Discussion

The value of van Braam's diary to modern scholars is manifold.It covers a wide variety of topics，including bridges，pagodas，city walls，boats，the layout of the capital，and landscape painting，as well as different lifestyles，and the geography and agriculture in the areas the ambassadors traversed.Many of these topics have not been touched on in this paper，nor have they received enough attention in the traditional Chinese references.Van Braam's work is therefore an important supplement to these sources.The value of his diary lies first of all in his unusual qualifications.An experienced sailor who had traveled extensively over the world and a knowledgeable，open-minded，and keen observer，van Braam was able to understand quickly the objects he observed through comparisons，to pick up professionally the technical details，and to gauge and record them accurately.More important，his work makes it possible for modern scholars to conduct comparative studies of the relevant Chinese books that deal with similar topics：means of transportation，agricultural instruments，and other articles of everyday life.Many of these books also contain illustrations.[36]A perusal of those books indicates，however，that most of the illustrations were not the original work of the compiler，but copies of those in the Nung-shu.This immediately casts doubts on their accuracy and reliability.Van Braam's independent and reliable work provides modern scholars with engravings of the highest technical standards and the rigorous principles of Western perspective.They will considerably facilitate the further study of inventions and devices in late eighteenthcentury China.(https://www.daowen.com)