268 
take the direétion of the obfervatory, will 
doubtlefs fecure the means of putting it 
in a capacity to be ufeful. 
M. p&é MENDOZa, a Spanifh marine- 
officer, is publifhing tables to facilitate 
the obfervation of the longitudes. 
At Lifbon ephemerides have been pub- 
hifhed for the marine, which announce 
emulation and a-tafte for aftronomy i. 
Portugal; and the zeal of the academy 
of Lifbon, which has alfo ptiblithed two 
volumes of memoirs. M. Je Chevalier 
d’*Aruasjo, ambaflador from Portugal, 
has taken an intereft in our correfpon- 
dence, which evinces his knowledge and 
zeal for the glory of his country. 
M. TRALLES, profeflor at Berne, has 
received from Mr. RAMSDEN,_a theodo- 
lite faperior even to that which has been 
made ufe of for the triangles of England, 
and he is going to make wife of them for 
thofe of Switzerland. 
Citizen JAQUES PHILIPPE MARALD?, 
the third aftronomer of that name, has 
fent us the obfervations which he is con- 
ftantly making at Perinaldo, near Nice. 
He has done more; he has fent to Paris 
the eldeft ef his four fons, aged 18 years, 
to labour with me in aftronomy. TI fore- 
fee, by his intelligence and afliduity, that 
Maratpt the fourth will maintain the 
reputation of his family, and that of the 
Caffinis their relaticns, whe have been™ 
unhappily loft to aftronomy fince the re- 
¥olution. 
Madame, the Duchefs of Saxe-Go- 
Proceedings of the Inflitutes 
[Oa&. 
THA, the moft learned princefs that we 
know of, who is a lover of aftronomy; 
and who obferves and calculates herfelf in 
a furprifing manner, now places the houfe 
of Saxe in the hiftory of aftronomy, as 
the Lardgrave William placed that of 
Heffe Calf there Zoo years ago. She 
has lately fent me one of her aftrono- 
mers, De&tor JOHN CHARLES BuRCK- 
HARDT, (born at Leipzig, April 30th, 
1773) to co-operate in my labours; he 
arrived here December 15th, a day re- 
markable in aftronomy, for the birth of 
Tycho Brahe. This prineefs fuppofes, 
that my a¢tive zeal for aftronomy, elec- 
trifying every thing which furrounds me, 
may be even ufeful to a perfon who 
has jut left the obfervatory of Gotha, 
one of the fineft that is any where, direét- 
ed by one of our greateft aftronomers, 
Major Dr Zacu, whofe name always 
occurs wherever aftronemy is fpoken of, 
and whom his friendfhip for me has per- 
haps deceived as to the deftination of his 
pupil; but his fovereigns are of opinion, 
that their aftronomer,. by coming to 
Paris, would make the voyage to Mecca; 
and I may venture to fay, for the ho- 
nour of France, illuftrated by fo many 
victories, that fhe has not loft her repu- 
tation for the fciences; an objet the moft 
important for thinking beings, and thefe 
latter it is, who always influence the 
judgment of the world, and that of pof- 
terity. 
_ (To be concluded in our next Number} 
PROCEEDINGS at large of the Narionau Institute of Frances 
on the 15th Nivofe, 1798, as publifbed by the Secretaries®. 
Notice of the Labours cf the Clafs of Phy- 
fical and Mathematual Sciences, from 
Ofober 6th, 1797, to Fanuary 4th, 
3798, read at the Public Sitting of the 
lajt date, by Citizen PRONY. 
‘ MATHEMATICAL PART. 
ITIZEN FLAvGERGUES, an affoci- 
atemember cf the clafs, has tranimit- 
ted fome theorems on numbers; he has con- 
tented himielfat prefent with fending a fyl- 
labus of the propofitions, and promifes to 
_ give the demonftrations in a particular me- 
mot. He adds, that he is in pofleffion of a 
fare and general method of treating the ab- 
flrufe quefticns connected with thefe in- 
veftigations, the difficulty of which con- 
ufts much lef in difcovering the proper- 

* This tranflation is made from the ‘* Mq- 
genin Encyclopedique,”” by Citoyen Mituin, 
ties of the numbers, than in obtaining 2 
certain knowledge of their generality. 
Citizen Cousin prefented a journal of 
the heights of the river Seine; obfervéd at 
Paris during the fifth year. Thefe heights 
were taken by the graduated fcale at the 
butment or head of the bridge /a Tournelle, 
at the upper demi-baftion (epaulement 
@amont) on the fide of Fraternity ifland. 
‘The zero or loweft term of this feale is 
placed even with the low water of 1719 
(old fiyle); it is divided inte French 
teet, ard indicates from o to 25 feet 
(about 8 metres). The greateft height. 
tor the year 5, obferved on the r1th Ni- 
vofe, was 10% feet, the leatt height, ob- 
{erved a number of times in Vendemaire, 
was 10 inches. 
Another fcale placed at the bridge des 
Tuilleries at 2240 metres diftance from 
the 
