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methods contrived for its adjuftmcnt and ufe, have enabled 

 cnterprifing and perfevering men to afcertain fads with refped 

 to the heights of mountains, which, though very material to the 

 perfeding of geography and many other defirable objeds in 

 natural philofophy, would otherwife in all probability have long 

 eluded our refearches, from the infupportable difficulty and fatigue 

 that obftrud all attempts at geometrical meafurements of this 

 kind ; but the inftruments and tables are fufficiently accurate and 

 complete to enable the mechanical and expert, who will not be 

 debarred by a little neceflary labour of previous adjuftment 

 and concommitant attention, from applying both in their prefent 

 forms to attain their end. Yet even thefe require fome con- 

 fiderable objed to reward their pains, and there are, befides, 

 very many to whom a general fedion of the cotintry they live in, 

 and even the particular altitudes of their own grounds, would be 

 both ufeful and defirable; who, neverthelefs, are debarred from 

 the enquiry by an apprehenfion that a good deal of nice and 

 delicate adjuflment is an almoft infurmbuntablc difficulty in 

 unpradifed hands, and that where fo much is required of previous 

 ftudy and knowledge, the refults are fo liable to uncertainty as 

 not to be perhaps worth the labour of the inveftigation ; admitting 

 then that in the hands of a De Luc or a Sauffure the accuracy 

 and precifion of the adjuftments of a Ramfden will be done 

 ample juflice to, yet flill, as we hive not every where fuch hands, 

 fuch inftruments, or fuch objeds as Mountblanc to employ them 

 on, it can';ot furely be denied that it may be very defirable, even cis 

 a philofophical amufement, to put within every perfon's reach the 

 bufinefs of making an accurate fedion of a whole county, 

 province or kingdom, whofe greateft elevations do not exceed 



two 



