Ch. ir. SOUTH AMERICA. 197 



C H A P. II. 



Account of the TranfaBions at Quito: un- 

 ■ happy occajion of our fudden return to Gua- 

 yaquil. 



ON our arrival at Qj-iito, we made it our firft 

 bufmefs to join the French company, who 

 were pleafed to exprefs a great deal of joy at our re- 

 turn. Mr. Godin, during our abfence, had finiilied 

 the aftronomical obfervation to the northward, and 

 though Meffrs. Bouguer and de la Condamine, had 

 ^alfo gone through them, yet they ilill purpofed to re- 

 peat them ; for thefe able academicians, who had al- 

 v/ays fhewn an indefatigable zeal for the perfedion of 

 the work, were particularly attentive in obferving the 

 greateft obliquity of the ecliptic \ at v/hich obferva- 

 tions we alfo aflifted \ but feveral accidents hindered 

 them from being carried on without interruption. 

 They therefore thought it moft agreeable to their 

 chara6ler, and the commiHion with which they had 

 been honoured, to fpend forne mors time in afcertain- 

 ing this important point, than to leave the country 

 before their obfervacions were compleated. Notvv^ith- 

 flanding their (lay was attended v/ith fo much incon- 

 venience and fatigue, they could not think of leaving 

 undetermined a difficulty, occafioned by a certain 

 motion which they obferved in the ftars. In order to 

 afcertain with the greater accuracy the quantity of the 

 arch, they divided themfelves into t¥/o companies, 

 Bouguer being at the head of one, and M. de la Con- 

 damine accompanied by M. Bergiiin, at that of the 

 other; the latter, while the geometrical menfuration 

 was carrying on, applied himfelf v/ith indefatigable 

 labour, and admirable Ikill in drawing maps of the 

 country, in order to ere6t the fignals in the moll ad- 

 vantageous places. He alfo afiilted both companies 



O 3 in 



