132 



H'lftory of JJlrommy for 1 804. 



[Sept. J J 



560 baiometrical altitudes, phyfical ob- 

 ftirvaiions on the load- (tone, on the tem- 

 perature of the earth and of the fea, en 

 fifty four volcanoes, on the projefted com- 

 inunication ot the two oceans, and on 

 the moral hiftory of man. 



M. Bonpland, the worthy ccmpanionof 

 his travels, was born at Ro^helle at the 

 end of the year 1774. He is an excellent 

 botanift. 



M. von Humboldt highly extols the 

 Spaniards. Their navigators are uncfim- 

 monly clever in obftrvations ; and he was 

 aftonifhcd to cbfcrve the degree of emula- 

 tion, intelligence, and aflivity, which pre- 

 vailed among them. They expend confi- 

 derable Turns in inilruments ; and S(:ain 

 may ferve as a model to nations the molt 

 jealous with re'peft to nautical fcience — 

 The tables of M. Mendoza were attended 

 with great expence, but they are extreme- 

 ly uTeful. 



General Sanfon, who is at the head of 

 the depot of war, has complied with the 

 defire of the Bureau of Longitude, to un- 

 dertake the r.pnfuration of the degrees of 

 longitude in France, from Sirs (burg to 

 Brett. M. Henry, who had given proofs 

 of his talents at Manheim, at Munich, and 

 at Peterfbiirg, fet off the nth of April. 

 The 20!h of July he began the menfura- 

 tion of the bale, and on the i6th of Stp- 

 teinber it was fiiiiflied. It is 9780 fa- 

 thoms. He performed his operations 

 with the admirable rulers of platina em- 

 ployed by M. Delambre for the bales of 

 Perpignnn and MeJun. 



The eclipfe of the 11th of February 

 xt'as obferved at Rome, at Madrid, at 

 Marfeilies, and at Peteifburg ; but the 

 vveather was almoft every where unfa- 

 vourable. 



M. Deiambre has obferved the folftices, 

 and has obtained the fame refults as the 

 precedmg year. The wir.ter-fylftice gives 

 6* more, taking Bradley's refra<Sticns. 



On the 25th of May, 1804, I depofited 

 at the Obfervatory the maiuiferipts and 

 cbfervations of Louville, Bougutr, Lu- 

 caille. End d'Agelet, that they might be 

 united to thofe of Leinonnier. 



At Geneva the Oblervatory has been 

 reftored to its former ftate. Mtlli s. Pic- 

 tet, Maurice, and John Louis Pif^et Mal- 

 let, tiie (on of him who went to KoU, ob- 

 ferved the occultation of the Fieiadts on 

 the ioth of Ottober. 



The Eleftor of Bavaria is building an 

 cbicrvstory in the vicinity of Tvlunich. — 

 The Ipot chofen for this edifice embraces 

 an iain:enk horizon. FrofellbrSeyfFer, a 



celebrated aftronomer of Gottingen, bat 

 been appointed diredor of this eflabliflV- 

 ment; 



Sojne rich proprietors of eftates in Vol- 

 hynia and the Ukraine haveraifed contri- 

 butions among themfelves for the purpole 

 of elfabiidiing lyceums at Kryeminice and 

 at Winnica for the phyfical (criences.^ 

 They have purchaled the library and in. 

 ftrumen's of the King of Poland. M, 

 Siiiadecki has received twelve thoufand 

 francs for telefcopes and pendulums; and 

 no expence vsill be (pared to have well- 

 furnifhed obfervatorles. 



M. Goldbach, an able aftronomer of 

 Leipzig, regretted that he was not able to 

 devote himlelf entirely to our fcience : I 

 endeavoured to procure him an advanta- 

 geous fituation, in order to attach him to 

 it. At length M, Novoliltzoff, Prefident 

 of the Academy, and M. MurawiefF, ap- 

 pointed him profedbr at the Univerlity of 

 Mofcow, with a f.ilary of fix thoufand 

 francs. He is charged to direft the con- 

 ftruflion of the new obfervatory, to pro- 

 vide it with inilruments, to make the cur- 

 rent cbfervations, to train to praffical 

 alfronomy fuch pupils as (hall polTfls the 

 preparatory attainmtnts, and to hold a 

 courieof le6tureson theoretical artronomy, 

 either in French or German, in one of the 

 auditories of the univerlity. 



Several telefcopes, by Cary, of different 

 degrees of power, a good afcronomical pen- 

 dulum, a chronometer by Arnold, and an 

 entire portable circle, afoot in diameter, 

 had previoufly been procured, and an- 

 othei, three feet in diameter, by Ramf- 

 den's fuccelTor, was expefted. M. Geld- 

 bach will therefore be provided with all 

 the means of being ufeful to the Oblerva- 

 tory of Mofcow, The Emperor of Ruf- 

 fia (till continues to imnifift a defire for 

 promoting knowledge, and an attachment 

 to men of letters. M. Goldbach availed 

 himl'elf of his journey to determine the po- 

 fitlons of feveral towns : among the reft 

 that of Riga, ih. a;' o", and 56* 

 57' 8". 



While M. Goldbach is eftabliniing 

 aftronomy at Mofcow, Meffrs. Schubert 

 and Wiliiiew(ki are occupied at the Ob- 

 fervatcry of Pcterfburg, and give us rea- 

 fon to expeft a feries of oblervaiions.— 

 The Academy has likewife engaged a 

 mechanic, named DieneljVifho wiil be ufe- 

 ful to the Obfervatory. 



Mr. Lambton has raeafured in the Eaft 

 Indies an arch of the meridian wiiii in- 

 (fruments by the celeorated Ramidert 5 

 but we are not yst acquainted with the re- 



fuit. 



