BOUGUER*S VOYAGE TO PERU. 



271 



have prefented itfelf in our way, we could not fall to propofe to ourfelves a variety of 

 verifications on different fubjeds ; to labour at a defcription, and to correct the maps of 

 the countries through which we had to pafs ; to make obfervations on the loadftone, 

 examine the weight of the air, its degrees of condenfation, elafticity, refraftion, and 

 many other things, as occafion fhould offer. Nor even, perhaps, would all thefe ne- 

 ceffaries, duly confidered, and taken in the aggregate, be eftimated of lefs importance, 

 than what we regarded as the principal objeft of our mifFion. The projeft of the 

 voyage of the academicians to the polar circle was fubfequent to ours j it has been a 

 much fhorter one, and the public has already happily reaped the fruits of it ; at leaft 

 to the extent poffible from the nature of the thing, until they fhall form to themfelves 

 a common refult, the lafl object of every voyage undertaken. With regard to ourfelves, 

 whofe deftination was to the fouth, and to encounter difficulties not to be imagined, we 

 had to make our way to the equator ; and it was clear enough we had no bufmefs be- 

 yond it, fince the degree of the meridian could undergo but little change on the other 

 fide ; and if we had proceeded far enough, we fhould have found them equal to thofe 

 of France. It cannot be doubted that there is fome fort of conformity between the two 

 hemifpheres of the north and fouth : if the degrees enlarge on one fide, they mufl, of 

 confequence, do the fame on the other, even when not exadly fubjeft to the fame law. 

 It behoved us, then, to be ftationed at the equator, to determine, as this was neceffary, 

 the inequality, whether in excefs, or lack, when at the greatefl. M. Le Comte de 

 Maurepas, whofe love for the fciences urged him to every thing that might contribute 

 to their advancement, loll fight of none of the advantages to be derived from our voy- 

 age, that could reconcile himfelf to the undertaking ; he fmoothed all our difficulties ; 

 indeed, we have felt at the extremities of the globe, that we had been travelling under 

 his aufpices. We were three, M. Godin, M. de la Condamine, and myfelf, all acade- 

 micians, not reckoning M. de Julfieu, regent dodor of the faculty of medicine at Paris, 

 brother of the two academicians of the fame name, who joined us after our departure. 

 This gentleman's employment was to attend, as he did with exemplary care, to the na- 

 tural hiftory of the countries through which we travelled j and in this he was to be 

 affifted by M. Senergues, furgeon, who, it was conceived, might alfo fometimes render 

 much alfiftance to us. We had need of the aid of many perfons, to draw, to examine 

 the calculations, or to explore the country with us : for which purpofes, they appointed 

 M. Verguin, engineer of the marines, and MefTrs. Couplet, Defodonnais, de Morainville, 

 and Hugot, the laft a clock-maker, who was to have the charge and care of our in- 

 flruments. 



M. Godin had more pretenfions than one to be placed at the head of our company ; 

 befide being my elder in years, he alfo had the merit of propofing the voyage. For my 

 own part, I had no intention of having any thing to do with the enterprize, when every 

 thing being prepared and the period for its departure approaching, feveral of the ma- 

 thematicians or aftronomers on whom much reliance were placed, found themfelves in 

 a fituation, from perhaps their private affairs attaching them to Paris, or other caufes,, 

 to be unable to give efficacy to their zeal, which determined me to conquer the repug- 

 nance which the weak flate of my health had always given me to fea-voyages. In the 

 meantime, though our abfence, from many particular incidents to which I was not the 

 leaft acceffory, became very long and tedious, I fhall not, I am fure, repent of having 

 rafhly come to the refolution I did, if I have the gratification of knowing that my indi- 

 vidual efforts have been of public utility. 



It muft be remembered, we were not limited to meafure the extent of a fingle degree 

 of the meridian 5 the arch we afcertained contained more than three j fo that our 



labour 



