/ 



34 



^I O U N - 

 TAINS. 



/ 



R E M A; R K S 



ON 



T H E 



took from his obfervatory on Point Venus the height of the hilT,, 



h 



by the afcronomical quadi'ants,. and found it to. be exadlly 15° above- 



h 



the level of the fea ; for the obfervatory is but a few feet above that 



level. 



If W-' 



■\^ vi. 



llov^^ thefe premifes to be right, it will follow fronit 



a trigonometrical calculation, that this hill is 9565 feet high *. 



The little Peninfula of O-Taheitee or Tearraboo,, has likevvdfe 



towards its centre, but their fummits are fo 



fo 



craggy and fo like fpires in fome iniiances,. that the fight of thefe 



1 



have undergoTke a great con- 



convinces the beholder^ that 



aneous 



fire*. 



vuliion from violent caufes, and efpecially 



r 



The hills in: all the other Tropical Ifles are ver}^ moderate, and at. 



leafh one third lefs than thofe of 



eonoo. 



Though thty be 



high enough to attract the clouds,, and often to have their fummits 

 involved in them, they are 



however far removed, from the 



of 



eternal fnov/, which in Peru under the line, was found to be at 



5^34^ 



above 



ocean.. Thefe obfervations on the difference 



of the line of eternal ffiow, give us an opportunity of communica-- 

 ting fome hints or conjedlure^'on the caufes of this diiference., FirJ}. 



r 



it appears that the beams of the fun falling more verticahon the 

 earth, caufe a greater degree- of heati, and in proportion , as thejr 

 fall in a more obliq^ue diredlion, they produce lefs warmth: Jecon^ly 



the 



* If theeffeftof refraftion be taken into tKe account, then the height will be 9530 

 fe^; If nine miles diftant, then the hill is 12,352 feet high. 



M 



