iv 
The I N T R O DUCT J O N. 
graces counted on the Meridian towards the Antarctic, is ftiled South, and thus the City of Lima , 
which is the Capital of Peru , lies in 12 0 6 1 South. 
It is eafy to difcern, that by knowing the Latitude of a Place, we know its Diftance from both 
Poles, and from the Equator ; but it is very evident, that knowing the Latitude of a Place, is very far 
from pointing out to us the Part of the Globe in which it lies, becaufe, numberlefs Places lie at the 
fame Diftance from the Equator, or, which is the fame Thing in other Words, lie under the fame 
Deg ree of Latitude, it is requifite therefore, to have fome other Mark, or Means of Diftiridtion, and 
this is furnifhed by the Longitude, which is reckoned upon the Equator itfelf from a firft Meridian. 
Ptolomy , who was the firft Geographer that made Ufe of this Manner of computing, laid down 
the firft Meridian, as pafling through the Canary Iflands, and in order to keep as clofe to this as poft 
lible, Louis XIII. of France , by an Edibt dated April 25, 1634, directed all the French Geographers 
to place their firft Meridian in the Ifland of Ferro , the moft weftern Ifland in the Canaries . Accord-* 
ing to this Computation, the City of Paris lies in the Longitude of 20° 30', that is fo far Eaft from 
the firft Meridian, and as the Latitude of this City is 48° 45', the exadt Situation thereof upon the 
Globe is fully and clearly determined. This Regulation of the firft Meridian, was confined to France 
only, and has even there been long out of Date. The Dutch Maps generally place the firft Meri- 
dian at the Pike of Tenerif. The Arabians fix theirs at the Streights of Gibraltar. The old Spa- 
niards would needs have it at Toledo , becaufe they faid Adam was the firft King of Spain , and the Sun 
at that Time of its Creation was placed in the Meridian of Toledo. 
Here, in England , we generally reckon the firft Meridian that of London , and inftead of counting, 
as the old Method was, from the Weft to the Eaft, we reckon both Ways: For Example, we fay, 
that Oxford lies in the Longitude of i° 1 y' Weft from London , whereas the City of TVarfaw in Po- 
land, lies in the Longitude of 20° 55' Eaft from London. In like Manner, the French Geographers 
reckon their Longitude from Paris ; for Inftance, Frezier fixes the Longitude of Lima in Peru 79 0 
45' Weft, by which he means, that the Difference of the Meridian of that City from the Meridian of 
Paris is fo much. I hope by this Time, the Meaning of thefe Terms is fo well fixed, that with refpedt 
to the Ufe made of them in this Work, the Reader can never be at a Lofs, or in any Danger of falL 
ing into Miftakes about them. 
There are, however, two Queftions that have been moved with refped to Latitude and Longitude, 
which, for Satisfaction of the Reader, I fhall examine. The firft is, why, fince the Circumference 
of the Globe is every Way equal, the Diftance towards North and South, fhould be ftiled Latitude, 
or Breadth, whereas that from Weft to Eaft is called Longitude, or Length ? The Anfwer to this is, 
that in meafuring the Latitude, we make ufe only of a Quadrant, or a Quarter of a Circle, fo 
that the Latitude of a Place cannot exceed 90°, whereas in counting the Longitude, the old Geogra- 
phers made ufe of a whole Circle, and the modern Geographers ufe the Semi-circle, fo that one Place 
may lie in the Latitude of 180° Eaft or Weft from the firft Meridian. The other Queftion is, why 
we reckon the Latitude from the Equator towards the Pole ? And the Anfwer to this is, becaufe the 
middle Part of the Earth was firft fettled, and the Extremities of it, towards the north and fouth Poles, 
are not yet fully difeovered, and it was meft natural to reckon from the known to the unknown j or, 
becaufe the Equator, and the Poles being two fixed Points, it was natural to meafure from one to the 
other, and the Diftance between them, being as we faid, but a Quarter of- a Circle, it was called La- 
titude, in DiftinCtion to Longitude, which was at firft meafured round the Globe, afterwards round 
half of it only. 
The different Temperature of the Air, and the different Length of Days, in the feveral Parts of the 
World, have occafioned the DiftinCtions of Zones and Climates, which are of very great Ufe. The 
Word Zone , if ftridtly taken, is no more than a Girdle, and the Reafon that it is made Ufe of, is, 
becaufe the feveral Zones are diftinguifhed by Circles that pafs round the Earth. Geographers reckon 
five, viz. the torrid Zone, the north temperate Zone, the fouth temperate Zone, the north frigid 
Zone, and the fouth frigid Zone. The torrid Zone is that Part of the terreftrial Globe which lies be- 
tween the two Tropics ; the north temperate Zone is that which lies between the Tropic of Cancer and 
the ardtic Circle ; the fouth temperate Zone lies between the Tropic of Capricorn , and the antardtic Cir- 
cle ; the north frigid Zone lies within the ardtic Circle, and the fouth frigid Zone within the antardtic Circle, 
The Ancients were of Opinion, that the torrid and frigid Zones were abfolutely uninhabitable, the 
former on Account of its prodigious Heat, the latter, by Reafon of their exceftive Cold. But Experience 
has (hewn, that they were miftaken, and with refpedt to the former, the Length of their Nights, the 
Frefhnefs of their Dews, the Conftancy and Regularity of the Winds, the Height of the Mountains, and 
the great Quantity of Vapours exhaled by the Sun, renders its Heat very fupportable to its Inhabitants 3 
on the other Hand, the Inclemency of the frigid Zone, is fo far moderated by the Length of Time, that 
the Sun remains in their Horizon ; that the Inhabitants are able to live very chearfully, and to great 
Ages. It is true, that the Countries they inhabit, are far from producing the Neceffaries of Life in Tuch 
Abundance as in warmer and more temperate Climes 5 but then the People are more hardy, capable of 
greater Fatigue, and prefer that Liberty which they enjoy in an erratic Kind of Life, to all the Plea- 
lures that are tailed in other Countries, and for this Reafon they have a ftronger Paffton for the Pla** 
ces of their Nativity than any other Nations whatever. 
The Auden s finding that this Divifion of the Surface of the Globe into five Zones, was too. ge- 
neral j and, as they fuppofed feveral of thefe to be uninhabitable, that it was fubjedt to many Incon- 
veni-encies, they had Recoui'fe to another invention, the moft ufeful indeed of any they introduced 
into this Science ; and this was their diftinguifhing the World into Climates. A Climate may be de- 
fined a certain Space of the Globe, in which the longeft Day exceeds, by half an Hour, the longeft 
Day in the Climate behind it towards the Equator, and falls fhort, by half an Hour, of the longeft 
Day 
