288 FERGUSON'S LECTURES. 



LECT. the north pole ; and all the northern places which go 

 ^1^*- through any part of the dark, will go through a less 

 portion of it than they do of the light ; and the more 

 so, the farther they are from the equator : consequently, 

 their days are then longer than their nights. When the 

 globe comes to a point in the hoop, mid-way between 

 the highest and lowest points, the candle will be directly 

 over the equator, aud will enlighten the globe just from 

 pole to pole ; and then every place on the globe will go 

 through equal portions of light and darkness, as it runs 

 round its axis; and consequently, the day and night 

 will be of equal length at all places upon it. As the 

 globe advances thenceforward, towards the highest 

 part of the hoop, the candle will be on the south side 

 of the equator, shining farther and farther round the 

 south pole, as the globe rise higher and higher in the 

 hoop ; leaving the north pole as much in darkness, as 

 the south pole is then in the light, and making long days 

 and short nights on the south side of the equator, and 

 the contrary on the north side, whilst the globe con- 

 tinues in the northern or higher side of the hoop : and 

 when it comes to the highest point, the days will be at 

 the longest, and the nights at the shortest, in the 

 southern hemisphere ; and the reverse in the northern. 

 As the globe advances and descends in the hoop, the 

 light will gradually recede from the south pole, and ap- 

 proach towards the north pole, which will cause the 

 northern days to lengthen, and the southern days to 

 shorten in the same proportion. When the globe comes 

 to the middle point, between the highest and lowest 

 points of the hoop, the candle will be over the equator, 

 enlightening the globe just from pole to pole, when 

 every place of the earth (except the poles) will go 

 through equal portions of light and darkness ; and con- 

 s.equently, the day and night will be then equal, all over 

 the globe. 



And thus, at a very small expense, one may have a 



