— 550 — 



Quoi qu'il en soit de ces suppositions, nous n'avons qu'à nous 

 louer de nos rapports avec la cour de Siam. Le roi vint visiter 

 notre observatoire. Ne possédant que des lunettes communes, il 

 fut vivement impressionné par la vue de nos puissants instru- 

 ments, surtout par le télescope de /io centimètres et par la trans- 

 mission électrique de la seconde. 



Nous étions alors complètement prêts pour l'éclipsé. Les per- 

 sonnes qui devaient prendre part à l'observation étaient : 

 MM. Stephan, 

 Tisserand , 

 Rayet , 

 Chabirand, 

 Hatt, 

 Olry, 



Letourneur (qui, sur ma demande, avait bien voulu ac- 

 cepter la présidence honoraire de notre commission) , 

 Pierre , 

 Garnault, pharmacien de i""^ classe de l'hôpital militaire 



de Saigon ; 

 Les officiers de la Sarthe et du Frelon. 



comparaison with those newly invented and improved must he considered as 

 very common. The knowledge of Siamese and Peguan astronomers are thus : 



The total éclipse of the sun may lake place for the foliowing important points 

 of astronomical occurrence. 



1° The node, either ascending or descending, cornes near to the sun's apogy, 

 either before or behind, at a distance at least of 60 degrees on the ecliplic 

 course. 



2° The moon's peregy cornes near to the place of syzygy, or strait between \he 

 centres of the sun and moon and the earth, or near to the said nodal position. 



3° The sun cornes as near to the said nodal position as 720 miles, or 12 de- 

 grees in echptic. 



They said also that whenever the interior planets, Mercury or Venus, and 

 moon, come below the sun directly to any latitude or place on the surface of the 

 earth, the extractive power of those said bodies attracts the surface of the earth 

 and produces greater wind and clouds more tban usual on that point for several 

 days. It is évident that the like or simiiar occurrence can be comparated with 

 attraction of the sun and the moon , and produce high water on the surface of 

 the earth in the days of new moon and full moon always, and lowcst water ap- 

 pears in first and iast quarter of the lunar month, for the sun and the moon 

 are in a very différent position toward the earth. 



But (he wider knowledge was not lo me more than is before said indea. 



8. P. P. M. MoNG Ki'T, K. 8. 



