Convenience of a Meafurement near Geneva. 1 1 1 
believe there are few places oil earth better difpofed for the 
operation. 
The Republic of Vallais in Switzerland offers an extenfive, 
broad, and nearly ftraight valley, bordered on both Tides by 
high mountains. It is fituated about the parallel of Geneva, 
runs eaftward for many leagues from the town of Marti gny , and 
to the weftward is feparated from the mountains of Ghablais 
in Savoy, by a very lofty chain, in which there is an acceflible 
fummit, called 5 The Glacier de Buet , or ha Mortine . 
This mountain is placed, as by a miracle, in fuch a politico, 
as to be vilible from the Gbfervatory of Geneva, and about 10 
minutes weft of it, as alfo from almoft every elevated fituatioa 
in the Haut Vallais . Its fummit is acceftible by a much eafier 
a fee nt than that which was difeovered by Meff. de Luc ; and a 
lignal made there by the Indian lights would be vifible eaft and 
weft along the parallel, to the whole diftance of perhaps two 
degrees between the two extreme ftations ; for as the obferva- 
tions relative to the regulating of the clocks do not require any 
confiderable apparatus, they could be performed in the molt 
diftant hamlets from which the fignal (hould be vifible. 
As to the trigonometrical meafurement along the parallel, 
one may conclude, from the triangles delineated on the map, 
that it might be executed with a fmaller number of operations 
than that of the meridian arch. I was affifted in the defolia- 
tion of the probable ftations in the Vallais by my ingenious 
friend Mr. Wild, Director of the Salt Works and Mines of 
the Republic of Bern, and refiding at Bex ; from whence, by 
frequent excurfions, he has acquired a fufficient knowledge of 
the names and pofitions of the neighbouring mountains to 
enable me to complete the fketch in the eaftern part of the 
parallel. 
Should 
