Posted by Robert Dilley on September 10, 2003 at 12:29:57 from 216.211.5.150 user rdilley.
In Reply to: Re: Survey Problem-Geometry is better posted by Laurence Monkhouse on September 10, 2003 at 07:41:36:
I suspect that John put his bearings into points of the compass because he felt it was more "seamanlike" -- just as he sometimes put the time into "bells".
My 1942 Admiralty A Seaman's Pocket-Book, issued to me when I was a Sea Cadet in the 50s, says (p 29):
"The 'points of the compass' are no longer engraved on the magnetic compass card, but are still used to indicate the general direction of the wind, or the bearing of an object" [my emphasis].
Certainly I was expected to be able to "box the compass' (name the points in the correct order) as a Cadet (also had to learn those infernal bells).
Yes, the surface of Kentucky is not an ideal place in August -- but we spent most of our days underground, in Mammoth and adjoining caves.