GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONS. 35 



if not entirely removed, so nearly adjusted, that the discrepancies are too small to affect 

 navigation. The positions, especially the longitudes, given in the Table, aie in accordance 

 with the latest observations. 



2. Coast of Galicia. — The N.W. Coast of Spain was re-examined by Captain 

 Don J. F. Floeez, of the Spanish Navy, in 1835-6. His survey, with more recent 

 examinations, seems to show the accuracy of his predecessor Tofino. 



3. River Douro. — This river was surveyed by Commander (afterwards Sir Edward) 

 Belcher, R.N., in 1833. His determinations, which coincide with those made by Admiral 

 Smyth, when a lieutenant, in 1811-12, served to correct the positions previously given 

 by Tofiiio. In former editions of this work, we had to acknowledge our obligations in 

 this, as in many other instances, to Admiral Smyth, for his improvements in hydrography. 

 It is sufficient here to repeat them. 



4. Lisbon. — The longitude of Lisbon was assumed as 9° 8' 40" W., the mean result of 

 observations made by the astronomers De la Caille, Pingre, and Messier, of a great 

 number of eclipses of the first satellite of Jupiter. The occultation of a star by the moon, 

 October 5, 1753, with a corresponding one at Paris, gave one minute more. Captain 

 Owen, in the memoir of his important expeditions to Portugal and Africa, assigned to 

 the Arsenal of Lisbon, lat. 38° 42' 18" N., long. 9° 8' 54" \V., from observations made in 

 H.M.S. Leveji, in 1819 and 1822. Later observations placed it in 9° 7' 31-8", and the 

 present charts are dependent on the latter position. 



By telegraphic determinations, made by United States Officers, in 1878 and 1879, in 

 connection with establishing secondary meridians for the East Coast of South America, 

 the longitude of the dome of the Royal Observatory was ascertained to be 9° 11' 10*2" W. 

 The latitude is determmed to be 38° 42' 31-25" N. 



5. Cadiz. — The position of the Observatory in the city of Cadiz is established aa 

 lat. 36° 32' 0" N., long. 6° 17' 30" W. The New Observatory {Observatorio Heal) of San 

 Fernando, m the Isle of Leon, is in lat. 36° 27' 41" N., long. 6° 12' 24" W. 



6. Gibraltar. — This position is important, as it affects the longitudes of the West 

 Coast of Africa. Mr. Charles Rimiker gave the position of Europa Point, Gibraltar, as 

 36° 5' 15" W. — {Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, vol. i., page 322). Captain Bauza, of 

 the Hydrographic Establishment at Madrid, gave Tarifa in 36° 0'. This accords wfth 

 Mr. Rumker ; but Captain Livingston made the latitude of Eui'opa Point, by sextant and 

 artificial horizon, in 1820, 36° 6' 10", and exactly the same on another day, by the sea 

 horizon. Captain Smyth gave Gibraltar in lat.'36° 6' 30" N., long. 5° 21' 12" W. 



It is to be observed that Lieutenant Raper adopted 5° 21' 17" as the longitude of the 

 Mole (or Europa Point in 5° 22' 0"), and this was from the observations of Capt. Smyth; 

 Capt. Shu-reff, 5° 20' 16" ; and Capt. Vidal, 5° 21' 42". By telegraphic «ommmiication 

 with Malta, in 1886, the officers of H.M.S. Sylvia determined the longitude of the 

 Dockyard Flagstaff to be 5° 21' 27" W. 



The Variation of the Compass is now decreasing on the Coasts of Spain and Pcu"tugal, 

 at the rate of about 6' per annum. 



