1798.) 
they greatly furpafs thofe of Flamftead, | 
which appeared in 1729. T have furnifhed 
him with 5000 ftars, vifible to the naked 
eye, and of which account had never been 
kept; and I prevailed upon him to aban- 
don Flamftead’s projection, which repre- 
fenting the equator parallels by ftraight 
lines, greatly disfigured the conitellations 
‘and celeftial fpaces. It is impoffible that 
a fphere fhould.be well reprefented on a 
plain; but, in chufing the plain which 
touches in the greateft number of points, 
the part of the {phere which it is required 
to reprefent, we come as near to it “as 
poffible: this has never been done till in 
this inftance. The Ephemerides of Ber- 
lin, by M. Bove, for 1800, and thofe 
‘of Vienna, by M. TRIESNECCER, for 
1798, have procured us a great number 
of obfervations and calculations made im 
all parts of Germany. ‘The third volume 
of the Supplements of M. Boos, will 
contain a number of the fame. 
M. Von Zacu, M.Davip, and M. 
KoeEHLER, have made certain tours in 
Germany, to determine geographical po- 
fitions. ‘The chart of Germany is good 
for details. This is a refult of the mis- 
fortunes of war; but the abfolute pofi- 
tions of the principal points are as yet 
but imperfetly known. M. Von Zacu 
has fpread through Germany the wle of 
fmall reflecting o&ants, by which the 
longitudes and latitudes are obtained with 
a precifion almoft incredible, if the proofs 
of it were not fo multiptied. 
A plan of the kingdom of Pruffia is 
going to be drawn geometrically; the 
Baron Dr SCHROTER, minifter of ftate 
at Konigfberg, is the principal mover of 
this undertaking. 
The Society of Bohemia has publithed 
fome interefting memoirs, wherein among 
other things, we find the gravity of the 
air meafured on fome high mountains, by. 
Meffis. JIRASEK, HaENKE, GRUBER, 
and GERSTNER, with fcales remarkably 
correct. 
At Peterfburg, aftronomy feems to have 
refumed fome activity ; it has even been 
in agitation to build a new obfervatory. 
In the mean time, M. HENRY, a ci-de- 
vant eleve of the college of France, has 
‘at length placed Biro’s mural, which 
was ufelefs foralong time. M. De Ba- 
KUNIN, director of the academy, en- 
courages the progrefs of aftronomy, and 
the gth volume of the new memoirs is 
about to make its appearance. 
The Emprefs Catharine had procured 
from England a ten foot telefcope, and 
M}. RumMousk fhewed her the tars at 
Hiftory of Aftronomy for 1797~ 
329 
Zarfko-zelo; onthat occafion he received 
a diamond watch. 
The Ottoman Ambaffador, SEYD- 
ALI-EFFENDE, who arrived -at Paris” in 
the month of July, has for his firft in- 
terpreter M. CopRIKA, an Athenian, 
who loves aftronomy; he has tranflated. 
into Greek a part of my works, and he 
will carry into his own country the emu- 
lation of ours. BEAUCHAMP has already 
fent me fome proofs of our tables of lo- 
garithms printed in Turkifh, for the 
{chool of engineers eftablithed at Conftan- 
tinople. 
Citizen MONNERON, the elder, who 
refides at Annonai, has fent me a great 
number of interefting notes on the aftro- 
nomy- of India, where he has been a lon 
time; he has joined to it a large chart of 
the conftellations .of the Indians, whofe 
aftronomy he has ftudied as well as Le 
Gentil and Bailly ; and he finds the trea- 
tife of this latter inferior to the reputation 
of the author. I judged it to be full 
of conjectures, learned indeed, but ill- 
founded. 
Bailly feems aftonifhed at the antiquity- 
of the Indian literature, but I cannot per- 
ceive that he gives any conclufive proofs 
of it. Citizen DeGuiGNes and AN- 
QUETIL appear to have entertained the 
fanie idea. — 
Citizen LAMETHERIE has publifhed 
inthe ** Fournal de Phyfque,”’ the hiftory 
of aftronomy for 1795 and 1796. This 
interefting journal, interrupted during 
three years, has recovered all its activity. 
The hiftory of aftronomy is about to 
be enriched with a trait which does ho- 
nour to.General BUONAPARTE as well 
as toaftronomers. The Italian Society, 
the chief place of which is Verona, and 
its prefident M. CAGNOLI, a celebrated 
aftronomer of the fame city, pofleffed a 
certain eftate, which the municipality 
thought they-had a right to difpote of. 
The houfe of M. CaGno.t had been da- 
maged by a bomb, he thought we might 
cohtribute to have this inconvenience re- 
paired; before, however, we addreffed 
ourfelves to the government, whole fae 
vourable difpofitions towards us are well 
known, I thought J might hazard a let- 
ter to the hero of Italy and of France., I 
did not expect, however, that he could have 
leifure and tranquillity enough to pay 
any attention to my requeft. With what 
high gratification, therefore, did I receive 
the following letter, on the.22d Prairial, 
of the year 5. ‘¢ At the moment I re- 
ccived your letter, I iflued the neceflary 
orders, and fhall take every ftep to tecure 
to 
See ES, ee Ee 
