The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
the partie of the firmament schewethe in o contree, that schewethe not in
another contree. And men may well preven be experience and sotyle
compassement of wytt, that zif a man fond passages be schippes, that wolde
go to serchen the world, MEN MYGHTE GO BE SCHIPPE ALLE ABOUTE THE WORLD,
and aboven and benethen. The whiche thing I prove thus, aftre that I have
seyn. For I have ben toward the parties of Braban, and beholden the
astrolabre, that the sterre that is clept the Transmontayne, is 53 degrees
highe. And more forthere in Almayne and Bewme, it hathe 58 degrees. And
more forthe toward the parties septemtrioneles, it is 62 degrees of heghte,
and certeyn mynutes. For I my self have mesured it by the astrolabre. Now
schulle ze knowe, that azen the Transmontayne, is the tother sterre, that
is clept Antartyke; as I have seyd before. And tho 2 sterres ne meeven
nevere. And be hem turnethe alle the firmament, righte as dothe a wheel,
that turnethe be his axille tree; so that tho sterres beren the firmament
in 2 egalle parties; so that it hathe als mochel aboven, as it hathe
benethen. Aftre this, I have gon toward the parties meridionales, that is
toward the southe: and I have founden, that in Lybye, men seen first the
sterre Antartyk. And so fer I have gon more forthe in tho contrees, that I
have founde that sterre more highe; so that toward the highe Lybye, it is
18 degrees of heghte, and certeyn minutes (of the whiche, 60 minutes maken
a degree). After goynge be see and be londe, toward this contree, of that I
have spoke, and to other yles and londes bezonde that contree, I have
founden the sterre Antartyk of 33 degrees of heghte, and mo mynutes. And
zif I hadde had companye and schippynge, for to go more bezonde, I trowe
wel in certeyn, that wee scholde have seen alle the roundnesse of the
firmament alle aboute. For as I have seyd zou be forn, the half of the
firmament is betwene tho 2 sterres: the whiche halfondelle I have seyn. And
of the tother halfondelle, I have seyn toward the north, undre Transmontane
62 degrees and 10 mynutes; and toward the partie meridionalle, I have seen
undre the Antartyk 33 degrees and 16 mynutes: and thanne the halfondelle of
the firmament in alle, ne holdethe not but 180 degrees. And of tho 180, I
have seen 62 on that o part, and 33 on that other part, that ben 95
degrees, and nyghe the halfondelle of a degree; and so there ne faylethe
but that I have seen alle the firmament, saf 84 degrees and the halfondelle
of a degree; and that is not the fourthe part of the firmament. For the 4
partie of the roundnesse of the firmament holt 90 degrees: so there
faylethe but 5 degrees and an half, of the fourthe partie. And also I have
seen the 3 parties of alle the roundnesse of the firmament, and more zit 5
degrees and an half. Be the which I seye zou certeynly, that men may
envirowne alle the erthe of alle the world, as wel undre as aboven, and
turnen azen to his contree, that hadde companye and schippynge and conduyt:
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