1800.] 
The text is in the Russian language, but 
the captain will himself publish a Ger- 
man translation. 
The Imperial Academy of Sciences, 
at Petersburgh, has published the thir 
teenth volume of its Memoirs, with the 
title of Nova Acta Academia Scientiarum 
Imperialis Petropolitane. 'TYo this vo- 
lume is. prefixed tie history of the Aca- 
demy from 1795 to 1796, and biogra- 
phical accounts of ten academicians, who 
have died since that period ; among whom 
is the celebrated naturalist, Eric Lax- 
MAN, who was born at Abo, in Finland, 
in 1737, and died near Tobolsk, in Si- 
beria, in 1795. 
to the Academy, is one on the direction 
of balloons, and another on M.-Pallas’s 
Travels in Tauris. The mathematical 
memoirs inserted in this volume, are 
thirteen in number, four of which are by 
_the celebrated Euter. The department 
of physical sciences, comprehends, amoag 
others, an interesting memoir -on the 
mines of Siberia, by M. Herman, under 
the title of Description of the celebrated 
Silver Mine of Zmeof, or Mount Altai, 
in Siberia. This mine, which has long 
been known, has been wrought only 
since 1745, at the expense of the crown, 
-—The quantity of ore obtained from'it 
annually amounts to 1,200,000 puds; and 
the total produce from 1747 to’ 1793, 
was 34,441 puds of silver, among which 
was about 1000 puds of gold. The pud 
weighs from thirty-five to forty pounds, 
so that this produce may be estimated at 
forty-four millions of rubles, or about a 
million ie The astronomical me- 
moirs are three in number. One, by 
M. Ienry, contains Observations: on 
the Planet Venus; the second, by M. 
SrepHen Rumowsky, treats of the 
Figure of the Earth; the third is a sup- 
plement to Euler’s Theory of the Moon, 
by M. Scuuzwerr. 
POLAND. . 
Baron Grimm, the Nestor of diplo- 
matists, died lately at Warsaw. A se- 
cretary of the Russian embassy was ex- 
tremely anxious to obtain possession of 
his voluminous correspondence, in which 
are many letters in the hand-writing of 
‘the Empress Catheriné II: All these 
papers have been sent to Petersburgh. 
ITALY. 
On the 22d of August, last year, M. 
Axpreoct, and M. Brioscxi, ascended 
ina balloon at Padua. - When the mere 
cury had falien to fifteen inches, about 
the height of three miles and an half, the 
fatter began to feel an extraordinary pal- 
Lnterary and Philosophical I néelligence. 
“Among the reports made. 
313: 
pitation of the heart, without any painful ~ 
sensation in breathing. When the mer- 
cury was down to twelve, (four miles and 
au half) he was overpowered with a pleas 
sing sleep, that soon became 2 real le- 
thargy. ‘Lhe balloon continued ascend- 
ing, and when the mercury was about 
nine inches, (near six miles,) M. Ans 
dreoli perceived himseif swollen all over, 
and could not move his left hand. When 
the mercury had fallen to 8,5 (about 
six miles and a quarter,) the balloon 
burst with a loud explosion, and be- 
gan to descend rapidly with much noise, 
which awoke M. Brioscli. It fell about 
twelve miles from Padua, without any 
injury to the aérial travellers. 
The celebrated Canova, who is to 
receive one hundred thousand crowns 
for a colossal statue of Napoleon, in 
bronze, has engaged the assistance of the 
German artists, at Vienna, who cast the 
statue of Jaseph IL. under the direction 
of the celebrated professor Zaunen. 
The subterraneous passage by which 
the Roman Emperors went privately from 
the palace of the Czsars, on Mount 
Celius, at Rome, to the Flavian Ainphi- 
theatre, has beea, lately discovered. 
From it have been takca a number of 
architectural fragmenis, capitals, cor- 
nices, and vases, proofs of the splendor 
of its decorations. Same fine torsos have 
also been found, and a head of Mercury, 
which appears to have belonged to te 
statue formerly in. the garden of the 
Pope, -and now in the Chiaramonta 
‘Museum. Several pipes and gutters for 
carrying Gif water were also discovered, 
and twenty rooms of very small dimen: 
sions, and lighted only from the top. 
These are presumed to be the fornices, so 
frequently menticned by Martial, 
neca, and Juvenal. 
The celebrated Last Supper, of Lro- 
NARDO Da Vincl, at Milan, has suffered 
so much from damp, and other circume - 
stances, that it will soon be totally de. 
stroyed. ‘Bossr is taking a copy of it in 
oil, of the original size, from which it 1s 
afterwards to be executed in mosaic. 
The. brothers RiepENHAUSEN, who 
have fixed their residence in Italy, have 
formed the plan of a considerable work, 
in which they propose to exhibit the rise 
and progress of the arts in that country, 
by stroke engravings of the works of the 
great masters. It will be divided into 
‘three sections, each comprehending four 
pa:ts. The first section will begin with 
Cimabue, and go down to Gozzoli; the 
secund to Massaccio; and the third-to 
‘Raphael. 
