34,6 Don J. Rodriguez’s Observations on the 
3~-, and with the sides of Lacaille’s triangles reduced to the 
meridian, we find it greater by 10" than it was found to be 
by observations of the stars. An error of 10 seconds, by an 
astronomer so skilful and scrupulous as Lacaille, is too ex- 
traordinary to be admitted as probable. It is true, that there 
was a greater error well ascertained to have occurred in the 
measurement in Lapland, amounting to 13 seconds; but the 
academicians engaged in this undertaking were by no means 
equally conversant with observations as Lacaille. 
There remains therefore but one method of removing all 
doubt on this subject, and this is to repeat and verify the mea- 
surement at the Cape, and, if possible, to extend it still farther 
to the north. The same Major Lambton, who has succeeded 
so well in Asia, and is in possession of such perfect instru- 
ments for the purpose, would be singularly qualified for a 
similar undertaking in Africa, and would furnish us with a 
measurement in the other hemisphere, as much to be relied 
upon as the former. He would have the glory of deciding 
two important questions by his own observations ; first, the 
similarity and magnitude of the two hemispheres ; and, se- 
condly, the degree of reliance to be placed on the elliptic 
hypothesis. 
It might be still further desirable, if other measurements 
could also be undertaken, either in New Holland, or in Brazil; 
for though neither of these countries differs much in latitude 
from the Cape of Good Hope, they are so remote in longitude, 
that a correspondence of measures so taken would nearly 
establish the similarity of all meridians. 
