~6 Biographical Memoirs of the late P. Nieuwland. 



made confiderable improvements in nautical charts, and 

 filled up his vacant hours with the fludy of philofophy and 

 chemiftry. In the month of July 1793 he was invited to 

 the univerfity of Leyden, to be Profeflbr of Philofophy, 

 Aftronomy, and the Higher Mathematics, in the room of 

 the celebrated Damen ; and the Admiralty of Amfterdam 

 Tcquefted him to continue his nautical refearches, which he 

 did with great afliduity till the period of his death. The 

 only variation which he now made in his ftudies related to 

 natural philofophy, for with the mathematics he was already 

 fufficiently acquainted. He applied therefore to the experi- 

 mental part, and fpared no pains nor labour to become perfect 

 in it •, which would certainly have been the cafe, had he not 

 been ihatched from fcience and his friends at the early age 

 of thirty. He died of an inflammation in his throat, accom- 

 panied with a fever, on the 13th of November 1794. 



In his external appearance, Nieuwland was not what might 

 be called handfome, nor had he ever paid much attention to 

 acquire that eafe of deportment which diftinguifhes thofe 

 who have frequented polite company. His behaviour and 

 converfation were however agreeable, becaufe he could dif- 

 courfe with facility on fo many fubjecls, and never wifhed 

 to appear but under his real character. On the firft view 

 one might have difcerned that he was a man of great mo- 

 defty and the ftrideft morality. His father was a Lutheran, 

 and his mother a baptift ; but he himfelf was a member of 

 the reformed church, and always (hewed the utmoft refpeft 

 for the Supreme Being both by his words and his actions. 



XVII. De- 



