C 9 ] 
figure of the earth down to the prefent times ; and 
the preference is juftly given to the meafurements of 
Mr. Norwood in England, A. D. 1 635, and of the 
members of the French Academy of Sciences fince 
that time. From thele he gathers, that, within lefs 
than 60 or 70 toifes, the lengths of a degree of the 
meridian are as follows : 
Q 1 Toifes. 
Lat. o o 56753 
45 0 57 IO ° 
49 22 57183 
53 o 57300 
66 20 57400 
9. Chap. II. contains an account of the principles, 
on which this theory is founded ; viz. the univerfal 
gravitation of matter, and the diurnal rotation of the 
earth. Our author mentions likewife the hypothefis 
of the earth’s being originally in a fluid ftate ; but re- 
jects it as precarious and improbable. He allows how- 
ever, that, with regard to the prefent queftion, it is 
all one whether it was fir A: a fluid or not, feeing the 
ocean is circumfufed juft in the fame manner, and 
to the fame altitude, as if the whole was ftill a fluid. 
10. Chap. III. and IV. are employed in the doc- 
trine of centrifugal forces, and their effiedt in changing 
a fluid fphere into the form of an oblate fpheroid. 
In the former of thefe chapters, the author refolves, 
as ufual, the centrifugal force of a particle into two 
others ; one, that adts diredtly contrary to the gravita- 
tion of the particle ; and the other a force in a di- 
redtion perpendicular to it. And this laft he confiders 
B again 
