272 BOUGUER S VOYAGE TO PERU. 



labour in this fmgle place has been three times longer, and more painful, than that 

 experienced in Lapland, which has received fuch well-earned applaufe. On the other 

 hand, if we have had to overcome many difficulties, it is certain many of them were 

 infeparable from fuch undertakings; when it was neceffary to crofs the ocean to a 

 country fo diftant, as to render all communication with Europe exceedingly difficult, 

 and when the fuccefs of the miffion depended on fuch a number of circumftances, and 

 the concurrence of fo many perfons ; the moral difficulties are then multiplied, and 

 unite themfelves with local and phyfical ones. The firft have been greater than can be 

 defcribed, and the extent of the latter may be conceived when you are informed, that 

 the vaft height of the mountains, which in Europe has commonly contributed to acce- 

 lerate thefe operations, were to us the greatell hindrance ; either from the circumftance 

 of being ftationed fo high as to be enveloped in clouds, or having our fignals carried away 

 by the tempefts, and being frequently reduced to the neceility of having regard to 

 nothing but our own fafety. We have foraetimes been obliged to purchafe, for a 

 month and a half's patience, a fmgle quarter of an hour of fine weather ; and in one of 

 thefe flations we have been longer detained, than we fhould have been toiling through 

 a whole meridian in Europe. We were working, too, in a country, to which even its 

 inhabitants themfelves were ftrangers ; and obliged continually to penetrate into defarts, 

 where no paths but thofe made by wild beafts were to be difcovered. 



We could not, without a paffport, enter the territories under the domination of Spain, 

 which are ordinarily interdided to every defcription of ftrangers to all places beyond the 

 feas. We were even in want of a fpecial permiffion. His Catholic Majefty did not 

 fimply permit our operations to be made in whatever place we might choofe in Peru, 

 but declared himfelf the protestor of them, by making known his pleafure in this 

 regard to his viceroys and to his audience at Quito ; and, at the fame time, nominated 

 two marine officers lieutenants of fhips, Don George Juan, commandant, D'Aliaga, of 

 the order of St. John of Jerufalem, and Don Antonio de Ulloa, to affift in our work. 

 We found them at Carthagena, in America, where they were arrived fome months be- 

 fore us, directly from Cadiz. It was a flattering circumftance for the two united 

 nations, to be able to turn their thoughts towards the attempt of examining the figure 

 of the earth, while the fortunate fuccefs of their arms aftoniftied Europe, and turned 

 its attention to very different objefts. In the meantime, if we had the good fortune to 

 fucceed, the advantages to be derived from our voyage would be common to every 

 narion, all would equally be benefited thereby. It is fit Kings Ihould not limit the 

 benefits arifmg from their glorious undertakings to one reign or one age ; by generoully 

 extending them to the whole human race, they fliow themfelves kings or as fathers of 

 every people : this trait of goodnefs and wifdom is confpicuous in every thing com- 

 manded by the cheriihed fovereign to whom we are fubjeds. 



I fhall divide this difcourfe under different heads, in order the better to defcribe a 

 country we have had too many occafions to become well acquainted with. Our 

 French travellers have penetrated but a little way into it, and the idea they have 

 formed to themfelves of the country, have ordinarily been founded upon the relation 

 of perfons who have never been induced to a ftri6t examination of what they beheld. 

 Hence it occurred to me, a fomewhat circumftantial detail would afford pleafure, until 

 I can give a complete relation of the whole journey. Befide this detail may throw 

 fome light upon the operations of the raeafuring of the globe, of which I have given 

 in an account. 



PART 



