86 
ene neighbouring village and another, 
there was fo confiderable a difference in 
the diale&, that the inhabitants could 
pot underftand each other; and the vine- 
fiock had thirty different names. The 
naturalit, VILLARS, has ftaced, that in 
the nomenclature of vegetables, in the de- 
ents, he had only met with an hun- 
dred which had 2 common appellation. 
4th. The eftablifhment of the Coxfer- 
ewatiore des Arts et Métiers, was decreed 
an the fitting of the 8th of Venden:aire, in 
the third year. This confifts of a fpacious 
hall, in the form of an amphitheatre, and 
eontains the infiruments of the models of 
machinery connected with the arts, and a 
defcription of their ufes, with every bock 
relating to them. Annexed to this efta- 
Bliffment, are three expofitors and a 
draughtiman, who explain to the ftudents 
@he ule of each inftrument, and who re- 
. gifter every new difcovery, which is pre- 
fented to the Bureau de Confuliation, to 
the lyceum of arts, the c7-devant academy 
ef fclences, or to the board of commerce. 
gth. The eftablithment of the board of 
Tongituce was decreed in the fitting of the 
wth of Mefidor, third year. It was cer- 
tainly a difgrace under the monarchy, that 
an aftronomical and nautical eftablith- 
ment, which had already proved fo bene- 
ficial to Great Britain, fhould not have 
been adopted in France. In confequence of 
this deeree, the French board is now és 
eamplete as the Englith. It confifts of ten 
members, and has under its jurifdiction 
the national obfervatory at Paris, and all 
the aftrunomical inftruments belonging to 
the republic. It correfponds with foreign 
afronomers ; delivers public leétures on 
aftronomy and navigation; and its pro- 
eeedings are annually recited in a public 
fitting. . : 
6th. The general {chool of the Oriental 
languages was eftablifhed by a decree of 
the roth of Germinal, in the fourth year. 
"This fchool adjoins to the national library, 
and all the books and manufertpts relative 
to Oriental literature are depofited in it. 
ath. The national mufeum of antiqui- 
ties was decreed in the fitting of the 20th 
af Preiricl, fourth year. A fchool of this 
Gefcription was fuccefsfully eftablithed at 
Vienna, by Eckri; at Gottingen, by 
HexNne; at Leipfick, by ERNEST; and 
even at Strafburgh, by the celebrated 
OneErEIn: Paris was, however without 
one. This national archeology, or {ci- 
ence of antiquity, is divided iato nine 
different claffes: infcriptions, characters, 
fratues, bas rclicfs, {culptures, paintings, 
mofaics, medals, civil, religious, and 
military inftruments. This extenfive efta- 
French Syftem of Public Inftrution. 
[Aug. 
blithment 1s under the direction of two 
principal profeflors 5 le Confervateur Pro- 
fefeur, et le Confervateur Bibliothecatre. 
The province of the former 1s to deliver 
public le€tures on the feveral branches ofan 
tiquities, to teach the theory of medals and 
engravings, the hiftory ot the arts among 
the ancients,&c. The duties of the latter 
are merely of a biblicgraphical nature. 
Sth. The new modelling of the Grand 
Naticnal Library, was decreed in the fit- 
ting of 25th Vendemicire, im the fourth 
By virtue of this decree, the 
place of librarian in chief was fupprefled, 
and the whole eftablifhment placed under 
a confervatoire of eight members; of 
whom two were appointed for the fuper- 
intendence of printed. books; two for 
manuferipts; two for antiquities; and 
two for engravings. 
porary director is annuall; chofen, whe 
fuperintends the whole acts occafionally 
syaocée 
LCase 
° 
From thefe a tem-~ 
as prefident of this affembly, and main-_ 
tains a regular correfpondence with ths 
conftituted authorities relative to the 
concerns of the library. , 
gth. The augmentaticn of the Mufeum 
of Natural Hiftory, formerly called Le 
Fardin Royal des Plantes, .This efta- 
blifhment was decreed the 15th Brumaire, 
third year, upon a report of THIBADEAU, 
in the name of the committee of Public 
Inftruftion. Befides the addition of large 
rooms, and various other buildings, there 
are new colle&ions of natural curiefities 
and productions; and the library is much 
increafed. Ft is open to the public three 
times a week. At ftated periods all the 
naturalifts in Paris deliver courfes of 
leSures in the various branches of natural 
hiftory. The mufeum has received greater 
improvements from this augmentation 
than from all the labours of Buffon, or 
from its foundation, fince the time of 
Tournefort. 
roth. The Ecole des Mines was eftablifhed 
in the Hotel des Monnaies, and has for its 
dire&tion the naturalift Lz Sacz. ‘This 
infitution is unrivalled in Europe; and 
the colleQion of mineralogical curiof- 
ties furpafles whatever can be conceived, 
It is matter ef aftonifhment, that not- 
withftanding the vat burthen of expen- 
diture to which the French government 
has been fubjested itnce the revolution, 
it fent. at the infiigation of this fchool, to 
St. Domingo, two mineralogifts, whe 
were fhortly after joined, in contequence 
of a petition from the fociety of Natural 
Hiftory, by a botanift, a zoologiit, a gar- 
dener, and a draught/man, with’a view to 
afcertain the ftate of the whole ifland, in ite 
relation to the three kingdoms, 
