1800.] 
two minutes error in the reduction of the 
ftations to the horizon, which might have 
atifen from fome defeét in the infiruments, 
or from terreftrial refraction. Ihave been 
informed in a Jetter from Sweden, that 
Maupertuis propofed to recommence the 
meafurement at his own expence. ‘This 
proves that he was not entirely fatisfied 
with the refult, which differs confiderably 
ffom many other degrees that have been 
meafured. The local inequalities of the 
ground, however, may have been the caule 
of this difcordance. 
DeEFORTIA, as well (killed in Greek as 
in geometry, has made a new tranflation, 
with learned notes, of the book of Arif- 
tarchus of Samos, refpeSting the diftance 
of the fun and the moon, collated with - 
ten other manufcripts. This celebrated 
work contains the nobleft idea ever form- 
ed refpefting the manner of finding the 
diftance of the fun from the earth: an 
idea which, in my opinion, furpafles all 
thofe ever entertained by the greateft 
-aftronomers. I gave fome account of it 
in the Fournal des Savans for 1797, of 
which only twelve fheets were publifhed 
between the 5th of January and the 2oth 
of Augutt. 
The Nautical Almanack for 1803 has 
been tranfmitted to us by the care of Sir 
Joteph Banks, Prefident of the Royal So- 
ciety, to whom we owe this public tefti- 
-mony, that fince the commencement of the 
war he has maintained the intercourfe of 
the {ciences. His name, his credit, and 
his fortune, enabled him to overcome all 
obftacles, and to remove every political 
WMpediment; for we have afked nothing 
from him which he has not taken the ear- 
Hieft opportunity of granting. The Mi- 
nifter of the, Marine renders :the fame 
teltimony, and acknowleiges the fa- 
vours he has received from Sir Jofeph 
Banks. 
Five volumes of the Afiatic Refearthes 
~have been publifhed at London. They con- 
tain a great many obfervations made by the 
Englifh in different parts of India; toge.. 
ther with memoirs on the Indian aftrono- 
my, the lunar year, and the worthip of 
the Indians. 
Baron Humboldt has gone to Mexico 
with infiruments and a chronometer by 
| Berthoud, and we hope to receiye from 
) 
' 



U 
him interefting obfervatfons refpeéting 
the geography of a country almoft un- 
Known. He will employ himlelf alfo on 
matural hiftory, a fubject with which he is 
well acquainted. 
C. Nouet publithed in the Decade du 
© MONTHLY MaG, No. 58, 
~» 
Hiftory of Aftronomy for 1799) by Lalande. 
353 
Caire feveral obfervations made in Egypt; 
and General Bonaparte has caufed thena 
to be reprinted at Paris by Didot. C, 
Nouet informed me in a letter, that he 
was going to proceed up the Nile as far 
as the tropic, where the famous wells of 
Syené are fituated, and where no fhadow 
is obierved in the day of the folftice. We 
fhall therefore have a real geography, ac- 
companied with other obfervations of thofe 
‘famous countries which gave birth te 
aftronomy, and where it has been forgot. 
ten for 2000 years. 
C. Cafiera has given us, in two vo- 
lumes, 8vo. a tranflation of the curious 
Travels of Mungo Park into the interior 
parts of Africa; and we at length know 
the real direction of the Senegal and the 
Niger, of which, after fix months’ re- 
fearch, I made only one river in my Me- 
moir on Africa, printed among thofe of 
the Academy. of Sciences for 1790, the 
lat volume of that collection. 
C. Montucla has given a new edition 
of his Hiftory of the Mathematics, enlar- 
ged by one-half, and in which aftronomy 
occupies a confiderable place. 
In the National Library there has been 
found a manufcript on Optics by Ptolemy, 
which was fuppoted to have been lof, ~ It 
is a Latin tranflation from the Arabic. 
C. Cauflin, by whom it was found, pro- 
pofes to make known this valuable manu- 
fcript. 
M. Bode has fent us from Berlin the 
remainder of his large and beautiful charts 
which reprefent the heavens. ‘The great 
number of ftars with which I furnifhed 
him, gave me a right to new conftella- 
tions. To fill up the vacant-{paces, he 
had put thirty-three animals in the hea- 
vens ; and I have added a thisty fourth, 
viz, the cat, on account of that charming 
poem, of which Deflerbiers has publithed 
fome fragments. ‘“Dhis new ‘conftellation 
of the Cat,as between Hydra and theShip. 
It has been already engraved in Germany, 
and will be inferted in M. Bode’s new 
Celeftial Atlas, of which he has publhithed 
twelve fheets. 
M. Hobert and Ideler, of Berlin, have 
publified Logarithmic Tables for the de- 
cimal fines, which will facilitate aftrono- 
micai calculations, until the more exten- 
five tables, which C. Proney cavfled to be 
calculated at the Bureau du Cadajire, and 
which began to be printed fome years ago, 
are finifhed. 
The ftereotype edition of Logarithmic 
Tables, publifhed four years azo by Didor 
and Callet, which ought at Jength to be 
aes’ “a? free 
