338 Capt. Kater’s experiments for determining the variation 
“ possession of this house, and for determining the variations 
“ in length of the said pendulum, at the principal stations of 
“ the Trigonometrical Survey extended through Great Bri- 
“ tain ; and also for comparing the said standard measures, 
“ with the ten millionth part of the quadrant of the meridian, 
“ now used as the basis of linear measure on ( a part of) the 
“ continent of Europe/’ 
In consequence of His Royal Highness’s compliance with 
the prayer of this Address, an application was made by His 
Majesty’s Ministers to the Right Honourable Sir Joseph 
Banks, requesting that the Royal Society would be pleased 
to afford all the assistance in their power for the accomplish- 
ment of the objects therein mentioned ; and a Committee 
was appointed for that purpose, of which I was named a 
member. 
The length of the pendulum vibrating seconds in the lati- 
tude of London, and that of the French metre having been 
determined, it remained to ascertain the length of the pen- 
dulum at the principal stations of the Trigonometrical Survey. 
This work the Royal Society did me the honour to request 
I would undertake ; and the ready compliance of Govern- 
ment with every requisition I made through Sir Joseph 
Banks, for that assistance without which my success might 
have been doubtful, led me to devote with pleasure my time 
and labour to this highly interesting enquiry. 
The instruments with which I provided myself were, a 
transit by Holland, of three feet and a half in length, con- 
structed on the same principle as the transit at the Royal 
Observatory at Greenwich, so as admirably to combine light- 
ness with strength. 
