John Baptist, a celebrated traveller, of the order of St Dominic, was born at Paris in 1663, taught philosophy at Nancy, and, in 1693, went to America in the quality of missionary. On his return to France in 1705, he was sent to the chapter of his order at Bologna to give an account of his mission, and resided several years in Italy. He died at Paris in 1738. His principal works are, 1. Nouveaux Voyages aux lieux de l'Amérique, in six vols. 8vo; 2. Voyages en Espagne et en Italie, in eight vols. 12mo; 3. Nouvelle Relation de l'Afrique Occidentale, in five vols. 12mo; 4. Voyage du Chevalier des Merciers en Guinée, in four vols. 12mo; 5. La Relation Historique de l'Ethiopie Occidentale, translated from the Latin of Father Cavazzi, in four vols. 12mo; 6. Les Mémoires du Chevalier d'Arvieux, containing his Travels to Constantinople and Asia Minor, in six vols. 12mo.