too ti/t: ofAhraham Gothelf Kflpicr'i 



In the year 1755, A^hen the celebrated Liebetkuhn, H 

 whom optics and phyfioiogy are fo much indebted, was called 

 ii: as a phylician to vifit an old ducheis who relided at Lcipficj 

 he paid a vifit to Kaftner, and prefented him with two obje6l- 

 glafles, one of 27 feet 6 infches focus, and the other of 11 feet, 

 which Kiidrier kept by him as long as he Uved. 



After the year 1746, Kaftner enjoyed a falary of xoo rix- 

 dollars as extraordinary profeifor : what was further heceflary 

 for maintaining himfelf and f^miily, he procured by his lec- 

 tures ana by labouring for the bookfcllers. By tranflating 

 the Swedifli Tranfaftions, contributing towards the Ham- 

 burgh Magazine, publiflilng an edition of Smith's OptlcSj 

 and tranflatlng LulolP's Knowledge of the Terreftrial Globe, 

 he had a further opportunity of unproving hmifelf in aftro- 

 nomical knowledge ; but he was not able to employ fo much 

 time in the purfuit of this fcience as he wiHied ; and he wanted 

 inrtrumeiits, as well as a proper place, for making aftronomical 

 obfervations. 



Kaftner had dopes of' obtaining the firft phiJofophical chair 

 that (liould become vacant at Leipiic ; but, as he could not 

 wait till Ileinfius or Winkler fliould make room for him, he 

 left that city, and in the year 1756, after Segner's departure 

 from Gottingen, was invited thither to be profeflbr of ma- 

 thematics and natural philofophy. 



At that period Gottingcn afforded many excellent oppor- 

 tunities for improvement in the mathematical, aftronomical., 

 and phyfical fcienccs. Tobias Mayer had been invited thi- 

 ther after Penther's death ; and Lowitz, Wehner, Miiller, 

 Meifter, Eberhard, and Ilollmann, taught every branch of 

 the mathematical and phyfical fciehces. Mayer, in particu- 

 lar, (liowed great friendftiip to Kiiitnerj but he gave him no 

 opportunity of participating in his labours at the obfervatory. 



In his occupations Kaftner was affifted by Baumann, who 

 h'ad followed him to Gottingen as optician to the uuiverfity, 

 and who was of great ft-rvice to the obfervatory by conftruft- 

 ihg for it inftruments and achromatic tclefcopes; but the 

 urifcitted ftate of afiairs during the ^iiw<t\\ years war, by which 

 iiuitingen was much atVedcd, was not favourable to aftro- 

 inouiical obfervationi;. 



A gQO- 



