An historical and geographical description of Formosa : an island subject to the emperor of Japan : Giving an account of the religion, customs, manners, &c., of the inhabitants. Together with a relation of what happen'd to the author in his travels; particularly his conferences with the Jesuits, and others, in several parts of Europe. Also the history and reasons of his conversion to Christianity, with his objections against it (in defence of paganism) and their answers ...

1704

A fabrication. The author's real name is unknown. "Psalmanazar ... wrote in Latin, and the main portion of his manuscript was translated by Mr. Oswald ... What was not due to his own imagination he borrowed from Varenius's 'Descriptio regni Japoni5 et Siam' (Amsterdam, 1649) or Candidius's 'Voyages'."--Dict. nat. biog

Pages 328-331 incorrectly numbered 128-131

The contents of the several chapters of this description of the Isle Formosa
I. Of the situation, magnitude, and division of the isle p.145
II. Of the great revolutions which have happen'd in the isle p.147
III. Of the form of government, and of the new laws made by the Emperor Meriaandanoo p.161
IV. Of the religion of Formosa p.167
IV. Of the festivals p.177
V. Of the fasting-days p.180
VI. Of the ceremonies to be observed on the festival days p.181
VII. Of the election of the priests p.184
VIII. Of the worship of the Sun, of the Moon, and of the Ten stars p.190
IX. Of the postures of the body in adoring p.195
X. Of the ceremonies that are observed at the birth of children p.197
XI. Of the marriage or Groutacho p.200
XII. Of the ceremonies towards the dead p.203
XIII. Of the opinion concerning the state of the souls after death p.206
XIV. Of the priestly garments p.210
XV. Of the manners and customs of the Formosans p.214
XVI. A description of the men in Formosa p.221
XVII. Of the cloaths worn in Formosa by all ranks of people p.224
XVIII. Of their cities villages, houses, palaces, castles p.235
XIX. Of the commodities which they have, and some that they want p.243
XX. Of weights and measures p.245
XXI. Of the superstitious customs of the common people p.247
XXII. Of the diseases in Formosa, and their cure p.252
XXIII. Of the revenues of the king, Vice-Roy, of the General of the Army, of the priests, and of all others in high places of power and trust p.257
XXIV. Of all the fruits of the ground p.259
XXV. Of the things they commonly eat p.263
XXVI. Of the animals which do not breed here in England p.264
XXVII. Of the language p.266
XXVII. The Lord's prayer, Apostle's Creed, and the Ten Commandments, translated by the author into Formosan p.271
XXVIII. Of the shipping of the Formosans p.276
XXIX. Of the money p.278
XXX. Of the arms p.281
XXXI. Of the musical instruments p.284
XXXII. Of their way of educating their children p.286
XXXIII. Of the liberal and mechanical arts in Japan and Formosa p.289
XXXIV. Of the splendid retinue that attends the Vice-Roy of Formosa, when he goes to wait upon the Emperor p.295
XXXV. Of the success of the Jesuits in propagating the Christian faith in Japan, from the year 1549, to 1616. More especially of the reasons of the terrible slaughter that was made of them in the year 1616 ; and of the law prohibiting Christians, Christians under pain of death, to come into Japan p.299
XXXVI. Of the coming of the Dutch into Japan, with their success, and the tricks they play'd p.311
XXXVII. Of the new devices of the Jesuits for getting into Japan and Formosa p.318
The appendix, concerning the author's journey from Avignon to Rome p.328

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