1799: ] 
publifhed by Mr. WINGRAVE, as adver- 
tifed in your magazine for December laft. 
At Aberdeen, where, by the way,. the 
mathematics, owing to a fortunate concur- 
rence of circum(tances, {till maintain their 
reputation as az effeniial branch of philojo- 
phy, they are taught in an able and popu- 
Jar manner by the profeflors of the King’s 
College, and by Dr. HAMILTON of the 
Mareichall, a man of great ability, and 
author of a very excellent treatife on arith- 
metic and merchandize. In the different 
public {chools and academies, I am in- 
formed, the mathematics are taught in 
an ealy and popular manner, adapted to 
the object of thefe inftitutions, excepting, 
perhaps, in the mathematical {chool of 
Dumtries, where they are treated more 
profoundly, under the direétion of the in- 
genious and diligent Mr. Wuirhs 
When I am on the fubjeét of the public 
teachers of the mathematics this country 
has lately produced, in juftice to merit 
long negleéted, I cannot overlook one of 
profeffor ViLANT’s afhitants, Mg. Joun 
West, now Reétor of St. Thomas’s in 
the Eaft, Jamaica, a man of great worth 
and ingenuity, and author of ‘* Elements 
of Mathematics,” publifhed at Edinburgh, 
fourteen or fifteen years ago, comprehend- 
ing’ new elements of geometry, conics, 
men{uration, and {pRerics. Whether from 
the puerile jealouly which fubfifts among 
literary men, or another caufe, I will not 
pronounce, but this work (which has 
lately tallen into my hands) has attracted 
little attention in this part of the ifland ; 
and, in the other, it feems to have been 
buried as foon as it appeared; being fup- 
poted, by a ftrange miftake, only a re-pub- 
lication of another work, written 30 or 40 
years ago, by a gentleman of the fame 
name. The work, to which I would at 
prefent direét the public attention, is the 
fruit of Mr. Wesvr’s labours at St. An- 
drews, under his conftituent Mr. ViLanT, 
and certainly does much credit, both to 
the author himfelf, and to him by whom 
he was employed as a fubftitute. Though 
only a pretty large 8vo. it comprizes every 
thing that is moft valuable in various pro- 
duétions, that can be procured only at 
great expence. “Ihe arrangement is clear 
and judicious, and the language dilplays 
more correctne{s and tafte than we ufually 
find in works of that kind. ‘The demon- 
trations are geometrical ; many of them 
new, and all concife and elegant. They 
have indeed been ceniured as too concife ; 
—but it cannot be doubted, that a concife 
text beok (and fuch only it was defigned 
to be), in the hands of an able commenta- 
Teachers of Mathematics in Scotland. 
‘ 
437 
tor, poffeffes many advantages; and, in 
this refpest, Mr. West follows the ex- 
ample of his judicious conftituent in his 
Elements of Mathematical Analyfis, as 
well as that of other public leCturers of 
the firft reputation. By way of appen-~ 
dixes to the different parts of the work, he 
has fubjoined a variety of ufeful exercifes 
in theory and praétice, extremely conve- 
nient for the teacher, and well adapted to 
meature ‘the proficiency, and whet the in- 
genuity of the {cholar. Dr. HurtTon of 
Woolwich, and other writers obferve the 
fame plan, with diftinguifhed fuccefs. Be- 
fide new demonftrations, his Elements of 
Geometry contain feveral ufeful propofi- 
tions, that are not found in the common 
books on the fubject, except the excellent 
geometry of Mr. Tuomas Simpson, 
which has guided his views in fome parts 
of the work. The conics, in which he 
has rejected the too frequent ule of the cir- 
cle, are a great improvement on the me- 
thod of Dr. RoperRT SIMPSON, and al- 
though definitions of thefe conics, which 
are independent of the cone, do not prefent 
the fhorteft and moft pleafant road to many 
of their moft ufeful properties, nor open, 
fo eafily as could be wifhed, the moft gene- 
ral views of the fubject; yet, the ele- 
ments, as laid down by Mr. WEST, are 
exceedingly neat and perfpicuous. A few 
of the demonftrations, as far as known to 
me, are new and ingenious, particularly 
his demonftration of this property, ‘that 
the parallel to a tangent, is an ordinate to 
the diameter at the point of contact.” In 
bis plane trigonometry, likewife, he has 
given, as it appears tome, anew and pret- 
ty demonftration of the compound analo- 
gy, for finding an angle of a triangle when 
the three fides are given. The Neperian 
rules, alfo, in {pherical trigonometry are 
well exhibited, after the manner of Mr, 
Mavupbuit. It is needlefs to multiply in- 
ftances of his judgment and ingenuity, as 
a flight perufal of the work itfelf will 
furnifh them in abundance. Upon the 
whole, I cannot hefitate to recommend it 
as one of the ableft elementary ‘Works in 
geometry this ifland has produced ; and if 
the above very general notice contribute 
to make it better known, my. principal 
object in troubling you with this letter 
will be fully attained. I am, Sir, 
Your very humble Servant, 
Einburgh, And confiant Reader, 
March, 15,1799. INDAGATOR. 
P, S. I am informed by one of his particular 
friends, that he is preparing for the prefs an 
i > PAGE Pp 
important work on nautical aitronomy. 
CT" 
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