The fame eclipfes, as calculated by the tables of Mr.
Wargentin, for the meridian of Paris, are as follow:
h r . , "
Feb. 7. Imm. 1 . 2 49 0
37. Imm. i . 12 3 10
29. Imm. 1 1 . 4 38 '47,
Mar. i.Imm. i . 3 3 37
Apr. 9. Em. 1 . 3 54 12
The mean of
a . / tt. .
Difference of 8 29 35
the meridians 8 2 1 1
of Paris — 8 2 8 3 7
and Yakutsk 8 29 23
8 29 46
vhich is 8 29 3
The obfervations of Mr. Ifkniefft.made at Yakutsk in
the vear 1769, to which place he was fent to obferve
the tranfit of Venus, have received the fancftion of the
Imperial Academy. The longitude which he fixes for
Yakutsk is 8h 29* 34". this correfponds, to a fufficient
degree of exa&nefs, with the longitude inferred from
the obfervations of Kraffilnikoff,
Thus the longitude of Yakutsk from Paris being
8h 29° 4". or in degrees 127 16 a. and of Bolche-
relk 10 17 17, or in degrees 150° 19' 15. the difference
of the longitude of thefe two places, from aftro-
nomical obfervations, amounts to 1 48 8. or in degrees
2 70 3' O. The latitude o f Bokherefk is 52° 55' a",
and that of Yakutfk 62° 1' soff. and the difference of
* For Iflenieff’s obfervations at Yakutifc, fee Nov. Cora. Tom. XIV.
Part III. p. 268 to 321.
I their
their longitudes being from the preceding determination
27 3 0 . the direct diftance between the places
mêafured on a great circle of the earth will appear by
trigonometry to be 160 57'. or about 1773 verfts reckoning
104^- verfts to a degree. This diftance confifts
partly of fea, and partly of land ; and a conftant inter-
courfe is kept up between the two places, by means of
Ochotsk, which lies between them. The diftance by fea
from Bolcheresk to Ochotsk is eftimated by Ihips reckonings
to be 1254 verfts, and the diftance by land from
Ochotsk to Yakutsk is 927 verfts, making altogether
2181. The direót diftance deduced by trigonometry,
(on a fuppofition that the difference of longitude between
Bolcheresk and Yakutsk is 270 3'.) is 1773, falling
fhort of 21 81 by 40 8. a difference naturally to be expected
from confidering, that neither roads by land, or
the courfe of Ihips at fea, are ever performed precifely
on a great circle of the earth, which is the Ihorteft line |
that can be drawn on the earth’s furface between two
places.
By this agreement between the diftance thus eftimated,
and that deduced by computation, on fuppofing the difference
of longitude between Yakutik and Bolcherelk to
be 270 H| it feems very improbable, that there Ihould
be an error of many degrees in the aftronomical determination.
N n 2 Since