The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
SOME f BOOKS.
Junan In the seventeenth Century.

blIa - h"S
At a tine when the world is deeply inter-
eeted in the japanese the publishers to
the University of Glasgow, represented
in New York by the Macmillans, have done
we'll to reprint in three volumes the work
which long constituted for Europeans their
principal fount Of information concerning
the Island Empire of the Far East. We
refer to the HiSto,vC f fdp1 :, by ENGELBERr
KAEMPFgR. NJ. D., physician to the Dutch
Embassy to the japanese secular soVer
eign, translated from the original High
German into English by j. G. S~cHEucHhfR.
The translate or was a young Swiss, VINO
in the third decade Of the eighteenth
century Wis sent by his father. a well
known scientist Of the time, to England,
where Sir Hans Sloane had him elected
a fellow Of the Royal Society and suisse
quently made foreign secretary OF that
body. The original work was left in manu-
script by the author, Engelbert kaempier'
a WestDhalian. who sojourned In japan
from 1000 to l6n? and who died in lid,
after which the many curiosities which no
had collected were purchased for sir Hans
Floane and transmitted to England. haein-
pfer was a thoroughly educated man. having
studied at Hameln, L%uneburg, Hamburg
Ltibeck, Danzig and Thorn, after which
he spent three years at the University OF
Cracow. where he took the degree OF doctor
in philosophy, repairing thence to konigs-
berg. where he gave four years to the study
Of medicine and natural philosophy He
was thus exceptionally well fitted to turn
10 account the extensive travels which
he was to undertake.. From the Duchy OF
r.; l. ..-.aoloJ tn SuaJaD where
his requirements brought him 80 much
reputation at the University OF Cps1la thal
he was appointed secretary OF tine en-
hassy which the C. urt OF stockholm was
then serdirg to the King Of Persia with
instructors 10 carry cut en- route sonle
negotiations with the Russian curt at
No scow. After spending two years at
Isratan, Dr.. kaempfer decided 10 enter
into the service CT the Dutch East lndla
Ccmrarv in the capacity Of chief surgeon
TO the feet, which was then cruising IN
the Persian Gulf. After visiting the
acuthern provinces Of Persia, the Dutch
settlements in Arabia Felix, the Malabar
O. ast. Ceylon, the Gulf Of Bengal and the
island Ct Sumatra, he arrived in September,
1919. at Batavia, whore ne spent some
months. In May of the following year
he set cut from Batavia on his voyage 70
Japan, in the capacity Ct physician to the
emit assy which the Dutch East India
Company was accustomed to send annually
to the curt of the Shotgun. On the way
he had the opportunity Of making a mum
her CT observatiors in Siam, which are set
down in several Of the prelimira AIRY chapters
Of the present work. He reached Nagasaki.
the Japanese island where the Dutch we're
allo wed to reside, In September, 1890, and
quilted japan two years later, having mean
while made two journeys to Jedo now
To kic), the seat of the Shotgun, the secular
sovereign Ct japan, and having visited Miaco
(now kiJtc), the residence Of the Mikado.
or ecclesiastical emperor. He made the
best Ct his extrac rdiI airy opportunities,
ard got to gether an immense unit Ct
data hearing on the physic graphy and
natural resc urces Of the japanese archi-
pela, o, ard on the institutions, pr litical
history, Gus, oms ard ideas Of it's inhabi ants.
What gives the work it's unique value is
that it presents us with a vivid and authentic
transcript Ct japanese civilization, at q time
when the She CUR ate was in full vigor and
japanese sc oiety had been completely
Organized on a feudal basis.