322 
half a minute longer above-the horizon, 
and of course to set so much later; also. 
at sun-rise on that day, the sun not 
having attained the declination of 0° 16’, 
but only 0° 10’ nearly; it emerges from 
the horizon about half a minute later 
than usually reckened on; or, in other 
words, if the time of sun-rising be cor- 
rectly ‘ascertained ou any day, and it vary 
two minutes later from day to day, the 
time of its setting will be half that time, 
or one minute later than would be found 
by subtracting its rising from twelve 
hours; so that, in fact, in the month-of 
March, the afternoon is longer by one 
minute than the morning, and the con- 
trary is the casein the month of Sep- 
tember. ; 
About the time of the equinoxes, the 
dechnation varies from noon to sun-set 
about a quarter of the whole difference 
trom noon to noon, the days and nights 
being then nearly equal; but in summer, 
when the time betwixt noon and sun-set 
is greater, being nearly one-third of the 
whole day, the declination at sun-set has 
varied one-third of the difference from 
noon to noon. In winter, the time 
elapsing from noon to sun-set being only 
one-sixth of the whole day, the difference 
of declination in that time is very trifling, 
especially as it varies but little in the 
whole day whilst the sun is near the 
tropics. ; 
I wish to offer this subject particularly 
to the consideration of those whose 
business it is annually to supply the 
public with ephemeris’s, &c. which 
ought to be made as accurate as pos- 
sible ; and may be of importance in many 
cases, but in none more particularly than 
in computing the longitude from. the 
time of the sun’s rising, or setting. 
Sepé. 22, 1810. R. W. 
a 
For the Monthiy Magazine. - 
account of the LITERARY dnd MILITARY 
IMPROVEMENTS projected TURKEY, 
by the laie unfortunate srL1M 111, By 
M. LANGL@S. , 
HE unhappy sultan very well un- 
« & derstood that the typographic art 
was the best method to deliver a people 
from ignorance, and the stupid prejudi- 
ces inseparable from it, as well as to in- 
fuse a taste fur the arts and sciences, 
which form the happiness of those who 
cultivate them, and the most solid glory 
of the sovereigns who protect them. 
Thus the press, introduced at Constan- 
tinople in 1727, by the renegado Tbra- 
hym, aLandoned at his death in 1746, 
’ 
who received permanent salaries, 
Literary and Milttary Improvements in: Turkey. (Nov. 1, 
revived for some months in 1757, and 
re-established by a decree of A’bdoul- 
hhantyd in 1784, acquired a new ac- 
tivity by the especial protection of Se- 
lim QI. Such was the activity, that the; 
titles of the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian 
books, printed after the accession of this 
prince to the throne, forms a considere 
able catalogue. A very extensive 
otlice was recently established at Scu- 
tari, by an express order of the sultan, 
and the imperial press was transferred 
thither in 1805. In 1808, when the 
tumults commenced at Constantinople, 
the Janissaries set fire to this office. The 
firs. work which issued from the press of 
Scutari, soon after the remoyal just mens 
tioned, is the French work of the engi- 
neer Seid Mustapha. The characters 
used in printing it are the same as those 
which the renegado Ibrahym Bassmahe, 
djy made, in order to complete his ty- 
pographical establishment in 1727. A 
Turkish Grammar, written in French, 
which was published at Constantinople in 
1730, was to be followed by a Diction- 
ary Italian, Turkish, Greek, &c. of 
which only the first leaf appeared in 
folio, These Roman characters, there 
being no italic, are not to be compared 
to the Turkish, or rather Arabick. chae 
racters, executed by the same Ibrahym. ~ 
These, which served equally for the 
Arabick,. Turkish, and Persian, imitate 
the writing very well, although cramped 
by ligatures, absolutely indispensable, in 
order to prevent the letter-case being too. 
considerable, and the composition long 
and embarrassing. A character, somes 
what less thick and more slender, but 
absolutely outlined upon the first for the 
forms of the letters, and the typographig 
system, was afterwards made. - 
The foundation of a new and large 
school of mathematics, was projected 
near the arsenal of Sudlidzé, by Selim IIT. 
and provided. with masters and scholars, 
They 
commenced their public labours. It was 
the first time that the ignorant people of 
Constantinople had heard of public mas 
thematical lectures, and the outcry of the 
unskilful- and ignorant was universal. 
The professors were molested, and ak 
most persecuted. A continual clamour 
was made, “ Why do they draw these linea 
upon paper? What advantage can be 
derived from it? War is not made b¥ 
the rule and compass.” . Faugued in thig 
manner, and despairing of being able to 
open the eyes of the public, they were as< 
sisted anew by the benign infiuence of their 
Be 
