Miafurlng a Degree of the Merit/} an hi LaplanJ. I9I 



" In regard to tiic degree of iongitiide, they have found 

 four proper ftalions on each fide of the hafc, but it has uot 

 been poHible to extend it further. Wc fliall therefore have 

 but a deiircc at nioft, which in this latitude makes no more 

 than about five or fix French leagues. 



'*' M. Ofverl)om has made frtiillefs attempts to find the in- 

 tennediatc (lations which divided into two parts fome tri- 

 angles a Httle too obUque, and which are exaftly the fame 

 as thofe pointed out in vour letter. I fuppofe that the aftro- 

 nomers of 1736 did every thing in their power to have their 

 triangles as convenient as ponii)le. Like M. Ofverbom,the\' 

 muft have found infurmountabie obftaelcs in the mountains 

 and forefts. 



"If 110 unexpected incident retards their jnurnev, Mefl'rs. 

 Svanbei-g and Ofvcrboni expect to fet out for Lapland to- 

 wards the middle of January next. By thefc means thev mav 

 employ the months of February, March, April, and even part 

 ot May, in mealuring the bafc on the river Tornea, fince the 

 ice fcldom thaws in that country before the end of May.*' 



From the conclufion of this letter it is to be prefVimed 

 that the Swcdifli altronomers are now on their way to Lap- 

 land. To form a jull idea of the zeal and courage \vhich 

 their enterprife requires, no'J.iing is nccellarv but to read the 

 work puljlidicd in 1738 by Maupertuis under the title of 

 Figure dc la Terre determine e par les Ohfervations Jaites au 

 CircU- Polaire; and particularly page 51, where an account 

 is given of the mcafurement of the bafe, begun on the 2ifl: of 

 December 1736, and finilhed the 27th of the fame month. 

 It is here fcen that MellVs. Svanberg and Ofverbom propofe 

 to devoic a much more confiderable time to this operation, 

 in order that no doubt may remain refjieeling the corrcftnefs 

 of it. The angles which they mean to obferve at the two 

 extremities of their bafe, between fignals placed in the very 

 fame points as thofe of 1736, will perhaps enable them lo 

 find more exaoflv the northern term of the old bafe. At all 

 events, what ought to leflen the regret of M, Melanderhielm, 

 as well as ours, is, that the triangle on this bafe was fituated in 

 the manner moil fivourable for making the diCiancc between 

 Avalka and the ibuthern term independent of the fmall 

 errors luiavoidablc in the mcafurement of angles. The cafe 

 is nearly the fame with the i'ccond triangle; fo that the 

 dirtancc between Avalka and Cuituper may, like that of 

 Avaflca from the fouthern term, give rclults as certain and 

 as coiielufive as the dirci.t compurilon (jf the bales of 1756 

 and J. So I, 



AMI- 



