224 Gen* Roy’s decount of a 
nbfolutely give the figure of the earth, fince the fhortefi: 
difiance from the furface to its axis would thereby be 
obtained. 
The Britifh dominions in the Eafi-Indies offer a feene parti- 
cularly favourable for the meafurement of five degrees of lati- 
tude on the coaft of Choromandel, as has been noticed by 
Mr. Dalrymple, F. R. S. in his Paper on the Marine Survey 
of that Coafi. Two degrees of longitude, at each extremity 
of this arc, fiiould likewife be meafured. 
The plains of Bengal, directly under the northern tropic, 
afford another fituation where it would be of great confequence 
to determine the lengths of a degree or two of latitude, and 
as many of longitude. Thefe two operations could not fail to 
be patronifed by the Eafi-lndia Company, who fhould defray 
the expence ; fince, whatever tended fo much to the improve- 
ment of fcience in general, and fo diredtly to that of naviga- 
tion in particular, mult be thought important to a Body of 
Merchants, whofe power, as well as opulence, ftand at this day 
unequalled in the mercantile hiffory of the world. 
But there is one operation yet to be mentioned that would 
contribute more than any other to the determination of the 
figure of the earth, which is, the accurate meafurement of fome 
degrees of longitude on the equator ; becaufe thereby the 
length of its femi-diameter would be immediately known, 
which hitherto has only been theoretically computed from the 
meafured portions of the meridian. The Portuguefe feem to 
be poffeffed of the moil advantageous fituation yet known on 
the globe for that purpofe : for M. de la Condamine has 
told us, that at the mouth of the river of Amazons, near the 
fort of Macapa , in three minutes north latitude, there are 
5 extenfive 
