March 8, 1877] 



NA TURE 



407 



The island of Huen lies in the Sound between Den- 

 mark and Sweden, about six miles from the latter and 

 three from the former, and fourteen north-east from 

 Copenhagen. It is somewhat rounded in form, six milts 

 in circumference, and rises from the coast to its centre, 

 where is formed a broad and level table-land. This 

 island the King granted for life to Tycho Brahd, and on 

 it erected a spacious observatory with every convenience 

 for astronomical work and ample accommodation for 

 Tycho's family and servants. A w]de space around the 



central building was inclosed by high substantial walls 

 in the form of a quadrangle, each angle corresponding 

 to one of the cardinal points, and the centre of each wall 

 extending outwards in the form of a semicircle. At the 

 north and south angles were erected turrets of which one 

 was a printing-office and the other the residence of the 

 servants. 



This main building was carefully and elaborately 

 planned. It was about 60 feet square, had on ihe north 

 and south points two round towers for observations, with 



fypho Brahe's Observatory on the Island of Huen. 



windows opening to any part of the heavens. Be- 

 sides a museum and a library there was in a subter- 

 ranean crypt a laboratory with sixteen furnaces, for we 

 ought to say that Tycho devoted much of his time to 

 the alchemical pursuits of the time, mainly, it would 

 appear, in the hope of being able to find in his crucible 

 the fortune he was prepared to spend on his astronomical 

 pursuits. Tycho Brahd needs neither to be defended nor 

 blamed for his belief in astrology and alchemy ; it was a 

 universal belief in his time, a belief only got rid of by 

 slow degrees and the thraldom of which no one man 



could shake off while at its very height, least of all a man 

 with so much reverence for established beliefs as was 

 Tycho Brahd 



A well forty feet deep distributed water to the building 

 by means of syphons. An instrumental workshop stood 

 outside the rampart to the north, and a sort of farmhouse 

 on the south. The foundation-stone of Uraniberg (" the 

 City of the Heavens "), as Tycho called his establishment, 

 was laid on August 6, 1576. 



Large as was Uraniberg, it was found insufficient for 

 the accommodation of all the astronomer's instruments, 



