Ch. III. SOUTH AMERICA. 241 



more than the Indians were able to perform, as 

 they carried the fieid-ien s, baggage, and instruments, 

 they were obliged to stop halt" way ; so that those on 

 the top were under a necessity of passing the night 

 there without any shelter ; and a hard frost coming- 

 on, they were ahuost perished with cold'; for they^ 

 were so greatly affected by itj that they had no use of 

 their limbs till they returned to a warmer air. Af- 

 ter all these hardships, the gentlemen could not finish 

 their observations, some of the signals being wanting, 

 having either been blown down by the winds, or 

 carried away by the Indian herdsmen : 'so that, during 

 the interval while persons were employed in erecting 

 others^ they returiied to Quito, and applied them- 

 selves to examine the divisions of the quadrants. 

 These operations, being very tedious, employed them 

 till the month of December, when, all t}>e- signals 

 which were wanting being replaced, they again, on 

 the 20th of December, repaired to their post at Tan- 

 lagua; and on the Q-jih Hnished the observations ne- 

 cessary to be made at that station. 



V. Signal on the mountain of Guapulo. 



The signal of Guapulo being erected on a moun- 

 tain of no great height, and in the neighbourhood of 

 Quito, their residence was not necessary ; for, by set*- 

 ting out from the city at day-break, they could reach 

 the field-tent, where the instruments were left, early in 

 the morning. These journeys repeated every day, 

 and though every moment of time was improved to 

 the greatest advantage, it was the 24th of January 

 1738 before they finished the observations, with that 

 accurate precision so conspicuousia^lltheiroperiitions. 



VI. Signal en the Cordillera anddesert of Gaamanl. 



They were obliged to make two journeys to the 



mountain of Guamani, the signal having leen first 



Vol. I. R m"s- 



