FRENCH GEODESY. 281 



also mention Colonel Defforges' pendulum, which 

 makes it possible to determine gravity with a pre- 

 cision unknown till now. 



The future of French Geodesy is now in the hands 

 of the geographical department of the army, which 

 has been directed successively by General Bassot and 

 General Berthaut. This has advantages that can 

 hardly be overestimated. For good geodetic work, 

 scientific aptitude alone is not sufficient. A man 

 must be able to endure long fatigues in all climates. 

 The chief must know how to command the obedience 

 of his collaborators and to enforce it upon his native 

 helpers. These are military qualities, and, moreover, it 

 is known that science has always gone hand in hand 

 with courage in the French army. 



I would add that a military organization assures 

 the indispensable unity of action. It would be more 

 difficult to reconcile the pretensions of rival scientists, 

 jealous of their independence and anxious about what 

 they call their honour, who would nevertheless have 

 to operate in concert, though separated by great 

 distances. There arose frequent discussions between 

 geodesists of former times, some of which started 

 echoes that were heard long after. The Academy 

 long rang with the quarrel between Bouguer and 

 La Condaminc. I do not mean to say that soldiers 

 are free from passions, but discipline imposes silence 

 upon over-sensitive vanity. 



Several foreign governments have appealed to 

 French officers to organize their geodetic depart- 

 ments. This is a proof that the scientific influence of 

 I*" ranee abroad has not been weakened. 



Her hydrograjjhic engineers also supply a famous 



