ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 695 



the fame difficulties from the thicknefs of the atmofphere as we had before experi- 

 enced during the whole courfe of our operations, we were obliged to continue there 

 till the 2 2d of May, when, being fatisfied with the accuracy of the obfervations made 

 during this long interval, we returned to Quito, with the pleafmg expe6l:ation, that 

 our perfeverance againft the conftant difficulties we met with from the clouds was at 

 laft come to a period; and that we fhould now reft from the toils and hardffiips of 

 living on frozen defarts ; a repofe the more pleafmg, as it was accompanied with a 

 confcioufnefs that no inconveniences had occafioned us to omit the leaft part of our 

 duty. 



During our ftay at Mira, Don George Juan applied himfelf to obferve the variation 

 of the magnetic needle, and by four obfervations nearly coincident, he concluded to 

 be nearly S"" 47' eafterly. 



We now began to deliberate on our return upon the favourable opportunity of the 

 above-mentioned French fhips, which were preparing to fail for Spain j as we fhould 

 then *pafs round Cape Horn, and not only complete from our own experience, an 

 account of the South Sea, but be enabled to make obfervations on the whole courfe. 

 Another, and indeed our principal motive was, the fafety of our papers, concluding 

 there could be no danger in a neutral fliip, as we then imagined thofe to be. The 

 concurrence of fo many advantages immediately determined us ; and leaving Quito we 

 fet out for Lima, where I arrived firft, Don George Juan having fome days been 

 detained at Guayaquil by a frefh commiffion by the viceroy. Thefe fhips, not failing 

 fo foon as expeded, I employed the interval in drawing up an extract ^of all interefting 

 obfervations and remarks, and prefenting it to the viceroy, who was pleafed to order 

 the papers to be preferved in the fecretary's office, that if any misfortune fhould hap- 

 pen to us in the voyage, our fovereign might ijot be totally difappointed in his generous 

 views of promoting the ufeful fciences of geography and navigation. 



While we were employed in finifhing our obfervations at Mira, the univerfity of 

 Lima gave a remarkable teftimony of their fenfe of M. Godin's eminent talents, by 

 choofmg him profefTor of mathematics, in the room of Don Pedro de Peralta, deceafed; 

 which he accepted of with the greater fatisfadion, as fome indifpenfable affairs of his 

 company would not permit him to gratify his dofires of returning to Europe. Accord- 

 ingly he propofed to fpend this interval in making frefh obfervations and experiments, 

 concluding that the atmofphere of Lima, during the fummer-feafon, would be more 

 favourable to his defigns than that of Quito or the mountains. On his arrival at that 

 city, the viceroy, who was no ftranger to his great abilities, and pleafed with the 

 prudent choice of the univerfity, conferred on him, at the fame time of his being in- 

 verted with the profefTorfhip, the poft of cofmographer to His Majefty ; with other ad- 

 vantages annexed to it. But this gentleman was far from propofmg to make any 

 longer ftay there than what thefe affairs required ; no advantages or honours being 

 fufficient to make him forget the obligations he was under of giving an account of his 

 voyage and obfervations to his fovereign and the academy, efpecially as being the eldeft 

 of the three academicians; fo that all the teftimonies of efteem could not fupprefs his 

 uneafmefs at the delay. 



M. de Juffieu, though with the fame regret as the former, determined to continue 

 fome time at Quito, with M. Hugot, till he faw what turn the war would take, that 

 he might efcape, in his return to Europe, thofe dangers then fo common at fea. 

 M. Verguin chofe to go by the way of Panama : and the others, except the two who 

 died in the country, one at Cayanibe and Cuenca, were difperfed ; one fettling in 



Quito, 



