HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
39 6 
their return from India to Europe. He re-embarked on the 20th of April, and 
arrived at L’Orient on the 4th of June, after a very fortunate voyage. 
“ On the 2$th of the same month he returned to Paris, after an absence of three 
years and eight months ; when, his first care was to digest his observations, and com¬ 
pare them with those of his correspondents, in order to put the last hand to the great 
work of his mission. He first detached 1936 stars from his general catalogue, which 
the Academy placed in its Memoirs. He deferred giving his observations on it to 
the year 1760, in order that nothing should be wanting which might advance their 
perfection. A great part of this important work was printed at the expence of the 
author, who had not, however, the satisfaction to see it finished. 
“ Besides the two parts of the relation of his voyages, M. de la Caille enriched the 
Memoirs of the Academy with many important pieces. In 1757, he presented to 
the public his work entitled Astronomies Fundamenta ; one of the most important 
that had ever appeared on that science, and which proves its author to have obtained 
a complete knowledge of the two celestial hemispheres. It consists of a quarto volume, 
which is followed with Observations on the Refraction of the Stars, and Solar Tables 
of the same author, which appeared in 1758. 
“ In 1759, he presented various memoirs to the Academy on very important sub¬ 
jects of astronomy; and in 1760 he formed the design to determine a certain number 
of zodiacal stars; and invented an instrument for the purpose of carrying it into exe¬ 
cution. He observed six hundred zodiacal stars during the two years 1760 and 1761. 
“ In the month of June in the same year, M. de la Caille had begun a great work, 
which occupied all his attention, when he was attacked by the disorder of which he 
died. It was a Course of Observations on all parts of the Heavens, relatively to 
each other; from whence a degree of certainty in operation would result, which 
must be of the utmost utility to astronomers. 
“ He maintained a constant correspondence with the most distinguished astro¬ 
nomers and mathematicians of every part of the world. His correspondent at Pekin 
was Father Benoit, his former pupil, who was become a resident in the palace of 
the Emperor of China, in that city. 
“ In 1761, he paid his academical tribute of five important memoirs; and he read 
before the assembled Academy, a Discourse on the Progress of Astronomy during 
the thirty preceding years. 
