"Relacion de Algunas Cosas pertencientes a la Mission de China. Capitulo 1°. Roefirese [sic] La llegada del Exmo Sr Pata de Antiochia, a China, j sus operaciones sobre la sugecion de Regulares."

Text

127 written + 8 blank leaves. Chinese paper. Vellum binding. Folio. Upper covers and corners of the first two leaves defective.

Leaves 61 and 62 are blank, and there are eight blank leaves at the end. It comprises ten numbered and twelve unnumbered chapters with appendixes at the end. Basically, this anonymous narrative is concerned with the events connected with de Tournon's mission from the time of his arrival at Canton in April 1705, until the expulsion of the Augustinians from Macao in 1712. At the end is a list of the twenty-three Augustinian churches in the Chinese provinces of Kwang-tung, Kwang-si, and Kiang-si, and the Augustinian viewpoint, it is apparently unpublished, and it forms an interesting addition to the vast literature on this subject, some idea of which can be gained from a perusal of Striet-Dindinger, Bibliotheca Missionum, Vol. VII, China, 1700-1800, passim.

There are various marginal notes and comments, one of which, on fl.32 verso, refers to Mezzabarba's decree, published at Macao on 4 November 1721, and this appears to be the last addition to the original text. The chapter on fls.120-22 of this ms., entitled "Breve Relacion de las violencias, queue tiene padecidas el Convento del Orden de S. Augn de la ciudad de Macao," and dated 17 January 1712, is a duplicate of the item on p.4 (fls.3-6) above, and is listed by Streit-Dindinger, Bibliotheca Missionum, VII, p. 184, No. 2765, in another unpublished copy in the Archives at Macao. It was replied to with a work published by Felix Leal de Castro, Relacion sincera y verdadera (Hiangxan, 1712), a copy of which is in the Lilly Library (ex-Boxer Collection).