eee 
2$2 
LAPLACE, in thatpart of his memoir 
which relates to the aberration of the 
ftars, goes no farther than to indicate a 
very fimple rule, by means of which, 
one may, in calculating the aberration, 
take regular notice of the eccentricity of 
the terreftrial globe. 
Bossut read the fcheme of a new 
theorem in-~ geometry; the ‘intent of 
which is to make known the portions of 
hemifpheric arches, the expreffion of 
which is algebraic. It is well known, 
that the problem of the fquarable arch, 
propofed by Viviani, was refolved by 
Leibnitz, James Bernoulli, and l Hopi- 
tal. Euler, in 1769, publifhed in the 
memoirs of the academy of Peterfburgh, 
anew {olution of this problem, confi- 
dered in the moft general point of view, 
and inveftigated alfo the problem of the 
cubable arch. But no geometrician had 
yet noticed the very fimpie and curious 
theorem, of which Boffut read the 
{cheme to the clafs, and the demonftra- 
tion of which, he will publith in the 
colle€tions of the Inflitute. 
FLAUGERGUES, an affociated mem- 
ber, refiding at Viviars, has there made, 
and-continucd uninterruptedly, obferva- 
tions of eclipfes, fatellites, and ftars, 
eompared with the tables of Delambre, 
and of which he has tranfmitted the re- 
falts. 
BEAUCHAMP writes from Conftanti- 
nople, of the date of the roth of May, 
old ftile, that he was preparing for his 
departure fur the Black Sea. The Grand 
Vizir has {granted to him, after much 
dificulty, a firman, as an aftronomer na- 
turalift.. He is to embark on board a 
merchantman, and go to Trebifond, of 
which it Is of importance to determine 
the longitude, in order to afcertain its 
diflance from the Cafpian fea, which he 
had already eftimated in his preceding 
voyage. He has tran{mitted proof fheets 
of the tables of logarithms, which are 
printmg in Turkifh charaéters, for the 
ufe of a mathematical {chool eftablithed 
at Conftantinople, confifting of four pro- 
feffors and fifty ftudents. 
DELAMBRE, one of the aftronomers 
of the Inftitute, commiflioned to meafure 
the arch of the meridian, extending from 
Dunkirk to Barcelona, has written, 22d 
Prairial, that his fignals were erected, 
and igs ftations fixed upon, as far as 
Montialfv, from whence he commands 
the profpect of Rhodéz, which is the 
fouthern limit of, his labours. He had 
nine remaining ftations to fettle, which 
would require two months to accomplifh, 
Laft Sitting of the Inftitute,on Ofoker 6. 
-philofophical {ciences. 
oa. 
and he hopes in'the courfe of Thermidor 
to return to Paris, and conneét the bafis 
of Melun with the furrounding ftations. 
Thus, thanks tothe zealand indefatigable 
a€tivity of the French aftronomers, the 
hour is approaching, when the learned 
world will know the details and the re- 
fult of the greateft undertaking-ever yet 
carried into execution, in order to deter- 
mine the figure and dimenfion§ of the 
earth; and the new metrical fyftem of 
the French Republic, eftablithed on this 
refulr, will thereby become united with 
the moft immutable type of greatnefs, of 
which nature has permitted man to pof- 
fefs the immediate meafure. — 

BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE LAST SITTING, 
Of «which the detail /ball be inferted heres 
afier. 
ON the 6th eee (O€.) the Natio. 
nal Inftitute held a public fitting, which 
was opened by the fecretaries of the three 
clafles, who entered into a detail of the 
labours of the members of each clafs 
during the preceding three months. 
Villars, fecretary of the third clafs, feem- 
ed to yield too implicit an obedience to 
the pleafure of beftowing on the works 
of his colleagues the tribute of praife 
which they merited. It has beea fome- 
where juftly obferved that accounts given 
to the public ought te leave the public 
the fole judges of the merit of the works 
they point out. What a fecretary can 
and ought to praife, before the public, in 
his colleagues, is their indefatigable zeal 
in laborious enterprifes, fuch as thofe of 
Delambre and Mechain, in afcertaining 
the meafure of a degree of the meridian, 
Prony, one of the fecretaries of the clafs 
of mathematical and phyfical {ciences, did 
this with a nice judgment ; and, on this 
head, we may add that it was impoffible 
to fay too much. 
Here we beg leave to obferve, that. 
our precept applies to living authors 
only, fince in praifing thofe who are 
dead nothing is offenfive to the public, 
and among literary focieties cuftom has 
converted this mode of procedure into a 
law. The public accordingly heard, 
with much intereft, the eulogy pro- 
nounced on Louvet, by Villars, which 
was coloured with the chafteft tints; as 
they did alfo that on Pelletier, who be- 
longed to the clafs of chemiftry, by 
Laffus, fecretary of the firft clafs of the 
Pelletier died at 
the age of 36 years, leaving behind him 
the regret of every enlightened chemift, 
as 
