3 82 
TRAVELS 
“ ing the value of the quantities a , b , &c., and there is confe- 
“ quently in the uncertainty of the value of thofe terms the germ 
“ of errors which would greatly exceed thofe which might arife 
sc from the omiffion of the other terms a' 1? A . In all events, 
m.n 
“ U being already known, aA^ Q and bA ^ are quantities which 
“ ought to be firft determined, whether it fhould be afterwards 
“ judged neceffary to carry the approximation farther or not. 
“ In one word, we ought, in all our calculations, which de- 
“ pend on the figure of the earth, to operate precifely as in our 
“ calculations of the motion of the heavenly bodies, w r hofe orbits 
“ we firffc fuppofe circular, then elliptical, and laft of all we ap- 
“ ply to the former fo corrected, the fmall equations which con- 
“ tain the quantities in w 7 hich the ellipfes themfelves are defi- 
“ cient. Such are the reafons entertained by the aflronomers of 
“ all Europe for unanimoufly infilling on the neceffity of new 
“ meafurements, executed with all poffible care, with the affift- 
“ ance of the moft perfedl inftruments, and according to the moft 
“ approved methods of obferving that the prefent age can fup- 
tc ply. Now, the French aflronomers have jufl finifhed the con- 
“ flrudtion of a fuite of triangles, which as they pafs through 
“ France extend from Dunkirk all the way to Barcelona, a fpace 
t( which forms an arch of the meridian 9° 39", or 10'.72, accord- 
“ ing to the decimal fyflem. Nothing therefore could be more in- 
terefling to all fuch as labour for the advancement of aflronomy 
“ and geography, than to hear that a committee has been ap- 
“ pointed 
