SERIES OF TRIANGLES COMPLETED. 333 



that the earth is not an ellipsoid,* or that this measure is 

 incorrect. 



In the year 1810, Colonel Lambton communicated to the 

 \siatic Society an account of the measurement of an arc on 

 the meridian, extending from lat. 8° 9' 38" to 10^ 59' 49" ; 

 and again, in 1812, he made a further communication on 

 the extension of the meridional arc, from the last-mentioned 

 latitude to 15° 6' 1". His principal object, when he com- 

 menced the survey, was to connect the two coasts of Coro- 

 mandel and Malabar, and to determine the latitudes and 

 longitudes of the principal places, both on the coasts and 

 thelnterior ; but, as the work advanced, his views expanded, 

 and in addition to the triangles carried across the peninsula 

 between the parallels of 12=" and 14°, he extended another 

 series from Tranquebar and Negapatam entirely across to 

 Paniani and Calicut ; and to render the skeleton complete, 

 a meridional series was carried down the middle of the pe- 

 ninsula, terminating at the sea near Cape Comorin ; from 

 this series others were extended to the east and west, en- 

 tirely along both coasts ; so that, in 1812, a web of trian- 

 gles" had been completely woven over the peninsula of India 

 from the parallel of 14° to its southernmost extremity. This 

 trianaulation had for its object the determination of the 

 latitudes and lon<Titudes of all the remarkable points ; such 

 as tops of mountliins, cities, &c. The result of these has 

 been applied to the improvement of the topography of the 

 country ; and has been given to the public, we believe, in the 

 excellent maps of that accurate geographer the late Mr. 

 Arrowsmith. The measurements of the meridional arcs, 

 which had a higher aim, the determination of the figure 

 and magnitude of the earth itself, have, however, been most 

 interestmo- to general geography and astronomy ; and, ac- 

 cordingly,°Colonel Lambton's various memoirs have lound 

 a place in the Asiatic Researches and London Philosophical 

 Transactions, as aflording most important data m philo- 

 sophical and astronomical science. r i -n i 



In the progress of the survey the meridian of the Doda- 

 goontah station, or of Savendroog, was continued south to 

 Punnae, in the lat. of 8° 10' ; and the series of triangles 

 for extending its length was continued to the same point. 



* Ellipsoid, a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one 

 of its axes ; in this case lUe lesser. 



