3GO French National Instiiutc. 



^emy'.s map. There arc six in that part of the Barbar\- coast 

 .comprehended between the two Syrtes, and depending m\ 

 the kingdom of Tripoli. Such are the Astacuri, the Dolo^ 

 pians, the Mimaci, the Sainamyci, the Nigbeni, and the 

 i^sopaei. It is weil known that this part of the coast of 

 Africa is that by which a communication may be most 

 easily opened with the counirv of Nigritia, because there 

 are fewer deserts to be traversed, and because the kingdoms 

 of Fezzan, Agadez, and othert., where refretiliments can be 

 procured, are found on the route. It is to be remarked, 

 that it is to the south of the sources of the Gir that the 

 names of the above tribes arc found ; and they are nt a 

 small distance from each other, and near the cojv^t of Bar- 

 bary, M. Buache presumes, till further information be 

 obtained, that these tribes were colonies of those on the 

 coast of Barbary, and that the countries which they occupy 

 to the south of the sources of the Gir, are the most fertile 

 and richest of the interior of Africa. This memoir con-, 

 tains other observations equally interesting, which may af- 

 ford encouragement to the prosecution of discoveries iu this 

 part of the earth. 



ASTRONOMY. 



M, Burckhardt, who received the first intelligence of the 

 new planet discovered by M. Hardin^;, has constantly fol- 

 lowed, more than any of our astronomers, the progress of 

 this almost imperceptible body ; he has endeavoured also to 

 determine the elements of its orbit. On the l6th Vende- 

 miaire he presented to the class an ellipsis, the great semi- 

 axis of which, or the mean distance from the sun, was 

 nearly the same as that of Ceres and Pallas, and its eccen- 

 tricity greater than that even of Mercury. In regard lo the 

 inclination, it is much less than that of Pallas, but greater 

 than that of any other planet. M. Burckhardt, before he 

 arrived at this ellipsis, had tried a parabola, and then a circle. 

 Twenty days after he read a new memoir, which confirmed 

 all his former results ; but he gave to each clement a more 

 approximate value. On the 3d of Nivose he made known 

 to us ^ third ellipsis, which differs from the second only 

 by quantities almost insensible, and which cannot be im- 

 proved but by means of njore numerous observations, and 

 made at more remote periods. 



M. Gauss, correspondent of thti Institute, published also 

 in Germany the elements of the same planet, founded, in a 

 great measure, on other observations, and which differ very 

 Utile from those of M. Burckhardt. 



3 This 



