Biot
88 53.3 Arago
90 53.6 Arago
88 53.8 Arago
92 53.7 Arago
42 55.6 Chaix
90 54.1 Chaix
80 53.9 Arago

Mean of 1318 Observations, 38deg. 39min. 54.93sec.

Sets of Observations made with a six-inch repeating circle, at Maranham.

Star. Number of Latitude Observer.
Observations. deduced.

deg. min. sec.
alpha Lyrae 8 2 31 42.4 Capt. Sabine
alpha Lyrae 12 43.8 Ditto
alpha Pavonis 10 44.5 Ditto
alpha Lyrae 12 44.6 Ditto
alpha Cygni 12 42.1 Ditto
alpha Gruris 12 42.2 Ditto

Mean latitude deduced from 66 observations 2deg. 31min 43.3sec.

In comparing these results, although the French observations were more
than twenty times as numerous as the English, yet the deviations of the
individual sets from the mean are greater. One second and three-tenths
is the greatest deviation from the mean of the Maranham observations;
whilst the greatest deviation of those of Formentera, is two seconds
and two-tenths. If this mode of comparison should be thought unfair, on
account of the greater number of the sets in the French observations,
let any six, in succession, of those sets be taken, and compared with
the six English sets; and it will be found that in no one instance is
the greatest deviation from the mean of the whole of the observations
less than in those of Maranham. It must also be borne in mind, that
by the latitude deduced by the mean of 1250 superior culminations of
Polaris by the same observers, the latitude of Formentera was found to
be 38deg. 39min 57.07sec., a result differing by 2.14sec. from the mean
of the 1318 inferior culminations given above. [This difference cannot
be accounted for by any difference in the tables of refraction, as
neither the employment of those of Bradley, of Piazzi, of the French, of
Groombridge, of Young, of Ivory, of Bessel, or of Carlini, would make a
difference of two-tenths of a second.]

Thes