[Footnote 133: Nov. Com. Pet. III. p. 444.]
If the arguments which have been already produced should not appear sufficiently satisfactory, we have the further testimony of Mr. Muller, who was in those parts at the same time with Krassilnikoff, and who is the only competent judge of this matter now alive. For that respectable author has given me the most positive assurances, that the instruments were not damaged in such a manner as to effect the accuracy of the observations when in the hands of a skilful observer.
[Sidenote: Accuracy of the Russian Geographers.] That the longitude of Kamtchatka is laid down with sufficient accuracy by the Russian geographers, will appear by comparing it with the longitude of Yakutsk; for as the latter has been clearly established by a variety of observations, taken at different times and by different persons, if there is any error in placing Kamtchatka so far to the East, it will be found in the longitude between Yakutsk and Bolcheresk. A short comparison therefore of some of the different observations made at Yakutsk will help to settle the longitude of Kamtchatka, and will still farther confirm the character of a skilful observer, which has been given to Krassilnikoff.
Krassilnikoff in returning from Kamtchatka observed at Yakutsk several eclipses of the satellites of Jupiter, of which the following are mentioned by him as the most exact.
1744, Old Style. h ´ ´´ [134]Feb. 7. Imm. I. Sat. 11 18 35 somewhat doubtful. 22. Imm. II. Sat. 10 31 11} 29. Imm. II. Sat. 13 6 54} Mar. 1. Imm. I. Sat. 11 23 0} all exact. Apr. 9. Em. I. Sat. 12 23 50}
[Footnote 134: Nov. Comm. Petr. T. III. p. 460.]
The same eclipses, as calculated by the tables of Mr. Wargentin, for the meridian of Paris, are as follow:
h ´ ´´ h ´ ´´ Feb. 7. Imm. I. 2 49 0 Difference of 8 29 35 27. Imm. I. 12 3 10 the meridians 8 21 1 29. Imm. II. 4 38 17 of Paris-- 8 28 37 Mar. 1. Imm. I. 3 3 37 and Yakutsk 8 29 23 Apr. 9. Em. I. 3 54 12 8 29 46 ---------- The mean of which is 8 29 5 ----------
The observations of Mr. Islenieff[135], made at Yakutsk in the year 1769, to which place he was sent to observe the transit of Venus, have received the sanction of the Imperial Academy. The longitude which he fixes for Yakutsk is 8^h 29´ 34´´. this corresponds, to a sufficient degree of exactness, with the longitude inferred from, the observations of Krassilnikoff.