zoo . 'Academy of Sciences at Berlin. 



Petersburgh, July n, 1804:. 

 The serial excursion unttcrtaken by order of the Acade- 

 iny of Sciences for making scientific discoveries has had 

 the wished-for result. On the 12th instant the Academi- 

 cian SacharofF, who is an excellent chemist, and Professor 

 Robertson,- ascended from the gardens of the corps of 

 cadets at twenty-five minuj.es past seven, the weather af- 

 that time being fine.- The learned bodies, and all those 

 interested for the progress of the sciences, were pre- 

 sent at this ascent, which was the finest ever seen at this 

 place. The three small balloons which were previously let- 

 off proceeded first southward, but soon after were driven 

 towards the feltic- This, however, did not prevent the' 

 two philosopher's from undertaking their journey, for which 

 a great many instruments had been provided in order to 

 make experiments. The balloon hovered more than an- 

 hour above the sea. Jt was found that there were two cur- 

 rents of air. The spectators observed the travellers make 

 a manoeuvre, the object of which was 1 to avoid the higher cur- 

 rent and to cause the balloon to proceed more to the south. 

 It was then observed to rise gradually higher till about ten 

 o'clock, when it entirely disappeared from the persons who 

 were stationed on the Observatory. In the evening of tha, 

 following day an account was brought to the Academy of 

 Sciences, by a courier, that the travellers had arrived safe 

 at Sivarctz, sixty versts from this capital.- They descended 

 about forty-five minutes past ten at the English garden, 

 opposite the seat of his excellency General P. G. Demidof, 

 by whom they were received in the most hospitable manner. 

 The result of this aerial excursion, undertaken merely for 

 scientific purposes^ will soon be published.- 



ACADEMY OF BERLIN. 



Colonel von fcnobelsdorf, ambassador at the Ottoman 

 Porte, who was received on the 7th of June as a member' 

 of this learned body, presented to the Academy twelve 

 volumes of Persian manuscripts which he had collected hi 

 the East. This valuable present consists of the following 

 works : 1st, Kauzat al Safa, the Great History of the East 

 bv the celebrated historian Mirkond, in seven volumes, of 

 w'hieh an account may be seen in Herbelot, and in the 

 history of Gengis Khan, by La Croix. 2d, Zobde Tavarij 

 Select Histories. 3d, A History of the Family of Stfi to 

 Sehah Abbas. 4tb, History of Nadir Schah. 5th and 



