472 EDITOR'S NOTES. 



either of the French philosophers or of Captain Kater) 

 might mutually destroy each other, and the variations 

 of gravity due to the ellipticity alone be elicited ; and 

 to ensure the uniformity of procedure and strict com- 

 parability of the results at all the stations, by the unity 

 of the observer and the identity of the instruments. In 

 effect, to terminate the inquiry with the pendulum, 

 either by obtaining decisively the result which it might 

 be capable of furnishing, or by manifesting that no 

 decisive result whatsoever was attainable by it, even 

 under the most favourable circumstances of operation." 

 (Pend. Expts., 1825, Preface.) 



I gladly avail myself of this occasion to recall, with 

 grateful recollection, the arrangements which existed, at 

 that period, for facilitating the communications between 

 Grovernment and those who by public estimation were 

 its most fitting counsellors, in matters appertaining to 

 the advancement of science and to the national duty 

 in its promotion. By means of the Board of Longitude, 

 a proposition from an individual, known only by the 

 desire he had shown to be employed on scientific under- 

 takings less suited perhaps to men of higher qualifica- 

 tions than himself, found a ready access to Grovern- 

 ment, when sanctioned by the approval of a body in 

 whose judgment the Government was accustomed to 

 place confidence. 



When treating of the results of pendulum experiments 

 in the southern hemisphere (p. 28 of the Grerman, and 

 28 of the English edition), M. de Humboldt has omitted 

 to notice the experiments of Captain Henry Foster in 



