History of Astronomy for the Year 1805. 353 
war, he could not venture into Spain to continue the mea- 
surement of the meridian. © He will resume his triangles for 
his degrees of longitudes, or rather “he will continue his 
ttidngles of Helvetia. , 
M. Hennet, imperial commissary of land- -sutveying, has 
published the laws, arréts, and instructions, the circular 
orders and decisions on that subject, in two volumes octavo. 
He will give a third in 1806. They are busily occupied in 
drawing plans of every part of France. 
The chief geometer of the department of Aveyron, and 
the learned professor at Rhodes, M. Tedenat, are occupied 
in rectifying the principal points of the plan with a circular 
instrument of eight inches radius, made by Messrs. Becker 
and Michel, which gives the angles certain to two seconds. 
While we have been waiting for this complete and de 
tailed’ description of France, there has been published a 
geographical, statistical, historical, and political dictionary 
of France, containing a description of the cities,. villages, the 
history, population, mineralogy, hydrography, cornmerce, 
natural and artificial productions, the old and new govern- 
ment, the civil, military, and ecclesiastical institutions, and 
a dictionary of the colonies, with a general map, &c. in 
five large volumes im quarto. Fifteen years’ labour has been 
bestowed on this great work, and much pains and expense : 
several men of learning have assisted in it; they are not 
named, but they certainly deserve to be Rib ey The dic- 
tionary of Expilly, in six volumes folio, was never finished, 
although I had repeatedly requested it might: this perhaps 
will suppl, ’ the place of it, 
As it is necessary we should coaclutie our History of 
Astronomy with an, account of the losses it has sustained, I 
shall begin with M. Ratte, who, as an astronomer, has for a 
long period been an honour tothe academy of Montpelier. 
Etienne-Hyacinte de Ratte, son of Jean-Pierre de Ratte, 
and of Gillette de Flaugergues, was born at Montpelier the 
Ist of September, 1722. His taste for the sciences, and 
principally for mathematics, displayed itself very early : he 
/had anasters of every kind ; he studied all the sciences with 
atdonr, and the extent and the variety of bis acquirements 
Vol. 26. No, 104. Jan. 1807. Z at 
