HOW TO OPERATE A COMPASS 
CONCERNING THE POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS HANDY 
LITTLE INSTRUMENT IN DETERMINING YOUR WAY IN THE WOODS 
By ELON JESSUP 
r'1 HERE is a common belief that the 
compass is a fool-proof kind of 
instrument; that it radiates a 
weird sort of rabbit-foot magic 
vhich eliminates all possibility of one’s 
;oing astray in the woods so long as it 
s carried on the person. This is far 
rom being the case. A compass has 
;reat possibilities, but it also has distinct 
imitations. I will give an instance in 
ny own experience as being fairly typi- 
al. I was once lost in the Nova Scotia 
vilderness for three days and I had a 
;ompass with me every minute of the 
ime. This distressing experience, how- 
wer, was not the fault of the compass, 
t was an example of the limitations of 
he compass and my own overconfidence 
tnd carelessness. 
I was hunting moose at the time, the 
lay was gray, and I became so fascinated 
11 'following tracks that I paid no atten- 
H ion either to natural landmarks or the 
lirection I was going from camp. I 
arried no maps, for the lay of the coun- 
ry had seemed perfectly simple to me. 
j 'Jew tracks in swampy mire drew me on 
nd on. Then, suddenly, there came the 
tartling realization that I was com- 
iletely lost. I drew out my compass and 
onsulted it, but in doing so I knew very 
1 cell that a compass was now of no use 
whatever to me. For I had not the 
lightest idea of the direction in which 
amp was located in relation to the points 
f the compass. Either a map or familiar 
andmarks used in connection with the 
ompass would have set me right. But 
oth of these were lacking. Three be¬ 
wildering days with neither food nor 
lankets had the effect of making me a 
lore careful person after that in using 
compass. 
If you have never used a woods’ com¬ 
ass, you should most assuredly know 
i what this valuable little instrument looks 
ke and how it works. It has the gen- 
ral outward appearance of a small 
watch. Similarly, it may have an open 
'ace, thus leaving the crystal unpro- 
1 ected or it may have a hinged hunter 
ase which completely covers the crystal 
when the compass is not being consulted. 
Vhen one is feeling his way through un- 
amiliar country he relies to such a great 
xtent upon the compass that he doesn’t 
.wish to run any chances of breaking it, 
nd for this reason the hinged case is 
referable. 
Indeed, there are some careful people 
who always carry two compasses when 
ntering the woods. There is much to be 
aid in favor of this custom not only be- 
ause of the possibility of breaking one 
'f these but also because of the added 
onfklenee which comes from having two. 
fou may not always believe one compass, 
nit when both show exactly the same 
tarings you feel reasonably safe. 
\Y J OODS’ compasses are of two gen- 
eral types. One of these is known 
as the “floating dial” and the other as the 
“needle” type. In the first named the 
dial is movable and a certain spot on it 
always points north, while in the second 
type the dial is static and one end of a 
movable needle points north. One is as 
serviceable as the other, but the “needle” 
compass is more generally used than the 
“floating dial,” so for this reason all that 
I have to say concerns chiefly the needle 
type. 
Courtesy Taylor Instrument Companies 
Floating dial compass 
At respective equi-distant intervals 
around the 360 degrees which comprise 
the circle dial of the compass are found 
the terms N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW. 
These, of course, mean North, Northeast, 
and so on. This dial would be quite use¬ 
less if it were not for the presence of the 
needle. The needle is suspended in air, 
half way between the dial and the crystal. 
A compass should always have a locking 
device which holds the needle immovable 
when not in use. This saves wear and 
tear. 
When the compass is held still and 
level and the needle is released, this 
trembling pointer moves uncertainly back 
and forth several times and then comes 
to a quivering rest. And when it does 
so, one end of the needle always points 
north and the other end always points 
south. There is no confusion as to which 
is which, for the north end of the needle 
is clearly designated in some manner. In 
most compasses the north end is colored 
Courtesy Taylor Instrument Companies 
Needle compass 
either black or blue, in others the north 
end is recognizable by the presence of a 
tiny piece of wire wound around it, while 
in still others, the north end assumes the 
form of an arrow head. 
Remember that the north end of the 
needle always points north and the south 
end always points south, irrespective of 
what the letters on the dial under the 
needle may say. One must not make the 
rather natural mistake of thinking that 
because one end of needle comes to rest, 
we will say, over the term SE, that the 
direction it is pointing is Southeast. 
So far as the location of North and 
South are concerned, the dial might just 
as well not be there, but, on the other 
hand, only by means of the dial is it pos¬ 
sible to locate intermediate points be¬ 
tween North and South. This is accom¬ 
plished by slowly revolving the compass 
case in your hands until the dial has 
been brought in such a position that the 
N is directly under the north end of the 
needle. And then the numerous read¬ 
ings on the dial show you the location of 
all points of the compass. 
[ HAVE referred to the possibilities and 
4 limitations of a compass. Let us see 
what some of these possibilities may be 
in average forest and field travel without 
recourse to the help of a paper map. 
This is the most simple use of the com¬ 
pass. It can never be absolutely ac¬ 
curate, but provided one etches in his 
head a reliable mental map of landmarks 
it is sufficiently accurate for a consider¬ 
able part of outdoor walking. 
A compass always shows clearly the 
general direction. It will take you in a 
reasonably straight line to a visible land¬ 
mark in the distance even though this 
landmark is completely lost to view dur¬ 
ing The greater part of the time while 
you are walking toward it. Or a com¬ 
pass will take you to an unseen spot be¬ 
yond the horizon provided you know 
upon starting the direction in which your 
destination is located. 
The average forest trail is a typical 
example of general direction. You make 
no pretence of walking in a straight line 
because it is easier and safer to follow 
the well trodden path. Most trails twist 
and squirm like a snake, but in spite of 
this fact follow a certain general direc¬ 
tion. It is always well to know this di¬ 
rection in relation to the points of the 
compass. On a bright, sunny day the 
position of the sun may tell enough, but 
on a gray day the compass is the only 
guide. 
The reason why it is wise to know this 
direction is that few people can resist the 
temptation to step off the trail now and 
then and explore the unbroken forest at 
one side. This is one of the most com¬ 
mon methods of getting lost. With a 
clearly marked trail only a few feet away 
one may become completely turned 
around without knowing it, strike off in 
the wrong direction, thinking one’s self 
headed for the trail, and then spend 
hours of bewilderment trying to find it 
again. Yet, if one carries and consults 
a compass, the general location of the 
trail is always perfectly clear. Upon re¬ 
tracing your steps you may not strike the 
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