76 Francois Arago. 



Resolved\ That the Council be requested to make arrangements 

 for the delivery, at some future day, of a suitable eulogy upon the 

 life and character of Dr. Kane. 



Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, with the preamble, 

 signed by the President and Recording Secretary, be transmitted 

 to the family of the deceased, and that they be published. 



These resolutions were ably seconded by Dr. King, Columbia 

 College, and after other appropriate remarks by Dr. J. W. Francis 

 and the Revd. J. P. Thompson, they were unanimously adopted. 



Francois Arago. — I saw Arago, for the first time, in the 

 winter of 1852 and '53, within the walls of the Institut de 

 France. Shortly after my entrance, a paper was read by a mem- 

 ber, on the Physical Geography of a portion of the interior of 

 Africa ; which, to me appeared to be a production possessing an 

 unusual degree of merit. When concluded, an old man, seated at 

 an elevated bench, arose, put a few questions to the writer and 

 sat down. The answers given, were evidently not satisfactory 

 for the old man again rose, and so dissected the paper, bit by bit, 

 dwelling, with emphasis, on what he considered to be objection- 

 able, and hurrying rapidly over other portions, that I doubt not, 

 the writer hardly recognized his own production when again pre- 

 tented to him, for he sat down with sullenness, without attempting 

 to reply. Another (on Organic Chemistry I believe) followed, when 

 the same old man had some remarks to offer. A third paper was 

 then read on Physical Astronomy, and a discussion ensued, attend- 

 ed with more heat and anger than would have graced, even a less 

 dignified assemblage. The old man had laid down postulates 

 which he now saw were interfered with, and the essayist supported 

 his views with marked ability and no less warmth ; but gradual- 

 ly the tide of opinion turned in favor of the critic. At a loss to 

 know the name of one who thus " bestrode that little world like 

 a Colossus," I turned to a gentleman seated near me, and asked 

 him if he could tell me the name of the old man with gray hair> 

 shaggy eye-brows and husky voice, who seemed to play with the 

 other Academicians as anglers do with trout. Monsieur, replied 

 he, with more astonishment in his looks than was quite consistent 

 with Parisian j?o^i7esse, c^est Napoleon de L'Academie, the wel^ 

 known sobriquet revealed to me, Arago. Had I left Paris withou't 



