SABINE’S EXPERIMENTS. 69 
Having adverted, in the early part of this paper, to the means which the 
experiments, herein recorded, afford of comparing the measurement which 
has been made in London with the result of such operations as may here- 
after be instituted, to determine, de novo, the absolute length of the seconds 
pendulum at New-York, I wish, in conclusion, briefly to notice the more pro- 
minent advantages which might be expected to accrue from such a compari- 
son, to both the nations, as well as to science generally; first, in the event of 
perfect accordance in the results. 
- A natural standard would be thereby - determined in the United States, 
once and finally, being founded on experiments which had already ae 
the testimony of repetition: in Great Britain, such confirmation of the mea- 
surement which she has already adopted as the basis of her scale of linear 
measure, could not be regarded otherwise than as highly satisfactory ;_ whilst, 
in regard to science generally, in this its connexion with purposes of national 
importance, a very valuable practical demonstration would be afforded of the 
identity with which the length of the pendulum can be ascertained and mea- 
sured on the national scale, and of its gonseanent applicability as a natural 
standard of reference. 
Second ; in any other event than that of oe accordance, the advantages 
which might be gained by the comparison might even be expected to be greater 
than in the former case, by reason of the further investigation to which it would 
give rise, and which would terminate, doubtless, eventually in the same im- 
portant conclusion as in the former supposition, but with increased assurance. 
The value of a method of determining a length in nature, which is to fix in 
perpetuity a national standard, is essentially dependant on the certainty 
with which its repetition by others as well as by the original experimenter, 
and _ at all distances of time, shall conduct to an identical result ; wherefore 
that process is obviously the best in which the identity is governed by the 
method, and is least dependant on the amount of skill or of practical expe- 
rience possessed by the individual who may conduct the experiments; if a 
high degree of skilfulness were required, the measure would not be easily ac- 
cessible, which is one of the first properties of a good natural standard ; and 
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