PIERRE FRANÇOIS XAVIER DE, a French Jesuit missionary, who has left laborious and minute accounts of his proceedings in North America. He was born in 1682, went to Quebec in 1720, explored Canada and St Domingo, and returned to France in 1722. His Histoire de la Nouvelle France contains good details regarding the French settlements in the new world. He also compiled an account of Japan, principally taken from Kemp- fer; and a history of St Domingo from the MSS. of another Jesuit, Bers; besides an account of Paraguay from similar materials. He died in 1761.