- 
DEG 
zenith fe&ter ; and from its being light and oo admits 
of its being taken into fituations inacceffib’ la 
ea ment, oe perufes the account cre French a 
ufed ey ie Tac arena do not der 
of their inftrument, but on its pofition, which was-feldum o 
never ee of the — of the ftation; the difturbed ftate 
of the country, want of fufficient pecuniary afi. 
ance, prevented ae fro om eng fignals at fele& ations, 
try afforded, whic i 
very pie eae a difpofed aa the reception of their 
Joframent pete ee as it w 
Thee 
was exten 
beyond the Pyrenées, that the influence of mountains on ce 
y y 
plumb-line might be avoi ed. 
Tho 
ntion of this und-rtaking was com- 
mitted were Cae o determine bri latitude of Dunkirk 
and Barcelona, and other intermedi = to re-mea ae 
the ancient bafes, to vcrify agai © for er triang] 
to extend them to B ioe ro ie faceelsfal saa 
hat had been made e repeating ircle in 1787, it was 
of t 
again adopted, but of rather peas imenfions ; ~ four 0 
uéted b » from 14 ¢ inches 
palace in this ae The e execution 
of the whole. was entrufted to Mechain and Delambre. The 
former under 
Zz to oo 
Louis XVI. was a 
‘proclaination to lei thefe aftronomers and ne Signals, in- 
ftruments, &c. under the {pecial proteG@ion of the adm 
flrative authorities ; but the baal of this ene aes - 
ment only rendered them obje&is aa greater fufpicion, and 
increafed oe difficulties and dan 
echain, after encountering feel — interrup- 
in the vicin _of Paris, at length s for tunate 
2, had terminated the angles 
“at she Pewee the foaihera extrem ity of the arc: here 
ved to wait during the winter, and devote it to ob- 
frat ions for feecoraiag the Jatitude and azimuth of this 
flation. 
Delambre began his obfervations in the neighbourhood - 
Paris, n the fummer of the year 1792, and on the mem 
‘able rorh Augu't, igno-ant of what was paffing at Paris, ne 
went after dark to his ftation ; but inftead of feeing the fig- 
ft every v d obliged 
to expiain to the pap ice a ule of his call airiente and the 
3 
this ie€ture cid not Guilt the tafe 
th oe 
R E E. 
nature of his m'fions and In more than ene a aay ie where 
of the 
see) efcaped ae de 
ur 
fo much d ftreffed their former altronomers, feem to have 
been mild and hee ageuts of nature, ~ compared to 
the — fa ferocious and ence cd m 
Yer, amidf all thefe ftorms, witha patie and intrepie 
dity ee admirabie, had Delambre fucceeded in completing 
a great number of ieee when he was removed from his 
t in ngs, 5 
lomb, Briffon, and Delambre, fhould ceafe to belong to the 
commiffion. This order is fisned ee Pg Bil. 
ao Varenne, Couthon, Collot ad’ Herboi 
» oO 
ae 
i= 
; ing 
nied accefs to the fort, he « mployed himfelf in ieee wae 
the obliquity of the — by folftitial altitudes of the fur, 
Ty 
taken with the rep 
ice 
ig) 
ie) 
a 
wo 
=) 
Ou 
Qa 
f=) 
fa 
rate is 
nances was con- 
fifcated as Hien 
was fuffered to embark for ‘Gen ae 
‘Robefpierre, and under the aban 
ment of the executive directory, they were again, after an 
interruption of eighteen months, permitted to refume ee 
eries of triangles over the moft in inhofpitable receffes of the 
alba see finaily united them with thofe of Delambre 
In th 
He returned to Spain, and was arduoufly engaged in con- 
tinuing 
