Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (Volume 41; V. 48); Giving Some Accounts of the Present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours, of the Ingenious, in Many Considerable Parts of the World (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1754. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... require so great a number of astronomical and geographical observations, it will be thought, that an error a little larger may be supposed, without disparaging either our operation, or Mr. Picard's; and thus theory and experience would agree. Supposing, for example, that the difference between the degrees of Paris and Tornea has been found too great by 80 toises, the difference between the two diameters will come out of about --fe, which, subtracted from gives for the diminution of the gravity from the pole to the equator. And such a conclusion would agree pretty well with the observations made in France and Lapland with the excellent clock of Mr. Graham. However, altho' the errors to be supposed in the operations, to reconcile them with my theory, be in themselves small enough, I shall abstain from asserting, that they have been committed. It is a sact not to be decided, till after the result of the observations, which are expected from Peru. For the great difference, which is to be found between the degrees of Quito and Tornea, is the only means of knowing, whether the diameters be less or greater than 230 to 231. Were the question only to demonstrate the flatness of the earth, the measures of the degree of Paris and Tornea would be full sufficient j but to discover the true ratio of diameters, is what can be performed only by the comparison between the degrees, whose mutual distance is the greatest. Such a ratio once fixed, if it happen to be less than 230 to 231, it will be very easy, by the preceding theory, to imagine some hypothesis for the inside of the the earth, which shall agree with both theory and observation, whether admitting the supposition of the original fluidity of the globe, or not. But if the diameters were found undoubtedly in a greater rat...