"The world's dread laugh, which scarce
The firm philosopher can scorn,"
will bear a testimonial to his talents and worth, that the best of his species will ever delight to acknowledge. And though he may not have accounted for every particular, or brought forward every argument that might possibly be advanced in support of his positions; he has, nevertheless, collected a greater number of peculiarly interesting facts, and embodied a stronger phalanx of proof, than could well have been expected on a subject so new, and in the hands of the original discoverer.
If, hereafter, it should be ascertained that Symmes's Theory of the Earth is true, impartial posterity will not withhold the honour and fame due to the name of the discoverer.
It is hoped, however, that the present age will not so far forfeit to posterity the high character it now sustains in scientific discovery, as to remain deaf to his solicitations; but, that the citizens of our own country in particular, if not the whole world, will unite in testing the truth of his principles; and in doing justice to the merits of this extraordinary man.
FINIS.
FOOTNOTES
[1] National Intelligencer of June 10th, 1824.
[2] A tolerably correct representation of the sphere might be made by taking a hollow terrestrial globe, such as are used in colleges, and insert a saw at north latitude sixty-eight degrees in Lapland, sawing obliquely through, so as to come out at latitude fifty degrees in the Pacific ocean. The aperture thus produced, will show the general dimensions and slope of the north polar opening. And in the southern hemisphere, commencing with the saw at south latitude thirty four degrees, in longitude between fifty and fifty-five degrees east, in the Indian ocean, and sawing obliquely through, in the same manner, so as to come out at south latitude forty-six degrees, and longitude one hundred and thirty degrees west, in the South Pacific ocean, you will represent the appearance of the south polar opening; and the whole will exhibit a general representation of the sphere, according to the new theory.
[3] The solidity of the earth is easily calculated by the measure of a meridional degree; but the result will be different according to the measurement assumed, as the length of a degree differs in different latitudes. "Notwithstanding all the admeasurements that have hitherto been made, it has never been demonstrated, in a satisfactory manner, that the earth is strictly a spheroid; indeed, from observations made in different parts of the earth, it appears that its figure is by no means that of a regular spheroid, nor that of any other known regular mathematical figure; and the only certain conclusions that can be drawn from the works of the several gentlemen employed to measure the earth is, that the earth is something more flat at the poles than at the equator." [Keith on globes p. 56. New-York, 1811.]