Page:The Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms.djvu/110

86 NOTES. of spherical triangles, the method affords the solution of spherical triangles in certain cases by addition and subtraction only. It seems to be due to Wittich of Breslau, who was assistant for a short time to Tycho Brahe; and it was used by them in their calculations in 1582.

In the spherical trigonometry the notation used in the original is either of the form 34 gr 24′ 49″ or 34: 24′ : 49″, but in the translation the form of notation used is always 34° 24′ 49″.

The various passages from Napier’s works bearing on these points are given below.

The first two are referred to by Robert Napier in the first page of the Preface, line 5. They appeared in the Descriptio, published in 1614,—the first, entitled Admonitio, on p. 7 (Bk. I. chap. ii.), and the second, with the title Conclusio, on the 57th or last page of the work (Bk. II. chap. vi.)

The third passage, entitled Admonitio, is printed on the back of the last page of the Table of Logarithms published along with the Descriptio, but is omitted in many copies.

The fourth was inserted by Napier at p. 19 (Bk. I. chap. iv.) of Wright’s translation, published in 1616.

The last is the passage referred to in the second page of the Preface, line 18. It is the opening paragraph in the Dedication of ‘Rabdologize’ to Sir Alexander Seton.

Up to this point we have explained the genesis and properties of logarithms, and we should here show by what calculations or method of computing they are to be had. But as we are issuing the whole Table containing the loga- rithms with their sines to every minute of the quadrant, we leave the Theory of their Construction for a more fitting time and pass on to their use. So that their use and advantages being first understood, the rest may either please the more if published hereafter or at least displease the less by being buried in silence.