(Engelbert), was born in 1651 at Lemgow in Westphalia. After studying in several towns, he went to Dantick, where he gave the first public specimen of his proficiency by a dissertation De majestatis divicione. He then went to Thorn; and from thence to the university of Cracow, where he took his degree of doctor in philosophy; after which he went to Konigsberg in Prussia, and stayed there four years. He next travelled into Sweden, where he soon began to make a figure, and was appointed secretary of the embassy to the sophi of Persia. He set out from Stockholm with the presents for that emperor; and went through Aaland, Finland, and Ingermanland, to Narva, where he met Mr Fabricius the ambassador, who had been ordered to take Moscow in his way. The ambassador having ended his negotiations at the Russian court, set out for Persia. During their stay, two years, at Isfahan, Dr Koempfer, whose curious and inquisitive disposition suffered nothing to escape him unobserved, made all the advantages possible of so long an abode in the capital of the Persian empire. The ambassador, towards the close of 1685, preparing to return into Europe, Dr Koempfer chose rather to enter into the service of the Dutch East India company, in quality of chief surgeon to the fleet, then cruising in the Persian Gulph. He went aboard the fleet, which, after touching at many Dutch settlements, came to Batavia in September 1689. Dr Koempfer here here applied himself chiefly to natural history. Hence he set out for Japan, in quality of physician to the embassy which the Dutch East India company sends once a year to the Japanese court. He quitted Japan to return to Europe in 1692. In 1694 he took his degree of doctor of physic at Leyden; on which occasion he communicated, in what are called Inaugural Theses, ten very singular and curious observations made by him in foreign countries. He intended to digest his memoirs into proper order; but was prevented, by being made physician to the count de Lippe. He died in 1716. His principal works are,

1. Amenitates Exoticae, in 4to; a work which includes many curious and useful particulars in relation to the civil and natural history of the countries through which he passed. 2. Herbarium Ultra-Gangeticum. 3. The history of Japan, in German, which is very curious and much esteemed; and for which the public is indebted to the late Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased for a considerable sum of money all our author's curiosities, both natural and artificial, as likewise all his drawings and manuscript memoirs, and prevailed with the late learned Dr Scheuchzer to translate the Japanese history into English.

KÆMPFERIA. See KEMPFERIA.