324 Deaths. 



employed in it. He Introduced alfo an uniformity in fliip- 

 building according to the principles of Euler, by whicli 

 means all the French fliips of war were fo conftruftcJ as to 

 I)e equal in point of failing. The form of the French Hiips, 

 which is founded on true mathematical principles, is un- 

 douhtedly fuperior to that empiovtd by other maritime na- 

 tions : it is the moil convenient and advantageous for quick 

 failing, as has.be.cn acknowledged even by fome of the beft 

 officers ia the Britifli Navy. He brought into ufe Meyer's 

 old method of nieafurino- terreftrial anoles, which had been 

 totally neglected ; employed it in aftronomical obfervations, 

 and invented a circle on a new conftruAion with moveable 

 telcfcopcs, which was ufed in the new meafurcment. He 

 was the inventor of the new inftrurncnts u ith which that 

 meafurement was made, and of which fome account has 

 been given in the firft volume, p. 269, of this Magazine. He 

 had the greateft fhare in the late reform of weights and 

 meafures introduced in France; and caufed to be printed, at 

 his own expence, tables of figns according to the decimal 

 fyftem. In the year 1793 he determined, with an accuracy 

 never before attained, the length of a pendulum fwinging 

 feconds, at Paris. In the year 1797 he Hood on the lilt of 

 candidates for the direftorfliip. 



The following anecdote is related of him when a yormg 

 man: — Having prcfentcd himfelf before Camus, who exa- 

 mined the Uudents in the Artillery School, as a candidate 

 for admittance into the Royal Artillery, he was rejected on 

 the fcore of incapacity. It was not long, however, before 

 he was a colleague in the Academy ef Sciences vi'ith his ' 

 former examiner, who had entertained fuch a falfe opinion 

 refpe«Sling hiu!. Borda, however, either through a lo\e of 

 truth, or refpeft for his quondain judge, who was now his 

 fellow-member, always contradicted this anecdote, and called 

 it an idle amiour. 



Errata. In our laft Number, ji. 89, 1. \i,,for three read two^ Page 90* 

 4th lint from the bottom, nW— that appear as if upon hib body, and 

 having, Sic» Page 91, 1. 23, /w milia j«W metal. 



