In confequence o f thefe expeditions, perhaps no country
> can boaft within the fpace of fo few years fuch a number of
excellent publications on its internal ftate, on its natural productions,
on its topography, geography, and hiftory ; on the
manners, cuftoms, and languages o f the different people as
have iilued from the prefs o f the academy o f fciences ; fo
that we may fairly aflent to the truth o f the remark made
by an anonymous author upon this fubjeit : “ Tous ces
“ différens objets ont été fuperieurement remplis par nos il-
“ luftres favans, 8c l’on n’a pas eu tort d’avancer que jamais
“ l’hittoire naturelle n’a obtenu tout d’un coup un pareil ac-
“ croiffement de-richeflès, fruits ineftimables du labeur de
“ ces hommes vraiment utiles ; 8c leurs relations font deve-
“ nues un monument à jamais durable dé leur zélé de leurs
“ rares talens,'et de leur infatigable activité * !”
The moft remarkable o f thefe diflinguilhed travellers
are Pallas, Gmelin, Guldenftaedt iy Georgi, and Lepekin.
T h e firit tranfaétions o f this fociety were publiihed in
172 8 , and entitled, Commentarii Academia Scientiarum Im-
perialis Petropolitana ad An. 1726 , with a Dedication to
Peter II. The publication was continued tinder this form
until the year 174 7 , when its tranfaétions were called Novi %
Commentarii Academia, 8cc. In 17 7 7 the academy again
changed the title into ASia Academia Scientiarum Imperialis
Petropolitana, and likewife made fome alteration in the ar-
* 44 A l l thefe different obje&s have been f T h e reader w ill find an a c cou n t of"
44 ac complifhed in th e beft manner b y ou r P a lla s , G m e lin , and G uldenftaed t in the
“ illuftrious philofophers ; and it ,m a y b e . n e x t ch apter.
44 advanced with t ru th , that na tu ra l hiftory % “ H u n e au tem e t fequentes tomos ISTo-
44 never, in fo ih or t a time, acquired an 44 vorum Commenta riorum nomfne ideo ve-
44 equ a l increafe o f T ich es , ineftimable fru its 44 nire quia academia nunc novis leg ibu s in-
44 o f the labour o f thofe t ru ly u fe fu l men ; 44 ftru& a eft, e t claffes h ic a lite r , ac in prae-
14 and th e ir a c coun ts ha ve become an ever- 44 cedentibu s tomis fieri fo leb a t, difpolitæ
44 lafting monument o f th eir z e a l, o f th e ir 44 in v en iun tu r .” N o v . C om . v o l. I . p . 4.
44 rare ta len ts , and ind efatigable a f t iv i t y .” In this fame volume the ftatutes fo r the
R if t , des D e c o u v . p a r . divers favans V o y a - regu la tion o f th e fo c ie ty , under its new in-
g eu r s , & c . Introd uétion . ftitu tion s , are inferted, p . 9— 33.
rangement
rangement and plan o f the work. The papers, which had chap.
been hitherto publiihed in the Latin tongue, are now written • / ’ .
either in that language or French ; and a preface is added,
ftyled Partie Hijlor'tque, which contains an account o f its
proceedings, meetings, admiffion o f new members, and other
remarkable occurrences *. Of the Commentaries fourteen
volumes were publiihed ; the firft o f the New Commentaries
made its appearance in 1750 '; and the 20th in
1 7 7 6 . Under the new title o f A&a Academiæ, feven volumes
have been given to the publick ; and two are to be
printed every year. Thefe tranfactions abound with ingenious
and elaborate difquifitions upon various parts o f fciencé
and natural hiftory, and which refleét the greateft honour
upon their authors j and it may not be an exaggeration to
affert, that no fociety in Europe has more diftinguiihed itfelf
for the excellence o f its publications, and particularly in the
more abftrufe parts o f the pure and mixed mathematicks.
The academy is ftill compofed, as at firft, o f fifteen pro-
feifors, befide the prefident and director. Each o f thefe pro-
feffors hasahoufe and an annualftipend from¿20 0 to^600.
Befide the profeifors, there are four adj units, who are pen-
fioned, and who are prefent at the fittings o f the fociety,
and fucceed to the firft vacancies.
When I was at Peterfburgh this academy was compofed
of the following members : Prefident +, Count Cyril Gre-
grorievitch Rofomouiki. Direitor, Serge Domalhnef.
x. Leonhard Euler j;, profelfor o f mathematicks, admitted
■ k 'iâ i p - X- bars- T h e p lan has been approved b y the
n o t c o n f i é 1' T n Î nCe ° f M a« demy fs fm p re fs , w h o has already given a fund fo r
T h a t 1 Î .° puncefs D A ih k o f . it s fu p p o r t and eftabliftiment.
fon td a tloh no f aP(-nnCel5r hao ,ProP ofed th e * g rea t ph ilo fop h e r died o f an
m e F rm co iie ' It 7 t0 ap op le xy on the x8ch: o f S ep tember, 178 3. -
m e i;a i:ço ,/c ; it is to conflit o f f ix t y mem -
R 2 172 7 .,