Meafurcnunl of a Safe on Houn flow- Heath* 4*2 "f 
fubfequent ones were forming. The clamps fattening the firtt 
rod to its Hands being then detached, it was carried by two 
men and laid on the alternate fide of the third ; and fo on in 
fucceffion, until fifteen rod lengths were meafured off, being 
the half of the firft hypothenufe. 
The time confumed in meafuring this fhort dittance of 300 
feet w r as not lefs than five hours ; owing, as has been formerly 
mentioned, to the confined nature of the apparatus for moving 
therodson into coincidence, which requiredfuch nicety in placing 
the {lands, as could not be effected until after feveral repeated 
unfuccefsful trials. All the executive people were therefore of' 
©pinion, that it would be proper to difoontinue this mode of 
meafurement, at leaf; until a more convenient apparatus could 
he thought of for the purpofe and that, in the mean time, 
we fhould proceed by the method of contadls, as the only al- 
ternative we could for the prefent adopt *. 
The rods being accordingly placed in contafl with each 
other, we foon made greater progrefs, finifhing the operations 
of the day at the middle of the fourth hypothenufe, where 
the tripod, with its guard, was placed, to preferve the point of 
commencement for the en fuing morning,, 
* Although I acquiefced in- the change thus become neceffary,. yet it was with 
much reluctance, becaufe it left undecided the contefted point, with regard to 
coincidences and contafts. If we could have proceeded with the coincident rods- 
till eighty. one lengths were meafured off, and then meafured back the fame fpace 
by placing eighty rods in contaft, the point would have been clearly fettled. For 
if the termination of the eightieth rod agreed exa&Jy with the point of departure,, 
contacts being the molt expeditious would have been judged the belt method. On 
the contrary,, if the eightieth rod fell Ihort of reaching the point of departure, 
there could have been no doubt, that the difference mull: have arifen from, 
butting one rod againft the other, whereby a certain fmall proportion of each 
rod came t® be loll in tjie. account, by being meafured twice over, 
T{i.e 
