SURVEY OF MASSACHUSETTS. 85 
SECTION VI.—COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS OF MR. BORDEN’S TRIANGULATION, WITH THOSE 
OF MR. PAINE’S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Having given, in the preceding sections, a detailed statement of the methods used in 
obtaining the single results of the triangulation, and of the astronomical observations of 
Mr. Paine, I now proceed to furnish a comparison of the data obtained by the respective 
processes, in order to show at once the degree of precision of each, and their bearing on 
the standard values for the reduction of the triangulation, and on the question of the 
dimensions of the spheroid. The first step is to ascertain the value of the meridional 
degree, for some cardinal point of middle latitude. For this point I have selected the 
State House at Boston. I subjoin in a tabular form Mr. Paine’s astronomical differences 
of latitude in arc, and the geodetic differences of latitude in feet, at the standard tempe- 
rature, referred to the level of the sea. 
Mr. Paine’s Lati- 
tude. 
No. Names of Stations. Middle Latitude. |Deg. of Meridian 
in English ft. 
Station of Comparison, Harris St. Church, Newburyport, 42° 48’ 32’.1 
1/Nantucket South ‘Tower, - - - - - 41 16 56 .0 | 42° 2’ 44.05) 364813.17 
2|Holmes’ Hole Windmill, - - - - «(4-27 15.68 42 7 58 7 389.25 
3)/New Bedford Mariners’ Church, - - - - rr 38 6.3 42 13 19 .20 348.25 
4\Barnstable Court House, - - < “ « (41 42.7.8 42 16 10 .70 420.25 
5 Sandwich Church, - - - - - oa a0 S10 te iT 05 357.10 
Station of Comparison, Salem East India Marine Hall, /42 31 18 .9 | 
6| Nantucket South Tower, - - - - - 1/41 16 56.0 | 41 54 7 .45) 364253.76 
7/Holmes’ Hole Wind Mill, — - - - - ~ Jd) 27. 16..8..41 59 17.10 $40.59 
8\New Bedford Church, - - - - - ~ (41 88 6.8142 4 42 60 279.42 
9 Sandwich Chureh, - - - - - - |41. 45 81.0 (42. 8 24 95 274.76 
10|Barnstable Court House, - - - - «. j4E. 42: 97.8 | 
42 6 43.10 447.68 
Station of Comparison, Highland Light, Cape Cod,- |42 2 22.2 
— 
—s 
Nantucket South Tower, “ ~ - ~ - 141 16 56.0 /41 389 39 .10] 364385.00 
Station of Comparison, St. Ann’s Church, Lowell, - |42 38 47 .6 
12\New Bedford Mariners’ Church, — - - - - {41 88 6.80/42 8 26 .95] 364236.76 
Station of Comparison, Gloucester Church, — - - 142 36 44 .20 
13/Barnstable Court House, ~ = “s + = |41 42 7.30/42 9 25 .75] 364925.68 
14|Nantucket South I ower, - - * : - |41 16 56 .00)41 56 50.10 594.00 
15|New Bedford Mariners’ Chureh,  - ss = 141 $8: 6.80/42 7 26 25 738.33 
Station of Comparison, Harris St. Church, Newburyport,| 42 48 32.10 
| 
16|/Plymouth Court House, - - - - - | a1 57 28 .50| 42 23 0.80 364604.50 
Rejecting the last four results in consequence of their difference from the mean, the 
others give the value of a degree of the meridian in English feet, at the several middle 
Jatitudes, as follows: 
VOL. IX.—-25 
niall 
