The WjtturattandMoratl 



light. But for my part, Iholdforcertaine,thatitisnot 

 v'eric Ancient, forbefides thereafonsalleadgcdin the 

 former chapter, I have not read in any ancient Author, 

 treatingofdialles,any mention made of the Adamant. 

 And yet vndoubtedly , the principal! and moft necefla- 

 rie inftumcnt for funne dialls, which we vie at this 

 day , is the needle of iron touched with the Adamant 

 ftoae . Some approved Authors write in the HMtoric 

 oftheEaft/W/tf, that the firft which began to difco- 

 ver this fecret vpon the fea,was Vafcor dc Ga?&a,vtho in 

 ^theheigth of 'Mozambique, met with certaine Mariners 

 j>/i.//a./.Moorcs , which vied this compafle or needle to faile 

 k j k t i ie mcancs thereof, he (ailed through thofc 



J J /, r \ i D i i 



M rt\>. leas : yet they write not from whom they learned this 

 A lt> Andfomeamongft themareofouropinion,that 

 the Ancients were ignorant of this fecret. Moreover, I 

 will (hew a greater wonder of the needle to faile by, 

 which we might hold incredible,if we had not proofe 

 thereofby vndoubted experience. The iron touched 

 or rubbed with that part of the Adamant ftone which 

 is towards the South,hath this vertue, to turnealwaies 

 and in all places to the contrarie , which is the 

 North . Yet doth it not in all places diredly regard it, 

 but hath certaine points and climats , where it dircft-, 

 lyregardes the North, and their ftaies : but changing 

 this climate,it inclines a little, either to the Eaft, or to 

 the Weft, the farther it goes from this climat , which 

 the Mariners cal Norrh-eaft,or North- weft,which is to 

 (ay, coafting or inclining totheE^ft, or to the Weft*. 

 And it is a thing of fuch confequence, to vnderfhnd 

 this declining orcoafting of the needle, that if they 

 ob(erve it not advifedly (although it bee fmallj they 

 fliall ftray wondeifully in their courfc , and arrive in 



awother 



