Se trouvant devant la boutique d’un marchand de livres.  Il appercut la belle edition Anglaise de Smith, donnee a Londres en 1776:  il ouvrit le livre au hazard. et tomba sur le premier chapitre, qui traite de la division du travail, et ou la fabrication des epingles est citee pour exemple.  A peine avait-il parcouru les premieres pages, que, par une espece d’inspiration. il concut l’expedient de mettre ses logarithmes en manufacture comme les epingles.  Il faisait en ce moment, a l’ecole polytechnique, des lecons sur une partie d’analyse liee a ce genre de travail, la methode des differences, et ses applications a l’interpolation.  Il alla passer quelques jours a la campagne. et revint a Paris avec le plan de fabrication. qui a ete suivi dans l’execution.  Il rassembla deux ateliers. qui faisai ent separement les memes calculs, et se servaient de verification reciproque.(2*)

244.  The ancient methods of computing tables were altogether inapplicable to such a proceeding.  M. Prony, therefore, wishing to avail himself of all the talent of his country in devising new methods, formed the first section of those who were to take part in this enterprise out of five or six of the most eminent mathematicians in France.

First section.  The duty of this first section was to investigate, amongst the various analytical expressions which could be found for the same function, that which was most readily adapted to simple numerical calculation by many individuals employed at the same time.  This section had little or nothing to do with the actual numerical work.  When its labours were concluded, the formulae on the use of which it had decided, were delivered to the second section.

Second section.  This section consisted of seven or eight persons of considerable acquaintance with mathematics:  and their duty was to convert into numbers the formulae put into their hands by the first section an operation of great labour; and then to deliver out these formulae to the members of the third section, and receive from them the finished calculations.  The members of this second section had certain means of verifying the calculations without the necessity of repeating, or even of examining, the whole of the work done by the third section.

Third section.  The members of this section, whose number varied from sixty to eighty, received certain numbers from the second section, and, using nothing more than simple addition and subtraction, they returned to that section the tables in a finished state.  It is remarkable that nine-tenths of this class had no knowledge of arithmetic beyond the two first rules which they were thus called upon to exercise, and that these persons were usually found more correct in their calculations, than those who possessed a more extensive knowledge of the subject.