Academy of Gottingen. 91 



proposed the following question in physics for the ensuing 

 year: "Has electricity any tiirtct influence upon the greater 

 or less force of magnetism ? — And this influence beins: proved 

 by experiment, what are the m(;dificalions experienced from 

 it by the magnetic force ? " 



ACADEMV OF GOTTINGRN. 



At the meeting of the above Academy on the l^lh of 

 October 1S06, professor Strohmeyer, resident member of 

 the Academy, read a part of the results of extensive chemi- 

 cal researches upon the union of hydrogen with the metals. 

 Jrle particularly examined in this memoir the union of hy- 

 drogen and arsenic. He made several experiments upon the 

 most striking phcenomena presented by arsenical hydrogen 

 gas. Professor Osiandcr afterwards orcsented to the museum 

 of Gottingen a small phial filled with sand from the diamond 

 mine of Bansor Massing in the Island of Borneo, which he 

 had received from one of his countrymen, M. Haas, who 

 relumed from India in 1802. M. Haas served as chaplain 

 to a Wirteniberg regiment in the pay of Holland, which 

 had been sent to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence 

 to Java and Ceylon. When he undertook this voyage, 

 George Forster, who then lived at Mentz, gave him various 

 instructions, both verbally and in w riting, upon the manner 

 in which he ought to conduct himself, and particularly 

 npon objects of iialural history. According to the instruc- 

 tions of Forster, M. Haas endeavoured among other objects 

 to procure some sand from the diamond mines iu Borneo, 

 hitherto inaccessible to Europeans. For tliis purpose he 

 applied to one of his countrymen in the service of the Dutch 

 in the Indies. This latter gentleman found means to ob- 

 tain from the Sultan of Borneo a quantity of the sand of 

 these mines, which he divided with M. Haas, who imme- 

 diately sent some of it to the National Institute, and to a 

 Spanish governor, Emmanuel D'Agota : the remainder, with 

 the exctption of a small part which he had concealed in a 

 box of tea, was taken from !iim along with other things bv 

 the counuandLf of a French privateer, who captured tlic 

 vcbscl in which he eailed on his return to the Isle of France. 



It 



