288 HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. 



instances, however, did it happen that "the gene- 

 rous plant did still its stock renew," as we have 

 seen was the case at Paris, with the Cassinis, and 

 their kinsmen the Maraldis. 



It is not necessary to mention here the more 

 recent cases in which sovereigns or statesmen have 

 attempted to patronize individual astronomers. 



Sect. 5. Astronomical Expeditions. 



BESIDES the pensions thus bestowed upon resident 

 mathematicians and astronomers, the governments 

 of Europe have wisely and usefully employed con- 

 siderable sums upon expeditions and travels under- 

 taken by men of science for some appropriate 

 object. Thus Picard, in 1671, was sent to Urani- 

 burg, the scene of Tycho's observations, to deter- 

 mine its latitude and its longitude. He found that 

 "the city of the skies" had utterly disappeared 

 from the earth; and even its foundations were 

 retraced with difficulty. With the same object, 

 that of accurately connecting the labours of the 

 places which had been at different periods the me- 

 tropolis of astronomy, Chazelles was sent, in 1693, 

 to Alexandria. We have already mentioned Richer's 

 astronomical expedition to Cayenne in 1672. Varin 

 and Deshayes 9 were sent a few years later into 

 the same regions for similar purposes. Halley's 

 expedition to St. Helena in 1677, with the view 



9 Bailly, ii. 374. 



