In his plea to avoid execution, Magalhães claimed the German Jesuit Adam Schall as their "elder brother" who was recognized by the Manchu commander.
He built a number of mechanical devices, including a carillon and turret clock that played a Chinese tune on the hour.
Starting in 1650, Magalhães began writing "the most comprehensive and perceptive description of China" in the second half of the 17th century, and it was completed in 1668.
After Magalhães' death, the work was taken to Europe by the French Jesuit Philippe Couplet in 1681, and was translated by Abbé Claude Bernou.
The translation was reorganized into 21 chapters instead of the original 12, and was published under its new French title with the author's name gallicized as Gabriel de Magaillans.
[12] Magalhães and his fellow missionaries left a positive impression on the Kangxi emperor who described them as "devoted to the public good."