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• 1 media/Screen Shot 2023-12-13 at 6.58.48 PM.png 2023-12-13T16:08:40-08:00 Embassy from the East-India Company 5 plain 2024-01-12T19:01:40-08:00

  An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China deliver'd by their excellencies, 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 describ'd

  
  Dutch traveler and member of the East India Company Johannes Nieuhof (1618-1672) wrote an account of his travels to China in his Embassy from the East-India Company (1673). He places the roots of the Prester John story in that country, at what amounts to the Tibetan plateau, according to Brewer (p. 250). In other words, Nieuhof plants the seeds for the Prester John as Dalai Lama narrative path. 
  
  Nieuhof's text includes other accounts which themselves mention Prester John, including Michael Boim's Letter (1653) and Athanasius Kircher's China Illustrata (1667). 
  
  He discusses the origin and identification of Prester John below (EEBO):

  Now therefore, as the Kings of Egypt were at first call'd Pharaohs, and afterwards Ptolemyes; those of Mauritania, Seriphii; those of the Persians, formerly Xerxes, Artaxerxes, and now Sophi; so the Name of Presbyter Iohn hath now for a long time denoted the Dignity of some Christian Prince whose Dominions are plac'd, by consent of the most knowing Persons, not amongst the Ethiopians, or in any part of Africa, as some falsly suppose, but in the Continent of Asia; yet in what Place he Rul'd, is not exactly known. Now some Writers affirming that they were the Kings of Cathay, have thereby rendred the Matter more doubtful, seeing it hath been discover'd in these latter Years, that all Cathay belongeth unto China, and that there is no City or Territory call'd by this Name, that is now found without the Bounds of China. And in this all the Fathers of our Society, who have continu'd in China for ma∣ny years, do agree, who are Persons very well skill'd in Geographical Knowledge; as Matthew Riccius, Nicholas Trigautius, Alvarus Samedus, Michael Boi, Martin Martinius, Iohn Gruberus, and Iohn Adams, that great Mandorin of the Kingdom of China; and lastly Benedict Goes of the same Society, who by order from his Superiors travell'd from the Kingdom of Magor purposely to find out Cathay by a Land-Voyage. I believe that it is not far wide of the Truth, that besides that portion of Land, which by the Name of Cathay was found by the Fathers of our Society within the Limits of China, there is another Quarter of the World much larger, conterminate on the North and West unto the Empire of China. But seeing that all that Region without the Walls of China, is a Desart almost of two Months travel, incultivated, and destitute of Inhabitants, it is probable that the Region of China, in latter Times, as being very much manur'd, and abounding in all things, might properly be call'd Cathay: And that the Desart at this day call'd Kalmuk, and the Regions confining on it without the Walls, in former Ages had the Name of Cathay the Desart; in the adjoining Kingdoms of which, that same Presbyter Iohn, of whom even now we treated, Rul'd in the days of our Ancestors: Marcus Paulus Venetus termeth it The Empire of the Great Cham; the Holy Scriptures, (as Arias Montanus will have it) Gog and Magog...
  
  Now that this is the Scythian Cathay, is shew'd by the Arabick Geographer, throughout the four entire last Climates, where he describeth it to abound in Men, Animals, and Minerals, flourishing with Christians, meer'd and inclos'd with the vast extended Skirts of Caucasus, call'd Iagog and Magog. Thus the Ara∣bian Geographer in his ninth Part, Climate 5. Line 21. his words are to this effect, as I have translated them out of the Arabick: From the Mansion Gerrada, to the City Tahamet, on the South Quarter are four Leucae (whereof one maketh twenty five Miles) from the City Geerada even unto the Mountain which is call'd Caucasus, is seven days travel. And this Mountain encompasseth the Regions of Iagog and Magog. It hath such craggy and difficult sides, that none can ascend it, and if any one doth attempt it, he can never arrive at the top, being obstructed by continual Snows congeal'd into Ice; which because they are never dissolv'd, represent the similude of a Mist, or thick Cloud perpetually fix'd on the top of the mountainous Caucasian Rocks.
  
  On the other side the Mountain are many Cities of Iagog and Magog. And it often hapneth, that the Inhabitants of this Region, out of a certain curiosity, ascend some part of it, to discover what is on the top of the Mountain, and what is beyond, but many never return, either because they are devour'd by wild Beasts, or taken by the Transmountainers; but some that have return'd safe, relate, That in the Region on the other side of the Mountain in the Night are many Fires, but in the Day nothing else but a thick Cloud mix'd with Darkness is discover'd. Also in the seventh Part of the same Climate, Line 34. he adds, In these Regions many Christians or Nazaraeans do inhabit. And in the eighth Part, Line 18. he saith, That a great quantity of Gold is gather'd out of these Mountains, and divers sorts of Precious Stones, and that there is a great Monarch that Ruleth over these Countries: All which are agreeable to the Empire of the Great Cham, as Marcus Paulus Venetus, an Eye-witness, in his first Book, Chap. 64. delivereth in these words: Departing from the Province of Egriaia towards the East, the Way leadeth unto Tenduc, (it is better to read it Tanchut,) [Now Tanchut is a Kingdom of Tartary, which comprehendeth many other Kingdoms, as the Kingdom of Lasa, or that which the Tartars call Barantola, the Kingdoms of Nethel, Tibeth, Maranga, and others, as I shall shew anon, together with the Desart Kalmack, which is bound∣ed by the Wall of the Chineses: and most Geographers confound this Kingdom with Cathay] in which are many Cities, and Tents, where also that great Emperor, term'd, Presbyter Iohn, so famous throughout the whole World, was wont to reside. But now that Province is Tributary to the Great Cham, having a King of the Progeny of Presbyter Iohn: and although there are many Idolaters and Mahumetans, yet the greatest part of the Province embraceth the Christian Faith, and these Christians are the Chief in this Province; especially there is a certain Nation in the Province call'd Argon, which is more subtle and eloquent than the other People; here are also the Regions of Gog and Magog, which they term Lug and Mongug; in these Places is found the Stone Lazuli, that ma∣keth the best Azure: In these Mountains also are great Provinces, Mines of Silver, and various sorts of wild Beasts. All which aptly consent with the Description of the Arabick Geographer before alledg'd. Also he thus writeth concerning the Altitude of the Mountains Iagog and Magog, in his first Book, Chap. 27. Hence if you travel to the Eastern Quarter, you must ascend for three whole Days up the steep Rocks of Caucasus,* until you come to a most high Mountain, than which there is not an higher in the World; and there also appeareth no Bird, by reason of the Cold, and the over high Elevation of the Earth, which can afford no Food unto Animals. And if at any time Fire he kindled there, it becometh not light, it being obstructed by the over-much coldness of the Region, neither is it of that activity as in lower Places. And a little after he saith, This Region is call'd Belor, always having the face of Winter stamp'd on it. Thus far Marcus Paulus. All which agree unto that Mountain, which they call Langur, the highest Mountain in the Kingdom of Lasa; concerning which Father Iohn Gruberus, who travell'd through it on foot, relateth, that you cannot travel through it in Summer without danger, both by reason of the great subtilty of the Air, which hardly admitteth a Passenger to breathe, and also because of the Vapor of a certain poisonous Herb, which by its scent killeth both Man and Beast.