MEASURE OP A DEGREE ON THE COROMANDEL COAST. QQg 



flammable bodies; from which will result the following 

 classes of compounds, first, all those formed by the union of 

 inflammable bases, and secondly, the simple and compound 

 oxides. The simple oxides will include all oxides, properly 

 so called, the acids, the alkalis, and the earths; under the 

 compound oxides will be comprised the various genera of 

 neutral salts* 



1 am, Sir, 

 Your most obedient humble Servant, 



CHARLES SYLVESTER. 



A spontaneous explosion of the alkaline base, mentioned 

 by your Correspondent, page 146 of the present volume, oc- 

 curred to us; the effect of which fractured the glass tube in 

 which the experiment was made. 



Erratum. Vol. XIX, page 157, line 7, fir " cock/' read, 

 " cork/' 



XIII. 



An Account of the Measurement of an Arc on the Meridian 

 on the Coast of Coromandel, and the Length of a Degree 

 deduced therefrom in the Latitude 12° 32'. By Brigade 

 Major William Lambton *. 



I 



N a former paper which I had the honour to communicate pi an f or mea - 

 to the Asiatic Society, I gave a short sketch of an intended suring an arc 

 plan for establishing a series of connecting points com- 

 mencing from the Coromandel Coast, and extending across 

 the Peninsula ; but that paper was only meant to convey a 

 general idea of the principles on which the work was to be 

 conducted ; a more circumstantial and scientific account, it 

 was thought, would be more to the purpose, when I had the 

 means of putting the plan in execution, and detailing the 

 particulars. Since that time I have received a most com- 

 plete apparatus, which has enabled me to proceed on the 



* Abridged from the Asiatic Researches, vol. VIII. 



•cale 



