436 
might furnifh a leffon to our moft able geo- 
meters. From the Roman Republic, citizen 
FRANCHINI. 
On the sth Meffidor, (June 23,) the 
legiflative body made a law, which gives 
to the Bureau des Longttudes the keeping 
of the origina] ftandard of the metre, or 
of the new meature, deftined to be in fu- 
ture the type of all mealures, and to pre- 
vent for ever the confufion which has 
hitherto prevailed in the meafures of all 
countries. 
Aftronomy has fo few profelytes, that 
it is a fatistation to me to be able to fay 
that M. the Dr. BURCKHARDT, who 
came from Gotha laft year, continues ftill 
to labour at Paris with us, and that he 
is already one of our beit aftronomers. 
DELAMBRE has had for co-operator 
in his immenfe labour, citizen TRAN- 
CHOT, already celebrated for the great 
works he has completed in Corfica; and 
young citizen POMARD, who is devoting 
himfelf to attronomy, and who cannot 
fail to make rapid progre{s therein under 
fuch a mafter. Aftronomy has certainly 
need of frefh recruits, and I negleét no 
means to procure them; but the career is 
painful and not lucrative; this will fuffice 
to explain the penury we labour under. 
~ BLANPAIN, born in 1779, who firft 
faw the comet of 1797 at Marfeilles, 
evinces at the age of nineteen as much 
zeal as knowledge; he poflefles a rich 
fund of literature, and is alfo diftinguifh- 
ed by his moral qualities. Under the 
necefity of applying himfelf to commerce, 
he cannot as yet give full {cope to his 
paffion for aftronomy; he neverthelefs 
calculates obfervations, and even makes 
iome himfelf. 
Young BERNIER, of Montauban, is 
alfo applying himfelf to thefe ftudies 
with fuccefs. IT wifhed him to embark 
tn the expedition under General Buowna- 
PARTE, but my meafures for that pur- 
pofe were taken to late. ; 
Citizen CatTiton, although occupied 
in the management of the domains, is 
come to lodge in the College of France, 
to labour with us. His intelligence and 
his zeal are often ulfeful to us. 
The. 21ft Brumaire, the year 7, (Nov. 
11,) citizen LEFRANCOIS caufed the firtt 
ebfervation to be made in the objierva- 
tory of the College of France, by citizen 
Cassrni V. aged 16 years, who is come 
to inhabit the obfervatory, following the 
fteps of his illuftrious anceftors, and an- 
nouncing a zeal worthy of his name. He 
will replace MaRaLDI IV, who has de- 
Fartarl q 
ferted us. 
: 
Teachers of Mathematics in Scotland. 
[July 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AC one object of your valuable mifcel- 
lany is to diffufe ufeful information, 
and unveil the merit of the modeftand neg- 
lected, I take the liberty to communicate 
the following article, requefting, that if — 
you find it worth your Motice, you will 
give it early a place in your magazine. 
When I confider the great ufefulnefs of 
the mathematics, in the arts of both ne- 
ceflity and accommodation, efpecially ina 
country, that gradually affumes a charac- 
ter wholly military, I am forry to find, 
that, on one fide of the Tweed, fo little 
attention is beftowed on them. Although 
there are leveral academies, and fome uni- 
vertities in Scotland, yet the mathematical 
knowledge, which ftudents there learn, is 
in general extremely fuperficial ; and, in 
courfe, the number of mathematicians 
which Scotland produces, very fmall in- 
deed. In thefe circum{tances, we may, 
no doubt, find fomething valuable more 
widely diffufed; but it is to.be feared, 
there is no ftimulus to more vigorous ex- 
ertions in this fcience. 
My attention has lately been dire&ted to 
this fubject, in the courfe of my enquiries 
after the beit mathematical feminary. in 
this part of the ifland; the refult of which, 
as nearly as I recoileét it, I thall concilely 
lay before you. 
At the univerfity of Edinburgh, all the 
branches of the mathematics are wel} 
taught, by the very able profeflor Play- 
fair, in the {pace of two feffions, of fix 
months each, the clafs meeting one hour 
every day to hear the preli€teons. This 
excellent mathematician has adorned his 
chair by feveral valuable papers in the Phi- 
lofophical Tranfations of the ifland, and 
likewife by his new ¢* Elements of Geometry, 
according to the Method of Euclid,” with 
a timple treatife of trigonometry annexed. 
At Glalgow, the mathematics are taught 
ina very diftin&t and popular manner by 
the profeffor James MiLvar, fon of the 
ingenious and celebrated profeffor of law 
in that univerfity. At St. Andrews they 
are accurately and fully taught both in 
theory and pra¢tice, by Mr. Duncan, an 
able affiftant, employed by the learned 
profefior VILANT, a man of great talents, 
who, although the ftate of his health has 
obliged him to retire from his public 
functions, continues indefatigable in pro- 
fecuting his fludies, and has, inter alia 
ready forthe prefs a complete and valuable 
Syftem of Mathematical Analyfis demon- 
itrated, the outlines of which are lately 
publithed 
