3 g 4 
TRAVELS 
“ effedf of their united attractions: but this even mull have been 
“ very infenfible; fince, according to the higheft eftimate admif- 
“ fiblc, the fum of all the mountains from which any effect might 
“ be fufpected, cannot be greater than a cubic league. Now this 
“ mafs being fuppofed of a denfity double the mean denfity of the 
“ earth, and its center of attraction at five leagues diftance from 
c< Kittifvaza, and ten from Tornea, could not produce on the 
plumb-line a greater deviation than o".3438 at Kittifvaza, and 
“ 0".03Gg at Tornea; whence it follows, that the total effect of 
“ this alteration could have been only o'.4298, and confcquently 
“ the correction which ought to be made in the length of a de- 
gree of the meridian, fuch as has been meafured by the French 
academicians, would be only 6".3 575 to be added inftead of a 
e< hundred toifes, which it has been fuppofed ought to be deducted. 
■ te I believe, then, I may affirm, that on my part there can be no 
“ fufpicion of an error as to this fubject, and that there is truly 
“ fome error in the meafurement of 1/36 : the caufe of this may 
“ be fairly attributed to a defect in the fextant or quadrant, or 
“ perhaps, which is no lefs probable, to fome uncertainty in the 
“ bafe. Upon the whole, in order to fettle all thofe doubtful 
“ circumftances, it feems abfolutely neceffary that this mcafure- 
“ ment fhould be wholly executed anew.” 
“ To all this, give me leave to add one remark, which I had 
“ occafion to make at Tornea, and which, I imagine, well merits 
“ the attention of the learned. 
“ Wc know that the French aftronomers determined, at each 
“ Ration, 
