510 
robably . noble ; for an_edict of Louis 
AAV. had, in fome meafure, proferibed 
picbeians trom this -fervice, and by open- 
ing the road to preferment to a privileged 
clafs alone, preps are in fome méafure 
the: reverfes. and humiliation which we 
have ail 1 tea: 
The reputation of Borda was foon fpread 
abread, but’ his advance does not feem to 
have been very rapid ; for we find him, at 
the. age of thirty-fix, enjoying_no higher a 
yank than that of heutenant, although he 
had. been employed under Bougainville, 
the famous circumnavigator, who is fill 
alive. ~ It was in that capacity. that he 
embarked on board the Flora, in 1771. 
On this occafion he was accompanied by 
Verdune de la’ Crenne, and Pingré, who 
had undertaken, by order of the King, to 
examine the coafts of Europe, Aftica, , and 
America, with a view of improving the 
{ciences of pavigation and geography.— 
‘They were furnifhed with all the nautical 
infruments, provided with the bef ma- 
rine time-pieces that could ‘be procured 
either in. England or in Frances, and they 
put i] practice all the new and improved 
methods of finding the Jongitude, Two 
volumes in 4to*, the refult of the joint 
Jabours of thefe icientifie travelle "8, Con- 
yeyéed to the pubiic the fruits of this expe- 
difion, i in which Borda added not a little 
to his former reputation. 14 
No,” fooner Had the wat taken Sie be- 
tween Great Britain and Pia ance, “In con- 
feauence of the unhappy | difpute with 
America, than he was once. more {natched 
from his Rudies, and employed’in the fer- 
vice of his country. 
him’ fervingsGinder D’Eftaing,+ with the 
rank of rear-admiral, in suhieh capac 
he proved eminently uleful:to. che fleet, 
theeconomy! of which feemg’ inefome. inca- 
fure' to have been confided to his direction? 
. » Breviouflytocthis, he bad introduged an 
uniformity into, the atchiteetue,of the 
Esench vefiels. of war, on, the prinetples 
of Zui erg by which a famene{s of failing 
was effected: in ail the. fhips of) the royal 
navy. 
advantage’ do-any naval force! acting in 
fsuadrons or fleets; for, acedrding te;our 
fyftem, the be& failer is obliged 40 Lje-io 
for the dulleft, and the whole Jineso£- 
hattle is reculated, by,-perhaps the work 
fhip in the navy. © The. indifputable ad- 
vantages ariing from this.improved fy{- 
* See, Vayage fait pei Ordre ae Roi, en i77X 
&.1772,”. -Rariss 17782. This.was preceded 
by.an abridged account im the ©© M&mcires - 
"Acad, sig 17736" 
Account of Borda. 
We accordingly find . 
This is at tended with? prodigious 
f Jan. I, 
tem were foon evident to all. Europe ; ; and 
the profound knowledge’ and patriotic ex-- 
ertions of the Chevalier Borda did nor fait 
to. be acknowledged’ not only by France, 
ae. y the belt-informed men ‘m England, 
eputation which he had now acquir-. 
ed, enabled him to be further fervicrable 
to his country, by drawing up a plan for 
the fchools of naval architeéture, of which 
he may juftly be termed the founder, as 
he not “only fuggefted the idea, but formed’ 
the fcheme for. regulating thefe férhinaries 
and Jaid down the rules for the inftru@tion 
of the pupils adintitted into them. ~ 
Borda may be truly faid to have bre 
feffed a tafle for. mathematics, and he: oa 
the good ‘fenfe‘to apply, this Peeie 
knowledge. in fuch a manner as to ‘fe bale 
it eminently ufeful. ‘The Memoirs OF the 
Royal Academy of. Sciences ‘afford uns 
doubted’ proofs of this, as they cont a 
great variety of papers on hydraulics, ‘on 
the refiftance of fluids, applied to fhips at 
fea, on water-wheels, pumps; the * projec 
tion of bambs, &c. 
In 1787 he publifhed his much: admired’ 
«¢ Defcription and Ufe of the Circle \of 
Refleétion,”" id which he revived and'Fe- 
commended the ufe of the fpecular- circles, 
that had be een already propofed by, Tobias 
Mayer,’ ‘in 1756. He alfo’ employed 
Mayer's’ neglegted method of meafuring 
terreftrial’ angles, which be app lied ta 
aftrenoynical obleryations, and w sot thse 
view fventéd a new conftruétio ied ‘Cir 
cles, With’ doublé moveable telelcopes 1 
this inftrument_has been lately recetved 
to in the admeafurement of a degree. 
To him France is alfo indebted for the 
invention of ‘the menfuration. rod, with 
vubich the new flation-lines were ‘lately af- 
certained, He owas, allo,a; zealous pro- 
moter of, ithe: reform in weights: and; eae 
fures5 an id.in;order to. AGE day thiss» he 
pudlifhed Tables of Sines inthe decimal Sy/- 
tem, at his, own expence. | One: of | bis/ lates 
labours: was, the accurate |detemhinatiod 
of thedength ofthe pendulum; ‘nalating 
feconds.at Paris.» - ft 42lom 
Such were the acknowledged, seputatiod : 
and patriggifim, of. Borda, sthat. the higheld 
offices in, the, State.were- not deemed toe 
great for, mecit) fuch jas, his. ¥ and) -weae= 
cordingly hod, the name. of a,;amadowho 
had been dgeoy ated, with, the Ci aisiiof ‘Me- 
rit during, the Monarchy, entered ‘im the 
lit of epndadates forithe offace of {Dineétor 
under the, Republic. This ioceurred \in 
17973 and.op the aoth ot Februaryxa 7999 
the National Infiitute lott-one of its great= 
eft ornaments and molt alliduous fup- 
porters, in confequence . of his death, 
(gg 106 which 
WATS 
