52 
A MANUAL FOR NORTHERN WOODSMEN 
ing as dark lines. If light enough is not so obtained, 
a tin reflector may be made of the design shown, or a 
piece of tracing cloth or greased paper 
with a hole cut in it may be bound bell- 
shape over the front of the instrument 
with a string or rubber band. 
Directions for obtaining the true merid¬ 
ian which involve an accurate knowledge 
of time are not adapted to the use of the 
woodsman. The following directions do 
not impose that very difficult requirement. 
(From United States “ Manual of Instructions for Sur¬ 
vey of the Public Lands.”) 
Reflector 
To Obtain a Meridian at Culmination of Polaris 
Great 
Zeta 
Bear 
A very close approximation to a meridian may be had by re¬ 
membering that Polaris very nearly reaches the meridian when 
it is in the same vertical plane with the star Delta (5) in the con¬ 
stellation Cassiopeia. The vertical 
wire of the transit should be fixed 
upon Polaris, and occasionally brought 
down to the star Delta, to observe its 
approach to the same vertical line. « 
When both stars are seen upon the 
wire, Polaris is very near the meridian. 
A small interval of time (as 6 min. in 
1908) will then be allowed to pass, 
while Delta moves rapidly east and 
Polaris slightly east to the actual me¬ 
ridian. At that moment the cross wire 
should be placed upon Polaris, and the 
meridian firmly marked by stakes and 
tack-heads. 
Polaris 
..North Pole . 
This method is practicable only 
when the star Delta is below the pole 
during the night ; when it passes the 
meridian above the pole, it is too near 
the zenith to be of service, in which 
case the star Zeta (f), the last star but 
one in the tail of the Great Bear, may 
be used instead. 
Delta (5) Cassiopeia? is on the me¬ 
ridian below Polaris and the pole, at 
midnight about April 10, and is, there¬ 
fore, the proper star to use at that date 
three months before and after. 
* 
+ 
* * 
Delta r * 
* 
Cassio peia 
and for some two or 
