1818.] Annular Eclipse of the Sun. 181 



annulaire qui doit arriver, d'y apporter toute l'attention possible, 

 et de faire, de bonne heure, toutes les dispositions necessaires 

 pour la bien observer ; arm de nous procurer tous les avantages 

 que 1'on en peut retirer pour l'astronomie, la geog rapine, etla, 

 physique." °" * 



It is worthy of remark that this eclipse (1748) was the first 

 that the celebrated Lalande (to whom the astronomical world is 

 so much indebted) ever saw. He was then only 16 vears of 

 age ; and the impression which it made on him fixed his future 

 pursuits in life, and induced him to become an astronomer. It 

 indeed excited so much attention in Europe, that the Kino- of 

 France (Louis XV) went purposely to Compiegne in order to 

 observe it, attended by the Abbe Nollet, and Messrs. de Thury 

 and de la Condamine ; and furnished with every convenient 

 instrument for the purpose. The royal astronomer there made 

 several important observations * M. Lemonnier likewise under- 

 took the journey from Paris to Edinburgh, furnished with proper 

 instruments purposely to observe it during its annular appear- 

 ance ; and he afterwards published some important remarks 

 therepn.t M. de LTsle, above-mentioned, published also a 

 paper on the subject, entitled « Nouvelle Tlieurie des Eclipses » 

 founded entirely on the recent observations that had been made, t 

 31. Pingre Afterwards added very considerably to these reflec- 

 tions in his interesting memoir, entitled " Recherchcs sur la 

 Longitude desplusieurs Villes.% Mechain likewise made a oreat 

 many calculations relating to it, from the manuscript collections 



yof M. de L Isle. But it was reserved to UUnde,Jiftu years after 

 re event, to deduce the most important conclusions from 'this 

 ngular phenomenon, in his paper « Sur la grande Eclipse 

 Annulaire de 1748. || r 



Considering, therefore, the interest which has always been 

 attached to this kind of phenomena, and the important conclu- 

 sions to be drawn from them, I was somewhat surprised to find 

 that no particular notice has been taken of the ensuing eclipse 

 either in the Connaissance des Terns, or in the Nautical Alma- 

 nac ; but that it is merely announced there in the usual formal 

 manner, without a single remark on the occasion. It is true 

 that M Bode, m his ephemeris, published at Berlin, has given 

 (as usual) a general outline of the eclipse, together with a map 

 descriptive of the phases ; but he has not called on the inhabi- 

 tant to look out for tins phenomenon, nor drawn their attention 

 to any of the subjects which it is most desirable they should 

 observe. In order to supply .this defect, as far as my humble 



„» v7 hft •if" ,nona , ,Tl ' ,,a<l aI s° made several observations on the eclipse of 173T 

 at \ ersaillet, attended by the celebrated Cassini. P 7 7 ' 



I s;; i s:^ Acad - Roy - ,,es scicnces for n65 ' p - 46s - 



• [bid. for 1766, p. 17. 



U Sec Memoir** de l'lnstitut. (Scien. Math, ct Phjs.) vol. ii. p. S64. 



