FT. i. Astronomy and Geology compared. 27 



than it is to time ; it not only occupies the same 

 time to a second, but it traverses exactly the same 

 orbit. This may be verified by observations of the 

 position of the Earth with reference to the con- 

 stellations, and in passing through the different 

 signs of the zodiac at different periods of the year. 

 We find that its relative bearing to the fixed stars, 

 which determines its place in the heavens, is always 

 the same at the same period of the year. 



Another proof of the absolute precision and uni- 

 formity by which all the motions of the heavenly 

 bodies are regulated may be drawn from the methods 

 to ascertain the longitude. The general principle 

 upon which the observations for this purpose are 

 founded is of course familiar to all educated persons. 

 The daily revolution of the Earth round its axis 

 from west to east takes place in twenty-four hours. 

 The 360, therefore, into which every one of the 

 parallels of latitude is divided, are traversed at the 

 rate of 15 per hour, or 1 in four minutes. IF, 

 therefore, any particular meridian is adopted, say 

 the meridian of Greenwich, as the line from which 

 the distances in longitude are calculated, the differ- 

 ence in time between that meridian and any point 

 on the Earth's surface will correspond with the 



