16* History of Astronomy for the Year 1803. 



of M. Fleurieu and mine, which were made with the greatest 

 care. 



The water of the Seine sunk lower than ever before ob- 

 served. It has been seen lower than the zero at the Pont 

 de la Tournelle, or the low water or 17i°- In 1731, Sep- 

 tember 23d, it was 5-J inches; in 1742, between the 7th 

 and 14th of September, 3 inches; in 1753, from Septem- 

 ber 28th to October 1st, 1 inch; in 1766, December 5th, 

 2 inches; in 17 57, January 1st, 9§ inches; in 1778, Sep- 

 tember 8th, 4 inches; in 1800, August 8th, 6£ inches; 

 and in 1603, from the 12th to th** 15th of September, it 

 fell to 10 inches, according to M. Fiot, inspector of the sa- 

 lubrity of the prefecturate. The year concluded with a very 

 extraordinary phenomenon, — the hurricane ot December 28, 

 — which unroofed houses, overturned chimneys, and tore up 

 trees by the roots, in a manner never before known at Paris. 



Mr. Wheatcroft, an Englishman, settled at Caen, and 

 who ha* made many observations on the variation of the 

 magnetic needle, has sent us a memoir on the aurorae bo- 

 reafes. He has observed some of the most remarkable ; the 

 nucleus or focus of which seemed to be in that place of the 

 heavens which corresponds with the magnetic pole : I gave 

 the position of this pole in lat. 77° and long. 282° from the 

 first meridian *. We have therefore a new reason for be- 

 lieving that the aurora borealis is an electric phenomenon, 

 for it "is well known that there is a great affinity between 

 electricity and magnetism. 



In regard to the position of the magnetic pole, as soon as 

 peace takes place we mean to propose that government 

 should send observers to verify on the spot this important 

 and curious fact in natural philosophy, and the zeal which 

 it shows for the sciences gives us reason to hope that our 

 request will be attended with success. 



I shall conclude this history of meteorology with an ac- 

 count of a fire-ball which burst on the 26th of April near 

 PAigle. I class these fire-balls among shooting stars, and 

 I have enumerated thirty-six instances of them f . They 

 have given rise this year to a great many dissertations. The 

 noise of it was heard at Kvreux, Caen, and Havre. A great 

 many stones similar to those collected on other occasions of 

 the same kind fell at TAigle. They were analysed by Vau- 

 quelin. M. Izarn has published a volume on this subject 

 under the title of Lithologie Atmospherique. Some consider 



* Connoissanct des Temps, an 13. 



-f Ccnaoissancc des Temps, an 7. 1799* 



them 



