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Re: French Lunar story
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2013 Jan 12, 23:08 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2013 Jan 12, 23:08 -0500
Frank, Thanks for your informative and interesting message and references. > just in case you've forgotten about this source, if you dig through > your files, you may recall that I provided you with a pdf copy of > Fr. Marguet's history No, I have not forgotten. I read this, and I printed a paper copy which I still possess. But I want to know more about Lunars:-) I want Conaissance des temps online, details about intrruments used, etc. Many volumes are written on the "history of longitude" in English, which describe only English contribution. I want to know what's available on the French side. > For a few years, this was not > available online. Apparently, whoever maintains that web site may have > decided they did not need to worry about copyright. Copyright (in the modern sense) did not exist in XVIII and XIX century. Whatever "right" existed expired long ago. Current US copyright laws are the result of lobbying of the Disney Corporation. In general I am a law abiding citizen. But I think that current copyright laws are outrageous. But back to the subject: I know (and understand) that the French navy was destroyed by the Revolution, (and probably never recovered). Like the Russian navy was destroyed by another revolution in the beginning of the XX century, and recovered only in 1960-s. But in XVIII century, I expect that they (the French) had an advanced science, including everything related to navigation, and I am interested in the sources and/or historical accounts. And again, I have never heard of any Dutch and Spanish contribution to the problem of longitude. Perhaps they made no, or neglgible contribution. Which is strange, is not it? Alex.