Chap. 77.] THE LAYING OUT OF LAN'DS. 115 



run exactly from right and left of the northern point to left 

 and right of the southern one. All these lines must pass 

 through the centre of the umbilicus, and all must be of corre- 

 sponding length, and at equal distances. This method should 

 always be adopted in laying out land; or if it should be found 

 necessarj^ to employ it frequently, a plan" of it may be made 

 in wood, sticks of equal length being fixed upon the surface 

 of a small tambour,'** but perfectly round. In the method 

 ■which I am here explaining, it is necessary to point out one 

 l)recaution that must always be observed by those who are 

 unacquainted with the subject. The point that must be veri- 

 fied first of all is the south, as that is always the same ; but 

 the sun, it must be remembered, rises every day at a point in 

 tlie heavens different to that of his rising on the day before, 

 so tliut the east must never be taken as the basis for tracing 

 the lines. 



Having now ascertained the various points of the heavens, 

 tlie extremity of the line that is nearest to the north, but lying 

 to tlie east of it, will indicate the solstitial rising, or, in other 

 words, the rising of the sun on the longest day, as also the 

 point from which the wind Aquilo '^ blows, known to the Greeks 

 by the name of Boreas. You should plant all trees and vines 

 facing this point, but take care never to plough, or sow corn, 

 or plant in seed plots, while this wind is blowing, for it has the 

 effect of drying up and blasting the roots of the trees while 

 being transplanted. Be taught in time — one thing is good fur 

 grown trees, another for them while they are hut young. l\oi 

 have I forgotten the fact, that it is at this point of the heavens 

 that the Greeks place the wind, to which they give the name 

 of Csecias ; Aristotle, a man of most extensive learning, who 

 has assigned to Caecias this position, explains that it is in con- 

 sequence of the convexity of the earth, that Aquilo blows in 

 an opposite direction to the wind called Africus. 



The agriculturist, however, has nothing to fear from Aquilo, 

 in respect to the operations hefore mentioned, all the )"ear 

 through ; for this wind is softened by the sun in the middle of 



"(T Very similar to our compass, bat describing only eight points of 

 the Avind, instead of thirty two. 



78 u Tympanum," a drum, similar in shape to our tambourines or else 

 kettle-drums. 



•9 See B. ii. c. 46. 



