Biographical Memoir of Sir Jolin Leslie. ST 



niily of England. From INIarseilles I returned to Avignon ^ 

 and then crossing the Rhine, proceeded to Nisnies, over a coun- 

 try extremely fertile and interesting. This is almost a Roman 

 town. There is a temple to Augustus, beautifully Corinthian, 

 a fine temple of Diana, and an amphitheatre almost entire, ca- 

 pable of holding twenty thousand spectators. I now proceeded 

 to Montpellier, and saw the majestic range of the Pyrenees 

 stretching on our left, and covered with eternal snow. [^.lont- 

 pellier is an interesting place, — its Botanic Garden \\jh, and 

 its promenades superb. I then proceeded to Toulouse. In 

 leaving it, the carriage plunged into a b.ollow across the road ; 

 it was eleven at night, but the moon shone full, and lighted up 

 a fine rich plain. I shuddered when told that we had just 

 crossed 500 dead bodies, wliich had been thrust into a cut or 

 trench of the road, after the late battle. The road to Bordeaux 

 runs near the course of the Garonne, through one of the finest 

 and richest countries I have ever seen." From this place he 

 returned to Paiis, and, after a short stay, proceeded through 

 the Netherlands to Rotterdam, where lie took shipping for 

 Scotland. 



The publication of the Supplement to the three preceding edi- 

 tions of this Encyclopsedia commenced towards the close of the 

 year 1815, and was continued progressively till its completion 

 early in 1824. To that work, which was undertaken upon a 

 very extensive plan, and which aimed at procuring the highest 

 attainable assistance, Mr Leslie was throughout a contributor. 

 His contributions, surprisingly ninnerous when his other avo- 

 cations are considered, display all the powers and attainments 

 for which he was remarkable. Nor was it by his Avi'itings alone 

 that he aided this publication. His advice, his invaluable in- 

 formation, — amazing ahke for its minuteness and extent, — and 

 his influence, were ahvays at the service of its Editor, v, hose 

 acknowledgment of these various obligations has long been be- 

 fore the public* But it is due to Mr Leslie*'s memory to spe- 

 cify in this sketch of liis life what the Mork owes to his genius 

 and knowledge. Ranged in alphabetical order, his writings in 

 it occur under the following heads : Achromatic Glasses ; 

 Acoustics; Aeronautics; Andes; Angle; Angle, trisection of; 



* See Preface to the Supplement, p. 13. 



