PRESENTING CHINA TO ENGLISH READERS NIEUHOF, Jan; Athanasius KIRCHER; and John OGILBY, translator.

An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham emperour of China, delivered by their Excellies Peter de Goyer, and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking. Wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking, are ingeniously described by Mr. John Nieuhoff, steward to the ambassadours … With an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher …

First English edition, beautifully illustrated, recounting the Dutch traveller Jan Nieuhof’s journey as part of Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keizer’s embassy to Peking between 1655 and 1657. Having previously been employed by the Dutch West India Company in Brazil, Nieuhof joined the Dutch East India Company (or ‘VOC’) in 1650 and was stationed for a number of years in Batavia (Jakarta), where he was eventually appointed steward of the embassy in 1654. The following year Nieuhof served on one of the embassies sent by the VOC to Peking (Beijing) with the intention of convincing the Qing emperor to open up trade relations on the south coast following the VOC’s failed attempt to end the Portuguese monopoly on trade to Macao. Leaving Canton (Guangzhou), the embassy travelled northwards through Jiangxsi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Hebei provinces, reaching Peking in July 1656 before embarking upon their return trip in October of the same year: in total, the journey stretched over 2400 kilometres, and although the party was unable to discuss trade arrangements with the emperor, they did gain permission to visit the court every eight years.