The principles and methods of surveying and position finding had by
this time become well advanced, and the most remarkable example of the
early application of these improvements is to be found in the survey
of China by Jesuit missionaries. They first prepared a map of the
country round Peking, which was submitted to the emperor Kang-hi, and,
being satisfied with the accuracy of the European method of surveying,
he resolved to have a survey made of the whole empire on the same
principles. This great work was begun in July 1708, and the completed
maps were presented to the emperor in 1718. The records preserved in
each city were examined, topographical information was diligently
collected, and the Jesuit fathers checked their triangulation by
meridian altitudes of the sun and pole star and by a system of
remeasurements. The result was a more accurate map of China than
existed, at that time, of any country in Europe. Kang-hi next ordered
a similar map to be made of Tibet, the survey being executed by two
lamas who were carefully trained as surveyors by the Jesuits at
Peking. From these surveys were constructed the well-known maps which
were forwarded to Duhalde, and which D'Anville utilized for his atlas.
The 18th century.
Asia.
Several European missionaries had previously found their way from
India to Tibet. Antonio Andrada, in 1624, was the first European to
enter Tibet since the visit of Friar Odoric in 1325. The next journey
was that of Fathers Grueber and Dorville about 1660, who succeeded in
passing from China, through Tibet, into India. In 1715 Fathers
Desideri and Freyre made their way from Agra, across the Himalayas, to
Lhasa, and the Capuchin Friar Orazio della Penna resided in that city
from 1735 until 1747. But the most remarkable journey in this
direction was performed by a Dutch traveller named Samuel van de
Putte. He left Holland in 1718, went by land through Persia to India,
and eventually made his way to Lhasa, where he resided for a long
time. He went thence to China, returned to Lhasa, and was in India in
time to be an eye-witness of the sack of Delhi by Nadir Shah in 1737.
In 1743 he left India and died at Batavia on the 27th of September
1745. The premature death of this illustrious traveller is the more to
be lamented because his vast knowledge died with him. Two English
missions sent by Warren Hastings to Tibet, one led by George Bogle in
1774, and the other by Captain Turner in 1783, complete Tibetan
exploration in the 18th century.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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