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JOURNEY OF MAUPERTUIS. 233
over a {pace of 57,000 toifes, the fame diftance fhould be gone over at Torneo, to find
the fame change in the height of the ftar.
If on the contrary, the furface of the earth were uniformly even, however great the dif-
tance paffed over towards the’orth, the ftar would appear neither more, nor lefs elevated.
If then the furface of the earth be unequally curved in different regions, to find the
fame difference of the elevation of a ftar, it will be neceflary in thofe different regions,
to pafs over unequal arches of the meridian of the earth ; and thofe arches whofe am-
plitude is a degree, will be longer where the earth is more flattened. So that if the
earth be flattened towards the poles, a degree of the terreftrial meridian will be longer
towards the poles than at the equator, and hence the figure of the earth may be afcer-
tained by comparing the different degrees one with the other.
By this will be feen, that to have the meafure of a degree of the meridian of the
earth, a diftance on this meridian muft be meafured, and the change of the elevation
of a ftar at the two extremities be known, in order to be able to compare the length of
the arch, with its amplitude.
The firft part of our work confifted then in meafuring a confiderable fpace upon the
meridian, and for this purpofe a fucceflion of triangles was neceflary, which might com-
municate with fome bafe, whole length might be meafured by the pole.
We had always entertained the hope of being able to make our obfervations upon
the fhores of the Gulf of Bothnia. The facility of croffing by fea to the different
ftations, of tranfporting the inftruments in boats, the advantage of obfervations, that
the iflands of the gulf marked in fuch number uponthe charts, feemed to hold out to
us; all thefe had pre-determined us in favour of the coaft and ifles. We proceeded
with impatience to reconnoitre, but all our voyages for that purpofe, ferved only to
fhew us the neceflity of giving up our firft intention. Thefe iflands which lay off the
fhores of the gulph, and the coaft of the gulf itfelf, which we had reprefented to our
fancy as promontories, vifible at a great diftance, and from which we might diftinguifh
others equally diftant ; all thefe iflands were level with the water, and confequently
quickly hid by the roundnefs of the earth. They even concealed each other towards
the borders of the gulph, when they were too near ; and where ranged along the
coafts, they did not advance far enough into the fea, to afford us the direction we
required. After repeated fruitlefs endeavours to obtain in thefe iflands what they
could not afford, we were obliged to give up all hope, and abandon them.
I travelled from Stockholm to Torneo in a coach with the reft of the company ; but
chance having thrown in our way, in the courfe of this long journey, the veffel which
bore our inftruments and fervants, I went on board, and arrived at Torneo feveral
days before the others. On landing I met with the governor of the province who
was going to vifit Northern Lapland, (part of his government): I joined him in order
to gather fome idea of the country in the abfence of my companions, and penetrated
fifteen leagues towards’the north. On the night of the folftice I afcended one of the
higheft mountains of this country, called Avafaxa; and returned in fufficient time to
be at Torneo on their arrival. In this journey, which lafted but three days, I re-
marked that the river Torneo ran pretty clofely in the direétion of the meridian as
far as I had gone: and noticed on all fides high mountains that afforded {tations per-
ceptible at great diftances.
We thought then of beginning our operations to the north of Torneo upon the
fummits of thefe mountains, but this appeared to us fcarcely poffible.
We had, in the deferts of a country hardly inhabitable, in the immenfe foreft which
extends from Torneo to the North Cape, to effect operations, difficult even in the moft
voL. I. HH com-
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