In 1649 he published, through Elzevir, his Descriptio Regni Japoniae, an excellent compilation, which may still be read with profit In this was included a translation into Latin of Schouten’s account of Siam and chapters on the religions of various peoples. Next year appeared the work by which he is best known, his Geographia Generalis, in which he endeavoured to lay down the general principles of the subject on a wide scientific basis, according to the knowledge of his day. The work is divided into (1) absolute geography, (2) relative geography, and (3) comparative geography. The first investigates mathematical facts relating to the earth as a whole, its figure, dimensions, motions, their measurement, &c. The second part considers the earth as affected by the sun and stars, climates, seasons, the difference of apparent time at different places, variations in the length of the day, &c. The third part treats briefly of the actual divisions of the surface of the earth, their relative positions, globe and map construction, longitude, navigation, &c. Though the subject as treated by Varenius is crude and ill-defined, still, with the materials at his command, he dealt with it on the whole in a really philosophic and scientific spirit; and it long held its position as the best treatise on scientific geography in existence. The work went through many editions. Sir Isaac Newton introduced several important improvements into the Cambridge edition of 1672; in 1712 Dr Jurin issued an edition with a valuable appendix; in 1733 the whole work was translated into English by Dugdale; and in 1736 Dugdale’s second edition was revised by Shaw. In 1755 a French translation of Shaw’s edition appeared in Paris. There was also an Italian edition printed at Naples in 1716.

See a paper on Varenius by H. Blink in Tijdschr. van het Nederl. Aardrijks. Genootschap, ser . ii. pt. iii., 1887.