his Father's design, and his own genius and inclinations, happily concurring to bend his thoughts that way. 'Twas here he laid the foundation of those many excellent and useful discoveries and observations, which he had afterwards frequent opportunities to make in the long course of his travels.

He went from Prussia into Sweden, where his learning and discreet behaviour quickly brought him into great reputation, both at the University of Upsal, and at the Court of Charles XI. a munificent Patron of men of learning, insomuch that very advantageous offers were made him towards an establishment in that Kingdom, which he thought fit to decline, desirous as he always was of seeing foreign Countries, and chose to prefer the place of Secretary of the Embassy, which the Court of Sweden. was then sending to the King of Persia. The main design of this Embassy was to settle a Commerce between the Kingdoms of Sweden and Persia, though at the instances of the Emperor Leopold, the Ambassador, Luis Fabritius, had orders, by a separate article, to engage, if possible, the King of Persia to a rupture with the Ottoman Porte. As the first and chief, the settling of a Commerce, could not well be effected, unless their Czarian Majesties (Iwan and Peter, who then jointly governed the Russian Empire) would consent to give passage to the European as well as Persian Commodities, through their dominions, upon reasonable terms, the Ambassador was order'd first of all to repair to the Court of Moscow, and there to make an agreement concerning that matter. It is foreign to my present purpose, to enter either into the design or success of M. Fabritius his negotiations, any farther than it will lead me to follow Dr. Kæmpfer through Muscovy into Persia.

He set out from Stockholm, with the presents for the King of Persia, on the 20th of March 1683, O. S. and went through Aaland, Finland, and Ingermanland to Narva, where he met the Ambassador with a retinue of thirty persons. A mistake in the Ambassadors Credentials,

where the name of the King of Persia was through inadvertency put before that of their Czarian Majesties, and the unwillingness of the Waywode of Novogorod, to furnish the necessary expences to conduct and defray him, with his retinue, pursuant to the tenour of the Treaties subsisting between the two Crowns, detain'd them upon the borders of Russia a considerable time: But these difficulties having been at last amicably adjusted, M. Fabritius pursued his journey through Novogorod to Moscow, where he made his publick entry on the 7th of July, and was admitted to an audience of their Czarian Majesties on the 11th.

M. Fabritius having finish'd his Negotiations at the Russian Court in something less than two months, set out from Moscow on his way to Persia, falling down the Rivers Mosco, Occa and Wolga, to Casan and Astracan, two considerable towns, and the Capitals of two powerful Kingdoms, which were conquer'd and annex'd to the Russian Empire by that heroick Prince Iwan Basilowitz. After a dangerous passage over the Caspian Sea, where they were like to have been lost, through the violence of an unexpected storm, and the unskilfulness of their Pilots, (the ship having two Rudders, and consequently two Pilots, who did not understand each other's language) they got safe to the Coasts of Persia, and landed at Nisabad, where they staid for some time, living under tents after the manner of the natives. Two other Ambassadors to the Persian Court, one from the King of Poland, and another from their Czarian Majesties, having landed at Nisabad much about the same time, they proceeded jointly to Siamachi, the Capital of the Province of Schirwan, in the Media of the Ancients, or, as it is now call'd, Georgia, where they arrived about the middle of December, and staid till the Governor of that Town and Province had sent notice of their arrival to the Persian Court, and received orders from thence after what manner they were to be treated, and which way to be sent to Court. Dr. Kæmpfer, in the mean

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time, did not sit idle, but went all about the neighbourhood of Siamachi, herborizing and observing what was remarkable in nature and art, so far as otherwise his affairs, and a successful and not improfitable practice of Physick, which the reputation of his being an European Physician quickly brought him into in that populous place, would permit. We should be still wanting that curious and accurate account, which he hath given us in his Amonitates Exoticæ, of the origin and fountains of the Naphta in the Peninsula Okesra, if he had not been at the pains to go and view them upon the spot. Few are sensible what a pleasure a Natural Historian receives, when some new and singular Phænomenon in nature offers in places unfrequented. Dr. Kæmpfer had the satisfaction of finding in that Median Peninsula even more than he look'd for, and instead of one he went to see, to meet, as he saith, with no less than seven wonders: The town of Baku on the Caspian Sea, the remaining monuments of Antiquity in the neighbourhood thereof, the fountains of Naphta, the burning field, boiling lake, a mountain which threw out a fine potters-earth, and some other singularities, truly many for so small a compass of ground, made him abundant amends for the trouble, and even the hazard of his excursion thither.

Upon the return of the expresses sent to the Court of Persia, M. Fabritius set out on his journey thither about the middle of January 1684, as did also the Polish and Russian Ambassadors with their retinues: but being order'd to travel different ways, the Swedish Embassy reach'd Ispahan, the Capital of Persia, some time before the others.

Schah Solyman, King of Persia, a Prince of a tender and sickly constitution, was then, by the advice of his Astrologers, under a sort of a voluntary confinement to his Palace. Apprehensive of the fatal consequences of a malignant constellation, they would not permit him to

abroad, and to appear in publick, till the 30th of July, on which day he treated his whole Court with the

utmost splendor and magnificence. There were at that time several foreign Ambassadors at Ispahan, from the Kings of Sweden, Poland and Siam, the Czars of Muscovy, several Arabian and Tartarian Princes, and some also with Letters Credentials from the Pope, the Emperor of Germany, and the King of France, who were severally admitted to audience on the same day, it being the custom of the Persian Kings not to let the Ambassadors of foreign Powers appear in their Royal Presence, but on some such solemn occasion as this was, in a full assembly of their numerous Court, and in the most pompous manner possible. M. Fabritius had the honour of being introduced to his audience before the rest, and indeed during the whole time of his abode at Ispahan, which was near two years, he had very particular and distinguishing honours shewn him, whereby it appear'd, that neither his person, nor business, had been disagreeable to the Persian Court. Dr. Kæmpfer, whose curious and inquisitive disposition suffer'd nothing to escape unobserved, made all possible advantages of so long a stay in the Capital of the Persian Empire. His main and favourite enquiries indeed, here and every where in his travels, tended chiefly to the improvement of Physick and Natural History in their several branches, and he hath abundantly shewn, by his Amonitates Exoticæ, that his endeavours that way have not been unsuccessful. But he did not absolutely confine himself to this subject, though large and extensive enough: The Political History of a Country, the succession and remarkable actions of its Princes, the state of their Court and Government, their personal qualities, vices or vertues, the customs, manners, inclinations of the natives, their way of life, trade, commerce, the remains of antiquity, the modern buildings, whether sacred or civil, the flourishing or low condition of arts and sciences, and many other things of the like kind, equally exercised his industry and attention. As to the Persian affairs in particular, he was not a little assisted in his researches by the Rev. F. du Mans, Prior of the Convent of

Capuchins at Ispahan, who had served the Court of Persia, in quality of Interpreter, for thirty years and upwards, and had acquired, beyond any European before him, a thorough knowledge of the Persian language, government and customs, and a deeper insight into the state of that Court and Kingdom. And certainly, Dr. Kæmpfer's account of Persia, (as deliver'd in his Amoenitates) for accuracy and preciseness may vye with the most considerable before or since.

M. Fabritius having brought his negotiations at the Persian Court to a conclusion, towards the latter end of 1685, and preparing to return into Europe, Dr. Kæmpfer, for the reasons alledged in his Preface to this History of Japan, did not think fit to go back with him. He was indeed offer'd the place of chief Physician to a Georgian Prince, with considerable appointments, but his inclination to travelling being not yet abated led him farther into the East, and the advice of Father du Mans, with whom he had contracted a particular amity, during his stay at Ispahan, with the recommendations he obtain'd of M. Fabritius, prevail'd upon him to enter into the service of the Dutch East-India Company, in quality of chief Surgeon to the Fleet, which was then cruizing in the Persian Gulph, a place, as he expresses himself in one of his letters, less honourable indeed, but more adapted to the design of his travels.

He left Ispahan, on his journey to Gamron, or Benderabassi, a celebrated trading town on the Persian Gulph, in November 1685, and was honourably attended a mile out of town by the Ambassador's retinue. He made some stay at Sijras, both to make the necessary enquiries concerning the celebrated Persian wines, which owe their name to that town, and to visit the boasted remains of the ancient Persepolis, and the Royal Palace of Darius, that noble structure, which fell a sacrifice to wine and wantonness, and whose scattered ruins are a still subsisting undeniable monument of its former splendor and great

ness.