Scientific News.— -Accounts of Boohs, i'49 



next remote village. The author afcribes this phenomenon to a diminution of the denfity 

 of the lower ftratum of the atmofphere, occafioned by evaporation of water from the fands. 

 It is impoflible to deduce the particulars of his theory from tlie mere report ; but it feems to 

 be nearly the fame as that of Mr. Huddart*. 



The third fitting was held on the \6th FrttElidor. Berthollet read a memoir on the forma- 

 tion of ammoniac. Citizen Sulkowlky read a defcription of the route from Cairo to Salehia. 

 Egypt has hitherto been known only on the banks of the Nile. The road followed by the 

 French army in purfuit of Ibrahim Bey was entirely unknown. On going out of Cairo by the 

 gate of Nafr, you enter the defcrt, where fevera! forfaken houfes were obferved. The village 

 of Elmaria, on this road, is the ancient Heliopolis. In another village, called Elmaria, there 

 were thoufands of palm-trees. On the right of this road, there are nothing but deferts of 

 fand ; but, on the left, are many cultivated lands. The places which the army pafled are 

 Lacoubey, Elhanea, Elmenia, Belbeys, Souva, Coraim>, Salehia, and many others, which it 

 merely pafled through in hade. 



Citizen Say fpoke of the methods of obtaining better means of grinding, and fhewed that 

 water-mills ought to be conftrufted. 



C. Balholet (q. Berthollet ?) read a memoir, in which he examines die gun-powder of Cairc 

 It contains only five parts out of thirty-two of falt-petre ; the reft is fulphur,. charcoal, earthy 

 matter, and muriate of foda : fo that the only means of rendering it ufefuly is to wifh out the fait ^ 

 and inamfaBure it a fecond titnt. 



Citizen Monge read a memoir on the antient monuments of Cairo. The fafar, in the ftrect 

 which leads from the Inftitute to the caftle, prefents a vafe of granite with hieroglyphics 

 within and without. It was a tomb, and refembles that of the mofque of Alexandria. 

 Citizen Monge propofes that it be removed by the Inftitute, in order to coavey it to the 

 Inufeum of France. Near the caftle, after having palled the palace of Jofeph, there is the 

 cell of a gate with hieroglyphics well preferved. 



The fourth ftttingf t\fl FruElidor. Citizen Sulkowlky read a memoir on a buft of Ifis. Say!» 

 another on the materials for fuel in Egypt. The commiflion for grinding, annouixced their 

 intention of etefting a wind-mill. Citizen Geoffroy read a memoir on the oftrich. 



The fifth fitting, 26th FruBidor. The commiflion for fuel, reported that the ftems of car- 

 thamus, reeds, and ftraw, may be ufed for heating ovens, at lefe charge than in France. — 

 Buonaparte prefented the Connoijfatwe des Temps for the year VII, and invited the Inflitute to. 

 eompofe an almanack. A commiflion was appointed for this obje£t, confifting of Monge- 

 Beauchamp, Nouette, and Raphael. It was at the iame time decreed, that the three following 

 almanacks (hould be [united, namely, that of the Copts, the Mufliilmen, and die French. 

 Citizen Fourier read a memoir on tlie folution, of algebraic equations. Citizen Parceval, a 

 tranflation of a fragnient of Taflb. Citizen Defgenettes read a diflertation on the diarrhoea,, 

 the dyfentery, and the endemic opthalmia, which are more peculiarly the diforders of Egypt. 



* Philofophical Journal, I. 145— This curious fubjedt, which does not yet feem to be adequately ex- 

 plained in all its particulars, has employed the meditations of various obfervers j for fgme of which, the rea- 

 der may refer to the authors quoted at page 418 of our prefeflt Tolume:— N, 



Vol. H.—March 1799. 4 a The-. 



