History of Astronomy for the Year I80G. 237 



M. de Lowenhohn has publisheU in Denmark a chart and 

 ilescriplinn of the Faro isles between latitude Gl° 2.i' and 

 6-2° 25', in order to form a continuation to the arand and 

 beautiful chart of Denmark, in several sheets, -which has 

 been drawn by the Danish geographical engineers. 



The proposed visit of the missionaries to China not having 

 been accomplished this year, the instruments iniended for 

 these travellers have been in the mean time deposited in the 

 observatory. 



M. Buache has given notice of a curious chart for the 

 liistory of geography, — La Mappamonda di fra Matiro de- 

 scrito ed iilustrato da placido ziirlu f'l-nezia IS06, in folio. 

 This map of the world, made at Venice about the year 1457, 

 is curious, as it makes us acquainted with the- geography of 

 that period : it was drawn for Alphonsus V., king of Por- 

 tugal. 



M. Dupuis, author of the grand work I'Originedcs Culfcs, 

 continues his researches upon the same subject. He has 

 (lisciissed thirty antient theogonies ; he has compared the 

 constellations of China andof the Indies j and he has made a 

 curious planisphere of them. Among the singularities which 

 his inquiries have presented to him, we may reckon the ex- 

 planation of the four rivers of the terrestrial Paradise, which 

 are the expressions of the four signs of the zodiac. Accord- 

 ing to Joseph, the first expresses /)/en/7?<f?«', beine the part of 

 long days. The second, being dispersion, answers to the au- 

 tumnal equinox. The third, being narrow and rapid, ex- 

 presses the short davs of winter. The fourth signifies the 

 coming from the east; this implies the rising of the sun in 

 the regeneration of spring by the reforming Lninb, wliich 

 effaces the evils of winter at his hcliac rising, — an en)blcni 

 t)f (!hrist, wl'.o wipes awav the sins of tlie woild. The Chi- 

 nese have also the Yc/hir river, the l^rd inilcr, and the 

 IFaler (f the Lamb, according to lord Macartnev. 



M. Dupuis has also published a " Memoir for explaining 

 the chronological and mythological Zoiiiac;"' a work con- 

 taining the picture of the houses of the Moon among the 

 various nations of the East, and a view of the most antient 



oliserva- 



