422 . ULLOa's voyage TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



ties we had received from all perfons of rank ; after which, we began to deliberate on 

 the beft methods of performing our work ; and the rather, as M. Bouguer and de la 

 Condamine were now arrived. The former reached Quito on the loth of June, by the 

 fame road of Guaranda ; and the latter on the 4th of the fame month, having taken his 

 s route by the river of Emeralds, in the government of Atacames. 



Our firfl operation was, to meafure a piece of ground, which was to be the bafe of 

 the whole work ; and this we finifhed during the remainder of the current year. But 

 it proved a very difficult and fatiguing operation, from the heat of the fun, and the 

 winds and rains, which continually incommoded us. The plain made choice of for this 

 bafe is fituated two hundred and forty nine toifes lower than Quito, and four leagues to 

 / the north-eafl of that city. It is called the plain of Yaruqui, from a village of that name 

 near it. This plain was particularly chofen, as the beft adapted to our operations ; for 

 though there are feveral others in this diftridl, yet all of them lay at too great a diftance 

 from the diredion of our bafe. The quality, difpofition, and lower fituation, all contri- 

 bute to render it lefs cold than Quito. Eaftward it is defended by the lofty Cordillera 

 of Guamani and Pambamarca, and weftward by that of Pichincha. The foil is en- 

 tirely fand ; fo that, befides the heat naturally refulting from the direft rays of the fun, 

 it is increafed by the rays being reverberated by the two Cordilleras ; hence it is alfo 

 expofed to violent tempefts of thunder, lightning, and rain ; but, being quite open 

 towards the north and fouth, fuch dreadful whirlwinds form here, that the whole inter- 

 val is filled with columns of fand, carried up by the rapidity and gyrations of violent 

 eddy winds, which fometimes produce fatal confequences : one melancholy inftance 

 happened while we were there ; an Indian, being caught in the centre of one of thefe 

 blafls, died on the fpot. It is not, indeed, at all ftrange, that the quantity of fand in 

 one of thefe columns fhould totally ftop all refpiration in any living creature, who has 

 the misfortune of being involved in it. 



Our daily labour was, to meafure the length of this plain in a horizontal direction, 

 and, at the fame time, by means of a level, to correal the inequalities of the ground ; 

 beginning early in the morning, and continuing to purfue our talk clofely till evening, 

 unlefs interrupted by extreme bad weather ; when we retired to a tent always pitched 

 for that purpofe, as well as for a retreat at noon, when the heat of the fun became too 

 great for us, after the fatigue of the morning. 



We at firft intended to have formed our bafe in the plain of Cayambe, fituated twelve 

 leagues to the north of Quito. Accordingly, the company firft repaired to this plain, 

 to view it more attentively. In this place we loft M. Couplet, on the 1 7th of Septem- 

 ber 1736, after only two days illnefs. He was indeed flightly indifpofed when we fet 

 out from Quito ; but, being of a ftrong conftitution, his zeal for the fervice would 

 not permit him to be abfent at our firft eflay. On his arrival, however, his diftemper 

 rofe to fuch a height, that he had only two days to prepare for his palTage into eternity ; 

 but we had the fatisfaftion to fee he performed his part with exemplary devotion. This 

 almoft fubitaneous death of a perfon in the flower of his age, was the more alarming, as 

 none of us could difcover the nature of his difeafe. 



The menfuration of the bafe was fucceeded by obferving the angles, both horizontal 

 and vertical, of the firft triangles we intended to form ; but many of them were not pur- 

 fued, the form and difpofition of the feries being afterwards altered to very great advan- 

 tage. In order to this, M.Verguin, with fome others, was fent to draw a geopraphical map 

 of the parts fouth of Quito ; whilft M. Bouguer did the fame with regard to the northern 

 parts ; a talk we found abfolutely neceffary, in order to determine the points where the 



fignals 



