publiees ' (Paris, 1663-72, 4 parties en 2 torn, folio).
A good abstract of Grueber's letters, taken from Kircher and Thevenot, is given in 'Astley's Collection of Voyages and Travels,' vol. iv. (London, 1745-47), which is copied into Pinkerton's 'Collection,' vol. vii. (London, 1808-14). A briefer abstract is given in Hugh Murray's ' Historical Account of Travels in Asia,' i. p. 425 (London, 1820).
