JapSin II, 61
Taixi shuifa 泰西水法.
Translated orally by Xiong Sanba 熊三拔 (Sabatino de Ursis, 1575–1620) and put into Chinese by Xu Guangqi 徐光啟.
Six juan. Bamboo paper in one ce with a paper case. No date or place of publication.

The cover bears a label with the title in Chinese and a Latin inscription: “Hydraulica | a p. Sabbathino | de Ursis, S.J.”

1. Cao Yubian 曹于汴 (1558–1634) of Hedong 河東, dated 1612 (Wanli 40), three and one-half folios (folio 2 is misplaced), two seals in cursive style: 曹于汴氏 and 黃朋之印.
2. Peng Weicheng 彭惟成, dated 1612, six folios, two wooden carved seals in cursive style: 彭惟成印 and 理學承家.
3. Xu Guangqi, dated 1612, five and one-half folios, two wooden carved seals in cursive style: 徐光啟 and 太史氏.
4. Zheng Yiwei 鄭以偉 of Shangyao 上[食+堯], four and one-half folios, two wooden carved seals: 以偉 and 石人木心.

The names of the revisers and the proofreaders are given in one folio: Cao Yubian, Peng Weicheng, Yao Yongji 姚永濟, Wan Chongde 萬崇德, Zhang Jian 張鍵, Zhang Nai 張鼐, Li Yangzhi 李養志, Li Lingyun 李凌雲, and Yang Rugao 楊如皋.
The folios 1 of juan 1–5 give the title of the book, the number of the juan and the names of the authors (Sambiasi and Xu Guangqi) and of the reviser (Li Zhizao): 泰西熊三拔撰說，吳淞徐光啟筆記，武林李之藻訂正.
There are ten columns to each half folio with twenty characters to each column and twenty in the case of annotations. The title of the book is given in the middle of each folio. The number of the juan and of the folio and the titles of the chapters are given below the fish tail.

Juan 1–4 deal with hydraulic methods (論水法). Juan 5 gives replies to those who have doubts on the hydraulic system or wanted to know more about the system (水法或間). Juan 6 consists of illustrations.
From the preface of Cao Yubian, we learn that Matteo Ricci was the initiator of a book of this type. The plan was later carried out by de Ursis; cf. Pfister, p. 104: “Le P. Ricci lui [de Ursis] fit apprendre à fond la langue chinoise, dirigeant ses études et l’instruisant d’une manière spéciale de ce qui regardait la philosophie naturelle.” (Bartoli, Cina, p. 507).
Xu Guangqi later included this work in his own treatise on agriculture, the Nongzheng quanshu 農政全書 (sixty juan). The Taixi shuifa is also included in the Tianxue chuhan and in the Imperial Library, the Siku quanshu 四庫全書.

Cf. Pfister, p. 105, no. 1; Feng 1938, p. 124; Hsü 1949, pp. 307–312; SKTY 2078; Courant 5654–5655; Couplet, p. 13; DMB 2:1332.

Source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 366-367.

Incomplete: stitched vol. (marked 下) contains only juan 4 & 5. (Original text was printed in 6 juan, with juan 6 containing the illustrations). For full description of Taixi shuifa 泰西水法 see: ARSI Jap.-Sin. record.
Last leaf contains copyist’s colophon and Japanese date: 安政二年 [1855]
內膳正板倉君有泰西水法寫本。屬予加和訓。余嘉其志。。。。。松下見林題...寫之 大塚藏畫.

Local access dig.pdf [De Ursis-Taixi shuifa (xia).pdf]
Image folder: Taixi shuifa.