celle que présente la carte de D'Anville, en mesurant le long des côtes depuis l'embouchure de la Tamise jusqu'à Tinmouth, on ne peut se dispenser d'y reconnoître l'ancienne limite de l'Ecosse: c'est là d'ailleurs qu'aboutissoit le Vallum Hadriani, qui est du siècle de Ptolémée, et qui séparoit la Bretagne de la Calédonie.

Quant à l'autre objet de votre demande, si vous faites attention que Ptolémée a trop élevé toutes les latitudes de l'Angleterre, qu'il s'est trompé de 3° 30' sur celle de Vedera, en la portant à 58° 30', au lieu de 55°, vous reconnoîtrez que s'il avoit bien orienté la Calédonie, en la dessinant comme il l'a fait, le cap Orcas se seroit trouvé à 64 degrés de latitude, c'est-à-dire, c'est-à-dire, plus au nord que sa Thule, où le plus long jour, fixé à vingt heures comme il le dit, indiquoit pour son temps une latitude de 62° 57' 1", ou de 63 degrés en nombres ronds.

is given by D'Anville's map, on measuring the coast from the mouth of the Thames to Tynemouth. Hence we have sure grounds for establishing the ancient boundary of Scotland: this too was the point of termination of Adrian's Wall, which was a work of Ptolemy's time, raised to separate Britain from Caledonia.

As to the other object of your inquiry, I beg of you to observe that Ptolemy has assigned too great an elevation to all the latitudes of England: that with regard to that of Vedera he has made a mistake of 3° 30′, by raising it to 58° 30′, instead of 55°: and you thus cannot fail to see that, had he put Caledonia in its true situation as to the east, drawing it at the same time as he has done, his Cape Orcas would be in 64° of latitude, and would thus be more northward than his Thule, where he has fixed the duration of his longest day at twenty hours, thus indicating a latitude of 63°, to speak in round numbers.

Mais, comme il savoit que les Isles Orcades étoient plus méridionales que Thule, et la Calédonie ou l'Ecosse plus méridionale encore, il s'est vu forcé, pour placer tous les points de cette dernière contrée aux distances que les itinéraires lui donnoient, de courber et de porter toute sa partie septentrionale vers l'orient, afin de retrouver, dans le sens des longitudes, l'espace que l'observation faite à Thule lui interdisoit de prendre dans le sens des latitudes.

Remarquez encore, que si des 61° 40', où Ptolémée a placé le promontoire Novantum, vous déduisez les 3° 30' d'erreur qu'il a faite sur la hauteur de Vedera, il restera 58° 10′; et cette latitude s'éloignant peu de celle du Cap Dunnet, prouve qu'il avoit existé des observations qui indiquoient le parallèle où se terminoit l'Ecosse.

Je désire, Monsieur, que ces explications puissent

Since, however, he knew that the position of the Orkney Isles was still more southern than Thule, and that Caledonia, or Scotland, was even more to the south, he found it out of his power to arrange the different points of this latter country according to the distances assigned them by the itineraries, without giving its northern part an inclination towards the East. This therefore he has done, and has thus accomplished, in the direction of the longitude, what he was prevented by the observation he had made at Thule from effecting, as should have been done, in latitude.

It is still further to be remarked, that if from 61° 40′, where Ptolemy has placed the promontory which he calls Novantum, we deduct the error of 3° 30′, made, as above stated, in the latitude of Vedera, the remainder is 58° 10′, which is nearly the true latitude of Cape Dunnet, and shows that the parallel assigned to the termination of Scotland was founded upon real observations.

It will give me great pleasure to hear that these explanations

vous satisfaire je l'apprendrai avec plaisir; et je vous prie de croire que j'en aurai toujours beaucoup à m'entretenir avec vous.

MADAME GORDON TO MR. PINKERTON.

Canton Leman, à la Sarras en Suisse,
le 3 Juin, 1803.

Votre lettre du 25 Mai m'inspire de la confiance; et encore plus le nom d'Ecossois que vous portez: feu mon mari était de cette nation, et a toujours

may prove satisfactory to you, as I earnestly hope will be the case; and I assure you it will make me most happy to converse with you at any time on the subject.

MRS. GORDON TO MR. PINKERTON.

Province of Leman, at Sarras in Switzerland,
June 3d, 1803.

Your letter of the 25th May claims my confidence, which I am still more willing to give to a gentleman who is a native of Scotland: it was to that country that my late husband be

* Madame Gordon, née Nicollet, as she signs herself, was widow of Colonel Gordon, who accompanied Lieutenant Paterson in his travels into the interior of Africa; and Lieutenant Paterson, in his narrative of those travels, (p. 3.) says “I was particularly fortunate in meeting with a gentleman, Captain Gordon, now Colonel, who had travelled in this country some years before, (about 1774,) and was lately returned from Holland as second in command, and appointed to succeed Colonel Du Phren who was then commander-in-chief. Colonel Gordon is a gentleman of extensive information in most branches of natural history; and, I believe, is the only person who has any considerable knowledge of that country, being acquainted with

conservé pour eux les sentimens et les liaisons les plus intimes; et je peux dire que nos meilleurs amis sont en Angleterre, et que j'ai toujours eu envie que ce fût avec eux que j'eusse à traiter pour un ouvrage qui mérite leur attention et leur suffrage, et qui l'a eu de tous les connoisseurs; car mon mari est connu, et étoit en correspondance avec plusieurs savans de tous pays: les apparences sont entièrement contre ce que j'ai l'honneur de vous dire: la chose n'en est pas moins certaine; et, lorsque j'aurai l'honneur de vous voir, je vous expliquerai les circonstances qui m'ont fait agir comme j'ai fait: donnez-vous la peine de relire le prospectus, et vous y verrez, Monsieur, que les journaux

longed; and to the last hour of his life he always cherished feelings of warm attachment towards it. I may still further add that our best friends are in England, and that I have always entertained a hope that I might eventually have to treat with an Englishman for a work which is deserving the attention and support of the nation.

My husband, Colonel Gordon, was a man who was generally known, and had an extensive correspondence with literary men in all countries: I am aware that appearances are against what I have the honor to state to you, but the fact itself is unquestionable; and if I should ever have the good fortune to make your personal acquaintance, I will explain to you the circumstances that have caused me to adopt my present line of conduct.

If you will give yourself the trouble again to read my pro

the interior parts for near 1500 miles from the Cape. He had acquired the language of the Hottentots, which, together with his perfect acquaintance with the Dutch language, gave him an advantage over most other travellers." His travels, which are the subject of this and of a great many other letters from Madame Gordon, which I have not thought it necessary to print, have never, I believe, been published.

sont écrits en Hollandois; et je ne crois pas qu'ils fournissent plus d'un volume en quarto. Ce qui rend l'ouvrage volumineux sont les cartes, et leurs explications, les dessins des vues de l'intérieur du pays, de même que des dessins de plantes et d'animaux en tous genres: il est impossible de se former une idée de l'immensité de ce travail par un simple exposé, il faut le voir. Je serois charmée d'avoir l'honneur de vous voir chez moi; mais, en cas qu'il vous convînt mieux de les voir à Paris, je consens volontiers à y aller moi-même avec tous les papiers, en cas que je sois sûre de votre part que nous pourrons nous arranger ensemble; ce qui ne sera pas bien difficile, puisque j'aurai à faire avec un honnête homme. Suivant votre réponse, je pourrois être à Paris avant la fin de ce mois.

spectus, you will see that the journals are written in Dutch; and it is my opinion that they would not fill more than a single quarto volume. The bulk, I am aware, promises much more; but it is swelled by numerous maps and the explanation of them, as well as by a great variety of drawings, some of them representing the interior of the country, others of plants and animals of all kinds. No statement which I could make would enable you to form an idea of the extent of the labor: to judge of it adequately, you must see it with your own eyes. I should be delighted to have the honor of receiving you in Switzerland; but, if it should suit you better to look over my collections at Paris, I would willingly make the journey, and bring with me all my papers, provided you feel there is a reasonable expectation of our coming to terms. In this important respect I am willing to place the most entire confidence in your character. Should your answer be favorable, I may arrive at Paris before the end of the present month.