aveir's azimuth diagram. 287 



In closing, I may add that while fire and marine have much 

 actuarial science to learn from life insurance, yet the life insurers 

 have somewhat of importance to learn from the fire and marine 

 insurances. These latter are "valued policies," i.e., the ship or 

 house is insured for its full value — that which will replace it if it is 

 lost. Now, of course no mere moiiey will replace a life lost, but 

 for financial purposes I venture to throw out the hint that a man 

 is worth ten years' purchase, i.e., his life should be insured for ten 

 times as much as he earns by personal exertion. And, lastly, 

 may 1 express the hope that life insurance may progress still in 

 scientific exactitude, that the other branches may follow in her 

 steps speedily, and that, seeing that the uncertainty of life is 

 reduced to a mathematical certainty by the mathematician, the 

 actuary, and the insurance companies, that it will be much more 

 largely availed of by the general population, and that we shall hear 

 no more of the opposition of science or the aspersions of gambling 

 as regards those matters which are applications of mathematics to 

 actuarial science. 



-o-^Jl-o- 



9.— EXPLAINING THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF 

 WEIR'S AZIMUTH DIAGRAM.* 



By PATRICK WEIR, Master Mariner. 



Before proceeding to the principal business of this paper it may 

 be well for me to say a few words regarding the importance to 

 navigators of possessing some simple and inexpensive means of 

 readily ascertaining the true bearing of a celestial body at any 

 time, certain necessary data being available. 



It may seem superfluous for me to enlarge on the vital impor- 

 tance of knowmg exactly in what direction a vessel is being steered ; 

 but I may point out that in these days of record-breaking, when 

 fast steamers, to render the distance as short as possible, cut close 

 to dangerous corners at full speed and in spite of fog or darkness, 

 accuracy in the adjustment of the compass is of far more impor- 

 tance than was the case a few years ago, and is at the same time 

 more difficult of attainment on account of the universal employ- 

 ment of iron or steel in modern shipbuilding. 



As an example of the influence of a steel ship on the magnetic 

 needle, I may mention that in a new vessel the compass has been 

 deflected as much as thirteen points. When we consider that six- 

 teen points is a semicircle, and would be a complete reversal of the 

 needle, it becomes rather rough on the old proverb which says 



* Captain Weir's Azimuth Diagram is published with the Admiralty Charts by J. D. 

 Potter, 11, King-street, Tower Hill, London, 



