52 VARIATION OF THE COMPASS. 



LlE ; T - day is the needle of iron touched with the Adamant stone. 



Some approved Authors write in the Historie of the East 



Indies that the first which began to discover this secret was 



vpon the sea was Vasco da Gama, who,, in the heigth of 



Mosambique, met with certaine Mariners Moores which vsed 



iiiust. this compasse or needle to saile by, and by the meanes 



? n .,iib.ii, thereof he sailed through those seas; yet they write not 



.Vii. ca. from whom they learned this Art. And some amongst 

 them are of our opinion, that the Ancients were ignorant of 

 this secret. Moreover, I will shew a greater wonder of the 

 needle to saile by, which we might hold incredible, if we 

 had not proofe thereof by vndoubted experience. The iron 

 touched or rubbed with that part of the Adamant stone 

 which is towards the South, hath this vertue, to turuo 

 alwaies and in all places to the contrarie, which is the 

 North. Yet doth it not in all places directly regard it, but 

 hath certaine points and climats, where it directly regardes 

 the North and their staies; but changing this climate, it- 

 inclines a little, either to the East, or to the West, the 

 farther it goes from this climat, which the Mariners cal 

 North-east, or North-west, which is to say, coasting or in 

 clining to the East or to the West. And it is a thing; of 



o O 



such consequence to vnderstand this declining or coasting 

 of the needle, that if they observe it not advisedly, although 

 it bee small, they shall stray wonderfully in their course, j 

 and arrive in another place then where they pretended to 

 go. Once a very expert Pilot of Portugal told mee that 7 

 there were foure poyntes in all the world, whereas the [ 

 needle looked directly towards the North, the which hee ( 

 named, but I do not Well remember them. One is in the /) 

 height of the Hand of Corvo at the Terceres or AQores, 

 which is very well knowne to all men; but passing to a 

 greater altitude it declines to the West, and contrariwise, 

 drawing to a lesse altitude towardes the Equinoctiall it 

 leanes to the East. TLe masters of this Arfce can well tell 



