200 



A VOYAGE TO 



Book Vlll. 



" hardfhips, and operations and with an unani- 

 mous confent determined in this plain of Yaruqui 

 a horizontal diftance of 6272 ^-Iri P^ris toifes in 

 a line whofe diredion was N. 19° 25' 30'' weiterly, 

 and intercepted between the axes of this and the 

 other obelifque, as the bafe or fide of the firft 

 " triangle, and a foundation for the whole work, 

 " In the month of November, 1736. In memory of 

 which tranfadtion an obelifque has been erefted at 

 '* each extremity of the faid bafe." 



We had now been three months at Quito, wait- 

 ing till Mr. Hugot, inftrument-maker to the Com- 

 pany, had finifhed fome indifpenfible works in which 

 he was then employed, that he might accompany 

 us to the place where M. Godin, after finilhing the 

 obfervations, had left the inftrument, which required 

 fome repairs in order for our making ufe of it in 

 finifhing our part of the work. But on the 5th of 

 December, 1741, when we were animated with the 

 hopes of concluding our taflc in two or three days, 

 the melancholy news arrived at Quito, that Paita 

 had been pillaged and burnt by a fquadron of men 

 of war, commanded by Commodore Anfon ; and was 

 too foon confirmed in all its circumftances, by let- 

 ters from the Corregidor and other officers of Piura, 

 giving an account that on the z^th of November, 

 at two in the morning, the Centurion man of war, 

 being the Commodore's fhip, had entered that har- 

 bour, and fent her long-boat a-fhore with forty 

 zrmed men, under the advantage of the night, 

 whereby the inhabitants and ftrangers who happened 

 to be in the pl^e, were waked from their deep by 

 the fhocking furprize of an invafion, the firft notice of 

 which were given by the cries of a negro ; fo that filled 

 with confufion and terror, like perfons unable to re- 

 colled themfelves, moft of them had leaped from 

 their beds, and fled naked from their houfes, with- 

 piH knowing v/hether their enemies were in pofiefHon 



