OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : MAY 30, 1865. 615 



gether as a whole, and it is expected that they will put a new face upon 

 many astronomical subjects. Many detached papers have appeared, 

 however, which embody the results of completed investigations. 



The geography of Russia, on the other hand, owes very much to 

 Struve. The measurement of the arc of the meridian, of 25° 20' in 

 length, between Fuglenaes on the Arctic coast and Ismail on the Dan- 

 ube (the largest yet completed, and which may at some future time be 

 prolonged as far south as Constantinople, or even to Crete), was in 

 great part his work, although the names of Jenner, Selander, and 

 Hansteen appear with his on the title-page. 



But the chief peculiarity of Russian geography is, that it is founded 

 largely upon astronomical determinations, these taking the place of tri- 

 angulation in that extensive country. It has been found possible in 

 ^this way to survey large districts with great expedition, yet in a thor- 

 ough manner. But for this two things are indispensable, — portable 

 instruments which possess great delicacy, and a corps of observers 

 trained in all the refinements of modern astronomy. Struve incited 

 the makers of such instruments to turn their powers in this direction, 

 while he stimulated their ambition by establishing a workshop at Pul- 

 cova to compete with them ; and the Repsold vertical circles and the 

 Munich theodolites of small dimensions are now the admiration of as- 

 tronomers. And Dorpat and Pulcova were the best possible training 

 schools for the young astronomers who were to use these instruments. 



It is an interesting fact to us, that the first determination of the lon- 

 gitude of San Francisco, which was within ten miles of the truth, was 

 calculated under Struve's direction, from observations made by his pupil, 

 Preuss. 



In fine, it may fairly be said that Russia has done more for her own 

 geography than any other country, and that Struve has been more ef- 

 fective in this work than any other Russian. Without prejudice to his 

 astronomical reputation, it may be concluded, that what Bessel was to 

 proper astronomy Struve was to astronomical geography. 



Struve was no recluse, but he enjoyed society in a high degree. To 

 his personal friendship with the Emperor and with the leading states- 

 men of the time is owing much of the hberality with which his various 

 scientific undertakings were supphed. Those who have visited the as- 

 tronomical colony at Pulcova have invariably returned charmed by the 

 genial hospitality of the head of the estabhshment, — a hospitality most 

 freely dispensed to all who had in any degree claims upon it, and which 



