2l6 



ASTRONOMICAL and 



" On the aftroncmical I5tli of Augufl; wer; uksn equal altitudes of the 

 ftar T Pe.afi the eaftern obiervatory* being made preciiely on the vertical 

 arc correfponding to the line, and the fecond to the weftward being com- 

 pleted, and the circle with its tclcfcope reverfed, the axis of the inltrument 

 was found to make an anjle to the fonth of 3o" with the lantern placed 

 carefully in the diredion ot tlie line, and confequently tlie direction of the 

 line at the obfervatory is i o" to the north of eaft. 1 he diftance of the ob- 

 ferVutcry from the point B is 3430 French feet,f therefore by calculation 

 the line pafling through the obfervatory makes an angle of 2 i " 41 '" nor- 

 therly with due eaft : But by cbfervation this angle is only 10', hence it 

 would appear that the line inclines too much to the fouth by the quantity 

 of 1 1" 41'", which in running ico miles would caufe s deviation of nearly 

 28 French feet. So fmall a ditfercnce between die two fets of obfervations 

 may well arife from the imperfecTion of inftruments, combined with the un- 

 avoidable errors of obfervation. 



" The line being extended to the margin of the MitliCGppi on tlie 17th of 

 Auguft, the meaiuremcnt from the point D was found to be 2 miles and 

 180 perches Englilh meamre, or 21 11.42 French toil'es. At the diftance 

 of I and 2 miljs at the points x andy, were erected fquare polls funounded 

 by mounds cf earth, and at the diftance of 88 French feet from the 

 margin of the river, and in the parallel of latitude was erected a iquare 

 poft 10 feet high furrounded by a mound of eight feet in hiight. On this 

 poft is inlcribed on die fouth fide a crown with the letter R underneath ; 

 on the north V. S. and the weft fronting die river, Agofto i 8th, 1 798. Lat. 

 31° N. In erefting the mile pofts, due regard was paid to the quantity 

 of the offsets to tJie north of the tangent, and are by calculation as 

 follows, 



On Monday the 2oth of Auguft, the aftronomer for 

 His Catholic Majefty returned with his party to camp at 

 Bayou Sara. 



On 



* The point B. 



f Mr. Dunbar's obfervatory, was a fliort diftance eaft of the point D, 



•wliich is a; the fool of a ftcep hill. 



