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OUTHIER’S JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 32%
place on which to erect a monument commemorative of our expedition, with a fuitable
infcription. On going out of the town we found a large rock, which was not far from
the church ; we examined it, and finding it folid, began to work upon it. In this coun-
try they have no mafons: inftead of working with the mallet, they make a fire on the
rock, and when the part they wifh to open is fufficiently heated, they throw water upon
it, which makes the rock fplinter. A letter which M. de Maupertuis received on Wed-
nefday, the twenty-fecond, {topped the work. We thought of nothing now but re-
turning to France, as foon as the navigation fhould be free. The fame day, M. de
Maupertuis learnt, by a letter from M. de Maurepas, that his Majefty had granted a
penfion of a thoufand livres to M. Celfius.
Friday, the twenty-fourth, was another of thofe grand prayer-days which I have be-
fore noticed. The river brought down a quantity of floating ice, and people began to
pafs it, although not without danger. The fun fet entirely at ten minutes paift ten.
We afcended the higheft part of the ifle of Swentzlar: we obferved with a quadrant
the angle between the fun at the horizon and the fignal of Kukama, at the fame time
counting feconds by a pendulum which we had placed near the fpot, in one of thofe
houfes ufed for keeping fodder and cattle in, and which then was empty. The night
was very fine: the next morning we returned to take the angle between the rifing fun
on the horizon and the fame fignal. The direction of our fucceflion of triangles, with
refpect to the meridian, as found by thefe obfervations, differed by fome minutes from
the direétion found at Pello. We were at firft furprifed; but quickly reflected that
Kittis and Torneo not being under the fame meridian, we ought to find fome difference,
on account of the two meridians approaching fenfibly towards the poles in the country
where we were. M. Clairaut very quickly made the calculation of what this approxi-
mation of the two meridians amounted to ; and it was found, by taking this into com-
putation, the directions of the triangles taken at Kittis and Torneo agreed within half a
minute of a degree.
There was now fcarcely any ice on the river; yet the fea was quite white with the
‘floats of ice covered with {fnow. ‘There was very little fnow remaining on the ground,
even on the northern fide of bufhes; and the inhabitants began to fow their barley all
over the ifland.
Sunday, the twenty-fixth, there was no longer any night ; and a fortnight had elapfed
fince our being enabled to read in our apartments the moft fmall characters at midnight.
I had my fire only once made upin the day. I was much amufed fora long time, on
Sunday afternoon, admiring the addrefs of a citizen of Torneo, who could draw, without
having ever been taught, and delineated figures with fingular fkill: had he been under
the hand of a mafter, he would have excelled in this line; he drew pictures, made coats,
and was the only tailor at Torneo.
They kept Eafter the fame day as we did, and Rogation Sunday as well. Monday,
twenty-feventh, and Tuefday, the twenty-eighth, people went much to church: that day
they preached on the gofpel which we have for the Rogation mafs. ‘They call thefe
days Gonge dagen, the days of proceflion; they however have no proceflion, and are
fatisfied with preaching and finging the hymns of the church.
I went to M. de Maupertuis to helpthim to place two pendulums near to each other ;
he made ufe of them for examining if two pendulums, moving very near each other
with unequal vibrations, had any fenfible influence one on the other : M. de Maupertuis
did not find that they had.
The horfes had all proceeded to their fummer quarters; my landlord fent for his,
which he wanted to go to Kimi. The horfe on his return refted at his mafter’s; and
VOL. I. gE Wednelday
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