164 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FEANCIS ARAGO. 



pected, as I have before said, some new instruiDents, we went on to 

 Formeutera, tlie soutliern extremity of our arc, of which place we deter- 

 mined the latitude. M. Biot quitted me afterward to return to Paris, 

 while I made the geodesical junction of the island of Majorca to Iviza, 

 and to Formentera, obtaining thus, by means of one single triangle, the 

 measure of an arc of parallel of one degree and a half. 



I then went to Majorca, to measure there the latitude and the azimuth. 

 At this epoch, the i>olitical fermentation, engendered by the entrance of 

 the French into Spain, began to invade the whole Peninsula and the 

 islands dependent on it. This ferment had as yet in Majorca only 

 reached to the ministers, the partisans, and the relations of the Prince 

 of Peace. Each evening I saw, drawn in triumph in the square of 

 Palma, the capital of the island of Majorca, on carriages, the effigies in 

 flames, sometimes of the minister SoUer, another time those of the 

 bishop, and even those of private individuals supposed to be attached to 

 the fortunes of the favorite Godoi. I was far from suspecting then that 

 my turn would soon arrive. 



My station at Majorca, the Clop <le Galazo^ a very high mountain, 

 was situated exactly over the port where Don Jayme el Conquistator dis- 

 embarked when he went to deliver the Balearic Islands from the Moors. 

 The report spread itself through the population that I had established 

 myself there in order to favor the arrival of the French army, and that 

 every evening I made signals to it. But these reports had nothing 

 menacing until the moment of the arrival at Palma, the 27th of May, 

 1808, of an ordnance officer from jSTapoleon. This officer was M. Ber- 

 themie ; he carried to the Spanish squadron, at Mahon, the order to go 

 in all haste to Toulon. A general rising, which i)laced the life of this 

 officer in danger, followed the news of his mission. The Captain Gen- 

 eral Vives only saved his life by shutting him up in the strong castle 

 of Belver. They then bethought themselves of the Frenchman estab- 

 lished on the Clop de Galaso, and formed a popular expedition to go and 

 seize him. 



M. Damian, the owner of a small kind of vessel called a mistic, which 

 the Spanish government had placed at my disposal, Avas beforehand 

 with them, and brought me a costume by means of which I disguised 

 myself. In directing myself towaid Palma, in comj^any with this 

 l)rave seannin, we met with the rioters, who were going in search of me. 

 Tliey did not recognize me, for I spoke Majorcan i)erfectly. 1 strongly 

 encouraged the men of this detachment to continue their route, and I 

 pursued my way toward Palma. At night 1 went on board the mistic, 

 commanded by Don Manuel de Yacaro, whom the Spanish government 

 had placed under my orders. I asked this officer if he would conduct 

 me to Barcelona, occupied by the French, promising him that, if they 

 made any attempt to keep him there, I would at once return and sur- 

 render myself a prisoner. 



Don Manuel, who up to this time had shown extreme obsequiousness 



