of the Pendulum made by Capt. Kater, M. Biot, S,-c. 169 

 of each arc. Thus Capt. Kater's experiments give on the 

 whole — ; while the extremes give — -, or a little more than 



3*3 3*1 



the preceding. Again, M. Biot's give for the whole — , and 

 for the extremities — - somewhat greater. Mr. Goldingham's 

 compared with Capt. Sabine's — , greater than the mean of 



Kater and Biot, but little more than Biot's extremes. Whence 

 we may infer that the compression derived from the leno-th of 

 the pendulum at distant latitudes, does not correspond with 

 that inferred from measurements made at intermediate points. 

 This, therefore, leads to the conclusion that the earth is not 

 regular either in its structure, or its figure, or in both. 



The compression, so far as these experiments can be depended 

 upon, appears to be less when derived from measures of the pen- 

 dulum taken at about the latitude of 45° N. than when deduced 

 from measures obtained at higher and lower latitudes combined. 

 This is the more remarkable, as from the measurement of arcs 

 the contrary takes place, namely, that by the comparison of arcs 

 not far distant from 45° N., the compression is greater than 

 when those at high and low latitudes are compared. It is 

 shown by Delambre that the compression for the arc passino- 

 through France, and nearly bisected by the parallel of 45°, is 



— g, about double of that derived from the pendulum ; while 



the comparison of distant arcs, as those of Col. Lambton and 

 Mr. Swanberg, from which the Colonel finds a compression 



of -— , not differing much from that derived from the pendu- 

 lum in latitudes considerably distant. 



It is hence evident, that no mean result will correspond to 

 all places on the earth's surface ; and as such curious anomalies, 

 which, so far as we know, are noticed here for the first time, 

 occur in the determination of the value of the same quantity 

 when these different methods are employed, no one quadrantal 

 arc of the meridian, it is probable, will correspond exactly 

 with another, and the metre, the ten millionth part of this arc, 

 which the French have adopted as their standard unit of 

 measures, has no advantage over any other conventional stand- 

 ard well ascertained. 



It is also (juite clear that we can only arrive at the true 

 figure and structure; of this globe from the measurements of 

 many arcs in almost all latitudes and longitudes practicable, 

 accompanied with corresponding experiments on the length 

 of the pendulum. The number of operations of this kind is 



Vol. 64. No. 317. Sept. 1824. Y constantly 



