



Lieut Davis on the Prime Meridian. 395 



It would undoubtedly be for the advantage and convenience of 

 all civilized nations if a general meridian were adopted by com- 

 mon consent; if all longitudes were counted in the same manner 

 and from a single origin. The man of business, the general stu- 

 dent, and, above all, the navigator, would profit by this rule ; and 

 the man of science would also find it beneficial in removing the 

 necessity for those allowances and calculations occasioned by the 

 variety of meridians, and with them, a constant source of error. 



The Congress of the United States, in a report of one of their 

 committees upon a proposition to make the capitol the first me- 

 ridian, evinced at an early period an enlightened apprehension of 

 the benefits that would result from the establishment of a general 

 meridian. * 



But it also was fully aware how little probable such an event 

 was then, and there are obstacles in the way of its occurrence 

 now, which render it distant and doubtful. It is not to be denied 

 that our own situation is, in some respects, unfavorable for origin- 

 ating successfully such a project. If, nevertheless, you should 

 agree with me, in thinking that the opinions which have been 

 entertained for a long time by scientific and practical men here 

 and elsewhere, should be again consulted, I shall be most happy, 

 under your instructions, to communicate on this subject with Eu- 

 ropean astronomers. 



In the mean time we are called to decide upon a meridian for 

 present use. This decision is the basis in my work. Hitherto 

 we have used the English meridian of Greenwich; all our geo- 

 graphical positions and territorial limits are fixed according to 

 it, our astronomical calculations are based upon it, our nautical 

 charts and books of navigation are adapted to it, and our chro- 

 nometers are set to its time. It has been so much our general 

 practice to count from this meridian that it constitutes a part of 

 our familiar thought and knowledge. 



On this account, and especially with reference to the conven- 

 ience of our wide spread and growing commerce, a change of the 

 old meridian, if necessary, should be reconciled, as far as practica- 

 ble, to the wants and habits of the country. 



The scientific importance of assuming, at present, an American 

 meridian is undoubted. So long as we depend upon that from 

 which we are separated by an ocean, our absolute longitudes re- 

 main indeterminate. Such are the difficulties attending the as- 

 tronomical determination of this element, that the greatest accu- 

 racy attainable is only an approximation to the truth ; varying, as 

 observations or computations are multiplied, or as new and better 

 methods and values are introduced. There is no place on our 

 c °ast, the longitude of which from Greenwich is so well ascer- 

 tained as Boston. The observations and computations made for 



Report of the committee on Lambert's memorial, Jan 25, 1810. 



