Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-03-16
From the National Lnte!hgeucer.
To tie People of the United Safes.

Having announced to the public, some
@moa'ns ago my in ention of entering INTO az.
tion0meal calculations to determine, by
one OF the most approved methods of CON.
pu'ation hitherto DEVISED, the longitude OF
sae Capito, IN the CITY OF Washington from
Iieenwlch conservatory, IN Engi2Rd. for
d the purpose Of fixing a first MERIDIAN for
the y. D. at the permanent Seat OF their
government, ! have thought Is a duty
iocumoent On me to tuihl tnr promise tneD
maze, 20 far as the data afforded by sln-
:, sic observation would admit. The result
mas been obtained with great accuracy, on
TIE tolLw az principles.
Isl. ouiposing the form of the Earth to
De that oi a-periect sphere, the length vi
WHOSE polar IS exactly the same as ITS e..
Quitcrisn Ola 0e-orJ Consequently, no reduc.
tlon Das been made, IN tDAt Case ei5her o.
the latitude ot t.e Capitol, 10y observation
or OF the Moons equatorial nOrizenlal pa
4, rallax.
u. Admitting the figure or shape of the
EARN 20 De ala CDiale Spnero.d, the RATIO
q. OF Whose equa,or!ai 10 the polar aAIs, is as
sujned to cs as 3s4 20 333; according to
which ratio, u reduction OF the latitude vi
the place, and o. the Moo.,'s horizontal
paralIaX, mas been made. .
81. hiiowing the ratio of the axis to be
as $50 TO 229.
several considerations induced me to un-
deftakt taisfwork, among winch, are
ne reoist wltn which 1 have seen for
huJ, oSr Oi years pat,eDt, or rather a
regardless APPEARANCE OF acquIescence IL
ue6I railing state OF dependence on u for.
eign hat'cn. by submitting 10 the custom
OF reckoning our departure, or estimating
OIL long uue from Greeuwicn ooservato
~, IN England, as If a prominent link la
the Cham OF coz former colonial vassaiase,
could not Oe bToken, as well as,tnC others
ny Tie pia0 vi the E.iy oil Washing .ou
in the IsIttory Ct Columbia; ,he CapItol
IN that Cry, is 10 ended 10 be hcs me
Tedan iOI the u. D. bul in order 10 es-
tabllsiran as such, the distance be,we n
II End 81 me osheI known meTedian 10 Eu.
Iope. CT eisen here, measured OF esIma
ted on parallel TO the EquasOrJ and re-.
fered 10 he Center OF the Earth unde.
the respective merchants Tor which The
computation may DC made, should he as.
'ertalntd on correct principles, aud viii
due precIsIon: however exact the data o.
clemens connected with single Ooser
VatiOn may DC, the result Oh nt not u
be nepended upon as CONCLUSIVE, wI,hou
comparing II with those which may, res
ptctVely be found IN iuture, by skliu
PERSONS, and wUh good instruments. Solar
ecEs SEES aud occuitsuons oil known hheC
s.are W Inc moon. aiSJrd the best mean.
hnbertO uIsCOysGed Tor determining the
longitude vi a place with sufficient accu-
lacy but when they cannO be rSsorteC
to--olhet methods winch give d near ap
Proclamation 10 the truth, ought MOI TO 0t
dIsi egaIded
The Improvements made in the lunal
tables since the ysar 1904, from the dts.
coYery of new equations by vi. de la Pace,
make Il necessary to les, the result iodo,
Ced on lie ocCuDtslIon Of PleIaddG, Al
tyons by Ihe mooa, en- Tie pshl of t1s
2o.h Of Oct ia shat year, w,,n o,he.
.Ihean-of Iesestch, especially when 1.
>hisI neied.an iol ~ county IS ~ opOseC