1826.] of the Length of the Pendulum at th Equator* SSI" 



ward will commence in April, and the sooner the party arrive 

 here after January the better ; it is to be wished they should he 

 at their station in March, in which case, should the weather 

 prove unfavourable, and their object not to be otherwise accom- 

 plished, they will have the September change before them, and 

 the command of both seasons. 



'• We have a regular station at Nattal and Ayer Bonghey, 

 and also on Pulo Panjong, which lies directly off the latter, and 

 would seem to be on the Equator. Mount Ophir is stated by 

 Mr. Nairne to be five miles to the north of the Line ; but in the 

 maps it is as much to the south. ; 



*' I would recommend your sending a double establishment of 

 practical men, to supply casualties by sickness or otherwise 9 

 and I think your party should be as complete in every respect 

 as practicable. 



" They had better bring tents (light ones of course) ; and a 

 few pioneers with their axes would be found useful. 



"A watchmaker, carpenter, and brazier, can be furnished 

 from Bencoolen — that is to say, of the ordinary class. 

 ' ** I should be very happy to find, on the arrival of your assistant, 

 that we can mutually agree upon some general plan, which shall 

 include not only the experiments on the pendulum, but the 

 general geography of the island, to which my attention has long 

 been directed ; at all events, he will be under the necessity of 

 taking observations for laying down some positions with accuv 

 racy, and these will be so many points gained in geography. . : 



" The party should be most complete in instruments— ^the^ 

 must not rely on finding any, even the commonest, here." i' 



Another letter from Sir Stamford Raffles, of the 17th of Dec. 

 following, expresses the same warm interest respecting the pro-» 

 jected expedition, with the same promises of assistance. 



Immediately upon the receipt of the first of these letters, I 

 waited upon the Governor Sir Thomas Munro, and stated the 

 object I had in view, mentioning, at the same time, the promised 

 assistance, and the information I had obtained, from Sir Stam- 

 ford Raffles. As I had expected. Sir Thomas Munro was 

 pleased to enter most fully into the objects of the plan ; and I 

 immediately addressed a public letter to the government upon 

 the subject, of which the subjoined are extracts. 



" It is known to the Honourable the Governor in Councilj; 

 that some of the principal governments in Europe have lately 

 employed eminent scientific men in determining the length of 

 the pendulum, for estabhshing a standard- measure, and for 

 ascertaining the figure of the earth ; and in this interesting 

 inquiry, that Great Britain has stood in the foremost rank^ 

 sparing no expense that appeared in any the remotest degres 

 necessary, for obtaining the most accurate results. 

 •- *^ In a former communication, I had the honour to 4state^ thai 



