The next object of Delambre's report, is Geography and Travels. On this he is very short, and only runs over some of the principal occurrences. The taste,' he says, to which the successful and brilliant voyages of Bougainville and Cooke had given rise, was not weakened by the disastrous, though not useless, expeditions of Peyrouse and Entrecasteaux. Deputies from the African Society in England, penetrated into countries entirely unknown. Horneman met with the most distinguished reception from the conqueror of Egypt; Mungo Park braved the greatest dangers; and Flinders exposed himself to the most dreadful risks, in order to explore Van Dieman's land, and the coast of New Holland. The ambassadors of the English penetrated into Thibet, into the kingdom of Ava, and into China. Vancouver described the coast he was appointed to survey, with a care and exactness proper to serve as a model for all those who have similar duties to discharge.'

We cannot help remarking, on reading the name of Flinders, that the fate of that skilful and intrepid navigator, at this moment, we believe, languishing in confinement in the Isle of Bourbon, does great discredit to the government of France. Accident put him in the power of France. A voyager, engaged in the cause of science, had a right every where to look for friends. Flinders was treated as an enemy. His release, however, was at length agreed to; and orders to that effect sent out to the gover, nor of the Isle of Bourbon: but hitherto, if we are rightly informed, these orders have not been complied with.

The report goes on to mention what the French did in Egypt; the voyages of Marchaud, Baudin, &c.

Lastly,' (says Delambre), to terminate this sketch with an expedition which contains in it every kind of merit, Humboldt has executed, at his own expense, an enterprize that would have done honour to a nation. Accompanied only by his friend Bonpland, he has plunged into the American wilderness; he has brought back with him 6000 plants, with their descriptions; has determined the position of 200 points, by astronomical observation; has ascended to the top, and has measured the height of Chimboracco. He has created the geography of Plants; assigned the limits of vegetation and of eternal snow; observed the phenomena of the magnetic needle and of electric fish; and has presented the lovers of antiquity with much valuable information concerning the Mexicans, their language, their history, and monuments.'

A sketch of these curious travels is given in one of the notes, at the end of the report, but would lead us into too long a digression.

Delambre then concludes his report with a new address to the Emperor. The Institute had it in command, it seems, not

only

only to report on the actual state of the sciences, but to suggest the measures that would promote their further advancement. In this part of his task, Delambre has acquitted himself well, and with considerable address.

Votre Majesté daigne interroger l'Institut sur les moyens d'assurer les progrés ultérieurs; les progrés des mathematiques ne sont nullement douteux, l'instruction première trouve des sources abondantes dans tous les lycées; l'ecole polytechnique est une pépiniere de sujets distingués pour tous les genres de service public.-La loi bienfaisante qui a régeneré l'instruction, promettait une ecole speciale aux mathematiques; cette ecole existait. La Geometrie et l'Algébre, l'Astronomie et la Physique sont professées au College Imperial de France. Un cours d'analyse transcendante y completterait l'enseignement des sciences exactes. Une operation importante avait été commencée pour donner à la France une perpendiculaire digne de sa meridienne.Mais nous ne formons point de vœu; nous attendons avec une confiance respectueuse, ce qu'il plaira à votre Majesté d'ordonner en faveur d'une science dont elle eut elle-même reculé les limites, si des plus hautes destinées ne l'eussent appelée à les protéger toutes egalement, pour les faire concourir à la splendeur et aux merveilles de son régne.

A school for instruction in the higher mathematics, and a perpendicular to the meridian of Paris, to be extended across the kingdom with the same accuracy as the meridian itself has been, are the very moderate and disinterested requests of the secretary of the Institute, and the things which he conceives to be most essential for promoting the interest of mathematical science. The respectful manner in which this suggestion is made, and the compliment with which it is accompanied, to some will perhaps appear to savour more of the courtier than the man of science. We are not, however, of this opinion. Respect is what talent and power of a certain eminence must always command; and that a man of the ability of Napoleon, who had early shown a fondness for science, might have enlarged the bounds of it by discoveries of his own, if his situation had permitted, is a natural and fair conclusion.

The report that follows next, is that of Cuvier, on the subject of what we call general physics-Les Sciences Physiques. It begins with the theory of crystallisation as given by Hay, which has originated and been brought to its conclusion, as Cuvier remarks, during the period to which these reports are confined. It is indeed true, that the theory, in the view Haüy takes of it, is completed; but that the real theory of crystals is understood till we know the law of the force, whether polarity, or simple attraction, by which the regular structure of these bodies is brought about, we can by no means admit. The cause that arranges the molecules, that determines the rate of the decrease of the different

plates

plates of which the crystal is composed,-this is still confessedly unknown; it is perhaps without our reach; and if so, we must consider this branch of knowledge as destined to remain for ever imperfect. At the same time, we believe it true, that the prinsiple of Haüy does not admit of being carried much beyond what it has been. We admit, too, that in the state to which it is now brought, it furnishes an excellent principle for the arrangement of mineral substances.

Within the period we now treat of, the theory of chemical affinities has undergone an entire revolution in the hands of Berthollet, who denies the existence of elective attractions and absolute decomposition. He has undertaken to prove, that in all the compositions and decompositions made by what is called elective attraction, there takes place a division of the substance combined between two other substances that act upon it with opposite forces; and that the proportion in which this division is made, is determined, not only by the absolute energy with which these substances act, but also by their quantity.'

It cannot be denied, that, in this way, chemical forces are represented as being more of the nature of those mechanical forces with which we are best acquainted, than in any other. Their nature, therefore, becomes less paradoxical. At the same time, chemists do not seem perfectly agreed as to the solidity of this new theory, and its conformity to the phenomena of their own science. We certainly do not consider ourselves as qualified to decide this quesion.

In treating of the recent discoveries concerning Heat, Cuvier begins with remarking, that they constitute a body of science, of which the philosophers and chemists of the first half of the eighteenth century had not the most distant conception.

The discoveries of Black in Scotland, and Wilke in Sweden, led the way to this revolution, by showing, not only that a body absorbs a great quantity of heat when it becomes fluid, and also when it passes into vapour, which it restores when it returns to its primitive condition, but also that unequal quantities of heat are required to in<rease the temperature of different bodies by the same number of degrees. These truths have led to a great number of others, the influence of which on the sciences, on the arts, and even the affairs of common life, is wholly incalculable. '

To these discoveries, if we add those of another kind, in which the same chemists had their share, the production of fixt air in the burning of charcoal by Mr Cavendish, and of water in the burning of inflammable air by the same philosopher and by Monge, and also the augmentation of the weight of metals by their calcination, and the absorption of air at the same time, (which list had been observed by Mr Bayle), we have the constituent parts of the new chemistry. VOL. XY. NO. 29,

The

The happiness of uniting all these scattered rays of knowledge into one pencil, is what conftitutes the glory of Lavoifier. Till he appeared, the particular phenomena of chemistry might be compared to a kind of labyrinth, of which the deep and winding paths had been trode by feveral laborious travellers: but their points of union, their relation to one another and to the fyftem, could not be perceived but by the genius which was able to rife above the edifice, and, with an eagle's eye, to catch the plan of the whole. Perhaps fome will allege, that there is more fplendour than folidity in the opinion which referves it for the discovery of facts, and withholds all praise from that of their relations. Yet we believe that, on the whole, this is a fair statement of the merit of Lavoisier. As to what relates to Dr Black, we hope that we are not influenced by national partiality, when we fay that Cuvier, not intentionally, (for we think both his report and Delambre's remarkable for their fairness) has mentioned too flightly the difcoveries of our illuftrious countryman. His experiments on magnesia were the first that proved the exiftence of an aeriform fluid becoming fixed in a solid body, and forming an integrant part of it, so considerable as two fifths of the whole. This was the first step to the creation of pneumatic chemistry.

The new nomenclature of chemistry, and the introduction of a perfectly regular and philofophic language, are next mentioned, as having materially contributed to the advancement of this fcience. From all thefe caufes proceed the great things it has accomplished; almost all the fubftances in nature have been examined; all the imaginable combinations of them exhausted; the number of the metals carried to 28, and of the earths to 9. New acids have been difcovered, or have been formed, &c. The names of Berthollet, Fourcroy, Vauquelin, Chaptal, Guyton, Deyeux, Thenard, among the French; of Klaproth, Kirwan, Davy, Tennant and Wollafton among foreigners, have been rendered immortal.

Speaking of the Galvanic electricity, he observes, that it opens a view into new regions, of which no one can venture to calculate the extent. The most powerful, perhaps, of all the agents which nature employs in her operations on the surface of the earth, has remained unknown till the present time. We have but just become acquainted with it. The simple juxta-position, not only of two metals, but of two different bodies, whatever they be, alters the equilibrium of the electric virtue; and this alteration can produce the most violent motions in the animal economy. It separates the substances that are the most closely united. At this moment it seems about to reveal to us the composition of those alkalis, which the most profound chemistry had hitherto

hitherto regarded as simple bodies. The names of Galvani and Volta, who discovered this mysterious power; of Ritter, Nicholson, and above all of Davy, who have recognised and found out its chemical action, will occupy a large space in the report we are to make of this new and interesting portion of physical science." Such is the rapidity, we must observe, with which this part of science is advancing, that Mr Davy has actually accomplished the decomposition of soda and potass, since the time when this report was drawn up; and has found those alkalis to be no other than oxyds of metallic bodies, hitherto unknown. He has, indeed, found electricity to exercise an absolute command over the most powerful, and, as we supposed, the most simple and independent of chemical agents. These discoveries have procured him the prize offered by the National Institute.

Among the chemical discoveries of the present time, we have been somewhat surprised to find no mention made of that of Sir James Hall, concerning the power of compression to modify the effects of heat. By subjecting limestone to great compression, while heated, the carbonic acid was prevented from escaping; quicklime was not formed, and the mass was reduced into fusion. This is to be considered as a valuable discovery in chemistry, independently of all the applications of it that may be made to another science. The imperfect communication that takes place between the scientific world of France and England, is probably the cause of this omission.

Mineralogy now approaches in rigour to the exact sciences; thanks to the chrystallographic researches of M. Hauy, to the chemical analyses of Klaproth and Vauquelin, and to the description of the external characters and the position of minerals by Werner and his school.The description of the relative position of minerals, has now become the object of a real, ence, and replaces those illusory conjectures which have been called by the name of Geology.'

We must observe with respect to this passage, that we entirely agree with what is said on the obligation mineralogy has to Hauy, and Werner, and the two chemists mentioned above; to which chemists several others from this country might easily be added. The Chrystallography of Haly furnishes us with a principle of arrangement that is perfect so far as it extends, and one that defines accurately those species into which minerals are di vided. This cannot be said of any other system of classification;" not even of Werner's.

As to what concerns Geology, if that science is supposed to treat of the origin of things, or to go back to a period when the composition of the bodies which we call minerals was different, from what it is at present, we perfectly agree in thinking that the whole is a most unphilosophical illusion, because maxims. founded

B 2