296 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



here they had the good fortune to fall in with Fidalgo, at the 

 head of a commission for the survey of the coast, with whom 

 tjiey were enabled to compare observations, and effect the regu- 

 lation of their instruments. ' We found a remarkable and con- 

 stant agreement in the observations for longitude, and noticed 

 that since 1798 the deviation of the magnetic needle upon 

 these coasts has been as great to the west as it has been in 

 Europe to the east/ 



