ABSTRACT
Like Voltaire himself, Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis had reached the point where the intrigues of Paris were becoming too much for him, and a real threat to his work. Maupertuis, though originally thinking more of a return to extend the Tornea meridian, was enthusiastic about the Vattern alternative. He replied eagerly, offering to come via Gothenberg, confident that Celsius would pave the way with proven efficiency and back-up from his military connections. In the written account Maupertuis included another glowing description of the great Graham sector, its solidity and precision a standing criticism of the more primitive equipment of the Cassinis. The latter supposition would imply a deviousness hard to credit, given the extended criticism made of the northern expedition in the work, and the generous space accorded to the exploits of the Cassinis – but a majority of commentators have accepted this attribution.
