Tachard, Guy - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XI, p. 1021

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

TACHARD, GUY. – Jesuit missionary, born at Angoulême on 7 April 1651; died in Bengal on 21 October 1712.

After several years of teaching in the Order’s colleges, he accompanied Marshal D’Estrées on a long journey through the colonies of South America (1680–84); in 1685 he visited the court of Siam with the French ambassador, M. Chaumont, returning as interpreter with the Siamese ambassadors, whom he presented to Louis XIV and the Pope; in 1689 he set out again for India, carrying out his ministry in Bengal.

In addition to several important letters, included in the Lettres édifiantes et curieuses (II, Paris 1843, pp. 317–29; 425–37), he published: Voyages de Siam des Pères Jésuites envoyez par le Roy aux Indes et à la Chine, avec leurs observations astronomiques et remarques de physique, de géographie, d’hydrographie et d’histoire (ibid. 1686; Italian version, Milan 1693); Second voyage du p. T. et des Jésuites, envoyez... au Royaume de Siam avec... (ibid. 1686). The two

Article illustration — The two works mark an important point in the history and geography of Asia.
(from Ch. Johann, Geschichte der Stenographie, I, Berlin 1911, p. 100) TACHIGRAFIA – Stele of the Acropolis of Athens (350 B.C.) – Athens, National Museum.

BIBL.: Sommervogel, VII, coll. 1802–805; Streit, Bibl., V, p. 628 ff.
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