12 
458 
Mathematics to the Students of the Aca- 
demy. Only a man of Rumovfkr’s talents, 
and a difciple of Euler, could in fo fhort 
a fpace of time have become qualified to 
fill the profefforial chair, from which he 
had himfelf, fo few years before, received 
the firtt leffons of the fcience he was now 
appointed toteach. He had now lectures 
to read on mathematics in the Ruffian 
language. This had never before been 
done: there exifted not any elementary 
book of mathematics in that language 5 
he confequently found himfelf under the 
neceflity of writing one ; and an excellent 
one he wrote, which appeared in print in 
the year 1760. Rumovéki is the Chrifiiax 
Wolf of his country s he was the firft who 
diffufed, and, as it were, naturalized, the 
ftudy of mathematics in his native Jand.' 
Merit fo diftinguifhed could net long re- 
main unnoticed. The celebrated Impe- 
rial Aftronomer Grifchow, who was now 
in a very advanced age, could not point 
out any perfon better qualified te fucceed 
him: and of his own accord applied to the 
Academy to appoint him his Adjunct, 
This choice was no lefs honourable to 
Rumovéki than advantageous to the Aca- 
demy, which unanimeufly confirmed him 
in this ftation, inthe year 1760. In the 
fame year Grifchow'died; and as, in the 
following, the nremorable tranut of Venus 
through the difk of the fun happened, pro- 
per meafures were taken’ for obferving 
this important, celeftial phenomenon, and 
our Rumovifki was for this purpole fent 
to Nert{chinft*, in Siberia. Having, after 
his return, given the Academy, indifferent 
treatifes, an account of his obfervation of 
the tranfit, and Jaid before them his in- 
veltigations and calculations relative to 
the parailaxes of the fun, he was reward- 
éd, in proof of their {atisfaction, with the 
nomination to the poft of Imperial Attro 
nomer of the Academy in 1763. 
From this moment Rumovfki direéted 
his whole attention to the reparation of 
the obfervatory, which had fuffered by 
fire, that at leaft the moveable inftruments 
might be rendered ferviceable. His pre- 
deceffor Grifchow had confiantly been of 
opinion, that it would be better and more 
advantageous to build an entirely new 
obfervatory than to reftore the old one, 
which was not calculated either for the 
prelent flate of practical altronomy, or for 
the convenience of the obferver. Thus, 
2 

* Border-town between Siberia and China, 
in the government of Irkutiki, 6783 wer/s 
from Peterfburg. Formerly the caravans 
going to.China pafled through this town, 
Memoirs of Stephen de Rumiki. 
[June ry 
for inftance, the large eight-feet mura 
quadrant, by Bird, which cannot be placed 
on too firm a foundation, is erected in the 
fourth floor of the edifice belonging to the 
Academy, that floor being allotted for 
the obfervatory ; and every time the aftto- 
nomer wifhes to make an obfervation with 
this magnificent inftrument, he 1s obliged 
to afcend r20 fteps. Grifchow left be- 
hind him a plan of a new oblervatory 5 
and had it been carried into execution, 
Peterfburg would have long ago poffefied 
an obfervatory more fuitable to the excel- 
lent apparatus of inftruments belonging te 
the Academy, and the Englifh mural qua- 
drant would not fo many years have lain 
ufelefs in its cafe. Flattering hopes were 
conftantly entertained, that the neceflary 
fum for the erection of the new obferva- 
tory would be granted, and they were on. 
the point of being realized, when the 
death of Catherine IT. enfued, and with 
her all expectation of putting the plan in 
execution vanifhed. Rumoviki, however, 
improved the old obfervatory as much as 
poflible, and put it ina ferviceable con- 
caution. * 
fi fhort time after the appointment of 
Pumov{kito the place of Imperial Aftro- 
nomer, Catherine invited Leonard. Euler 
tothe Academy of Sciences in Peterf- 
burg. The emprefs wifhed to introduce 
anew reform in the Academy, and for 
this purpofe appointed a commiffion, of 
which the Eulers, father and fon, Staehe- 
lin, Kotelnikoff, and our Rumoviki, were 
nominated members, and Count Wlodimir 
Gregorewiiz Orloff prefident. With the 
Ruflian Academy many extenfive literary 
inftitutions are connetted, which require 
a great number of economical and finan- 
cial details; and thefe principally the re- 
form was intended to affect. The deli-- 
berations of the committee were held im 
the French language ; but the publication 
of their deliberations, to thofe concerned, 
was neceflarily made in the Ruffian; and 
this part of the bufinefs was wholly com- 
mitted to Rumoyfki. | Catherine TI. had 
at the fame time recommended to the par- 
ticular attention of Count Orloff the geo- 
graphy of Ruffia. This geographical de- 
partment was by the Count entrufted 
wholly to the elder Euler and to Rumovi- 
ki, How glorious for the latter to be thus 
appointed the colleague of his great. maf- 
ter. The wondertul memory of Euler 
fupplied the lofs of his fight ; and his in-, 
telligent counfel contributed much to the 
formation of good maps of the Rufiian 
empire ; but the editing and reviing themy 
and indeed the chief part of the care and 
labour 
