Scope and Contents Many of the documents relate to a Korean celestial planisphere given to the Paris Observatory 'by Collin de Plancy, the French Consul in Seoul, who dated it at 1741'. In a letter to M. Destombes of the Observatory, Joseph Needham provides a detailed description of this instrument, explaning that it dates in fact from the early 17th century and that it is described in the 《簡平儀說》 [Chien Phing Yi Shuo / Jian Ping Yi Shuo], written by the Jesuit, Sabbatino de Ursis. (First printed 1611)....