1665 – History of Indes – Maffei | Portuguese Jesuit Voyages in Africa, Congo

L’histoire des Indes orientales et occidentales by Giovanni Pietro Maffei is an impressive and highly desirable 17^th-century account of Jesuit missions in Africa and Asia. This book includes narratives in India, Japan, Ethiopia, and the Congo. Notable voyages include those of Prince Henry the Navigator and King John of Portugal. Interestingly, this account describes the invention of the compass and its influence on European navigation.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: L’histoire des Indes orientales et occidentales
• Author(s): Giovanni Pietro Maffei
• Publisher: Paris, chez Robert de Ninville
• Edition: 1665 French edition.
• Binding: Full leather binding, professionally restored
• Format: (4to), two volumes in one
• Size:  10.5 in x 8 in (27 cm x 20 cm)
• Collation: Vol. 1: 353 pp; Vol. 2: 292 pp
• Contents Include:
  • Jesuit missions in India and Japan
  • Portuguese expansion and royal accounts
  • Exploration under Prince Henry the Navigator
  • Accounts of Guinea and West Africa
  • Missionary activity in Ethiopia and the Congo
  • Navigation and early compass references

Condition:

Good. Leather binding has been professionally restored and remains tight and secure. Pages show heavy staining and water damage, with some loss of text to the index. Text block remains intact overall.

Why Collect This?

• Early French edition of a Jesuit voyages account
• Interest for collectors of exploration and religious history

Item Number: #50251