1810.] 
that, by means of the latter, he could be 
supported in the air, and at the same 
time have it sufficiently under his com- 
mand. The experiments which he made 
with it, towards the conclusion of last 
year, in the Prater, before a numerous 
company, were completely successful. 
He flew at pleasure in all directions ; 
raised and lowered himself; and the bal- 
loon followed him spontaneously which- 
ever way he turned. The diameter of 
the latter was nineteen feet five inches. 
After deducting the weight of Degen and 
his flying-machine, the balloon possessed 
a power equal to thirty-two pounds. 
While the Prussian states were occu- 
pied by French troops, the Academy of 
Sciences at Berlin lost many of the 
treasures of art which it possessed, and 
which it was obliged to cede to the mu- 
seums of Paris, As some compensation, 
the French government intends to send it 
easts of all the antiques, at Paris, taken 
off with care, 
The successes of the French armies, 
and their long residence in Germany, 
have procured them an advantage which 
they formerly dispensed with in their 
victories, but of which they will not fail 
to avail theinselves in their future military 
enterprizes. They have put them in 
possession of a map of Germany, sur- 
passing all its predecessors in perfection 
and accuracy. Hanover was surveyed 
by Epaillu, chef de bataallon, immediately 
after its occupation by the corps of 
Mortier. In Brandenburg and Silesia, 
the French had two year’s time to collect 
the requisite topographical information ; 
and it is not improbable, that the beauti- 
ful maps of several provinces, drawn ap 
by order of the Prussian government, 
have fallen into their hands; as their 
entrance mto Berlin was so sudden, that 
2 great quantity of important papers and 
valuable effects could not be secreted. 
Saxony caused a portion of its states to 
be surveyed every year: at the request 
of the French government, the work has 
been for some years accelerated; and the 
court of Dresden has made such commu- 
nications as were required. It is be- 
heved, that the same has been done by 
Denmark, in regard to the duchy of 
Holstein, and perhaps of the whole Cim- | 
brian peninsula. The French govern. 
ment has caused not only the northern. 
most provinces of Germany to the North 
Sea and Baltic, but likewise the counties 
of Stolberg, andthe duchies of Weimar, 
Coburg, Meinungen, Hildburghausen, 
&c. to be surveyed by engineers, It 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
261 
probably possesses fewer materials of the. 
former circle of Franconia: but it is pos- 
sible that the grand duke of Wurtzburg 
may have furnished information, to 
extend the topographical knowledge of 
those countries. Of Swabia and Upper 
Austria, the geographical bureau at Paris 
has a beautiful manuscript map. Bava- 
ria has been surveyed for Sometime; and 
the map of the Tyrol is already engraved 
and sold at Paris, In-respect to Austria 
alone, the materials are perhaps rather 
scanty, as the French have remained 
there too short a time to undertake ex- 
tensive measurements. It is concluded, 
that this large and complete map will be, 
given to the public, from the circum- 
stance that Suabia has already been 
engraved at Paris, 
M. von Hammer, a skilful orientalist, 
and formerly agent of the Austrian go- 
vernment, in Moldavia, has lately been 
sent to Paris to claim the restitution of a 
great part of the Hebrew, Arabic, and 
Persian manuscripts, taken en musse from 
the imperial library of Vienna, last sume 
mer; M. Denon having given assurances, 
that only such should be kept as were 
not to be found in the imperial library at 
Paris. big 
Aremarkably large parabolic lens was 
recently purchased at Vienna, for the 
French governmeut. It was made at 
Gratz, in Styria, by Rosping, a cele 
brated mechanist, for some alchemists. 
It was not cast, but softened by heat, and 
bent over a parabolic mould. Several 
pieces were broken before he succeeded; 
so thatit cost originally from 800 to 1208 
guineas. It is three feet three inches in 
diameter, and of eight feet four inches 
focus; composed of two pieces of glass 
united together by an iron hoop, so as te 
form a holiow vessel, capable of holding 
eighty or ninety quarts of spirit of wine. 
M. Jaceutn, of Vienna, and several 
men of science, who witnessed the expe~ 
riments, declare, that it burned a dias 
mond in a few seconds, and fused platina 
in a few minutes, A button of plas 
tina, weighing twenty-nine grains, was 
melted by it, and made in part to bail. 
The diameter of the focas does not 
appear to exceed four lines. Lt weighs 
550lbs. avoirdupoise, 
PRANCE. 
In the vestibule of the public library of 
Grenoble, have been placed the busts of 
the nine dauphins who reigned in Dau 
phiné. — 
Dr. Lours Vatentin, member of the 
Acadeniy and Medical Society of Mar. 
seilles 
