Page:Baylee's Method of Finding the Longitude.djvu/16

Rh times, by night or day, including the Medium Cœli and the Nonagesimal Degree, with accuracy and precision, and without recurring to tedious calculation, or to instruments or apparatus of any description, taking as centres, successively, the Zenith Point, the Poles of the Equinoctial, and those of the Ecliptic.—The Position of Terrestrial Objects, as indicated by the Fixed Stars and by the Planets.—Terrestrial Latitude.—Terrestrial Longitude.—Theory of the Tides.

The object of the system on which this Course of Astronomy is founded is to render that noble science accessible without the toil of abstruse calculation or the expense of extensive apparatus. Through the medium of this system it is confidently expected this object will be attained by the attentive student in a short time, and with comparatively small effort, though with a strict adherence to the rigour of scientifical demonstration, as found in Newton's Principia, La Place's Mecanique Celeste, &c., to which constant reference will be had, but without labour to the student; nor will any expense be incurred beyond the fee, which is moderate; for the necessary instruction as to data will be given elegantly printed and free of expense, though extensive. No plates, no complex apparatus will be presented; the alone will be the object of contemplation; and this glorious display of the Creator's "handy-work," it is hoped, under his gracious assistance, the student will read soon and with intelligence, and so as to apply, without hesitation, to valuable practical purposes the heads above stated, and also a considerable mass of important particulars which has been, for the moment, omitted, in order to avoid fastidious display; but it will be found, that the system now presented will enable any attentive student, far within the limits of the time generally requisite, to conduct a ship round the globe, so far as nautical astronomy is concerned, unaided by any other apparatus than a good common watch, a common quadrant, and a sea compass, with which last the student could dispense if the firmament were clear at all times: and by this system the attentive student will also readily learn to depict, from nature, all the regions, kingdoms, &c., of the globe, an object which it is vain to attempt except through the medium of astronomy.

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