As I have shown (p. 23), the sun’s passage through this declination four times on its annual path on the dates stated accurately divides the year into four equal parts. But this accuracy might have been neglected by the early observers, so that, for instance, the sun’s position on the 4th or 8th of May instead of that on the 6th might have been chosen as being in greater harmony with the agricultural conditions at the place. The conditions of the sunrise from John o’ Groat’s to Land’s End, 2′ of the sun being visible above the sky-line, can be gathered from the following diagram:-- [Illustration: FIG. 50.--Place of first appearance of the May sun, in British latitudes. ~Vertical axis: N. LAT. From bottom: 48-59.~ ~Horizontal axis: AZIMUTHS. From left: 55-67.~ ~Curves, from left: HORIZON, 0° HILL, 2°HILL.~] The exact azimuths for this sunrise in the Land’s End region (Lat. 50°) in relation to the place of the sunrise when half the sun has risen, with a sea horizon, are shown in Fig. 51. [Illustration: FIG. 51.--Showing the influence of the height of the sky-line on the apparent place of sunrise in May and August. The double circle shows the tabular place of sun’s centre.] CHAPTER XXV THE MERRY MAIDENS CIRCLE (LAT. 50° 4′ N.) One of the best preserved circles that I know of is near Penzance. It is called the Merry Maidens[110] (Dawns-Maen), and is thus described by Lukis[111] (p. 1):-- “This very perfect Circle, which is 75 feet 8 inches in diameter, stands in a cultivated field which slopes gently to the south. “It consists of 19 granite stones placed at tolerably regular distances from each other, but there is a gap on the east side, where another stone was most probably once erected. “Many of the stones are rectangular in plan at the ground level, vary from 3 feet 3 inches to 4 feet in height, and are separated by a space of from 10 to 12 feet. There is a somewhat shorter interval between four of the stones on the south side. “In the vicinity of this monument are two monoliths called the Pipers; another called Goon-Rith; a holed stone (not long ago there were two others); and several [5] Cairns.” Lukis thus describes the “Pipers”:-- “Two rude stone pillars of granite stand erect, 317 feet apart, and about 400 yards to the north-east of the Circle of Dawns-Maen. No. 1 is 15 feet high, 4 feet 6 inches in breadth, and has an average thickness of 22 inches, and is 2 feet 9 inches out of the perpendicular. The stone is of a laminated nature, and a thin fragment has flaked off from the upper part. No. 2 is 13 feet 6 inches high, and is much split perpendicularly. At the ground level its plan in section is nearly a square of about 3 feet.” Goon-Rith is next described:--“No. 3 is naturally of a rectangular form in plan, and is 10 feet 6 inches in height. The land on which it stands is called Goon-Rith, or Red Downs. The upper part of the stone is of irregular shape.”