Ch. I. SOUTH AMERICA, 113 



employed our time to the beft advantage, making ie- 

 veral obfervations, particularly on the latitude and the 

 pendulum ; but the proximity of Jupiter at that time 

 to the Sun hindered us from íettüng the longitude. 

 Í alfo employed myfelf in taking a plan of the place, 

 with all its fortifications, and adjacent coait. At 

 length, all things .being in readinefs, we embarked 

 witliout any farther lots of time. 



CHAP. II. 



Dcfcription of the City of Panama, 



ANAMA is built on an ifthmus of the fame 

 name, the coaft of which is vvafhed by the South 

 Sea. From the obfervations we made here, we found 

 the latitude of this city to be 8° 57' \V \ north. With 

 regard to its longitude, there are various opinions ; 

 none of the afironomers having been able, from ob- 

 fervations made on the fpot, to afcertain it ; fo that it 

 is fiill doubtful whether it lies on the eaft or weft fide 

 of the meridian of Porto Bello. The French geo- 

 graphers will have it to lie on the eafl: fide, and ac- 

 cordingly have placed it fo in their maps; but, in 

 thole of the Spaniards, it is on the weft: and I con- 

 ceive the latter, Uo\Vi their frequent journies from one 

 place to the other, may be concluded to have a more 

 intimate knowledge of their' refpedlive fituations; 

 vvherea? the former, being flrangers in á great mea- 

 furc to thole places, have not the opportunity of 

 making fo frequent obfervations. I allow indeed, 

 that, amon<r the Sp:uiiards who make this little 

 journey, the number is very Imall of thofe, who have 

 cither capacity or inclination for forming a well- 

 grounded judgment of the road they travel ; but there 

 have been alfo many expert pilots, and other perfons 



¥ci. Í. 1 of 



