Posted by John Nichols on September 11, 2003 at 14:37:16 from 165.91.196.181 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: Survey Problem-Geometry is better posted by Laurence Monkhouse on September 11, 2003 at 13:19:37:
John would have been using most likely in all probabality a prismatic compass. I do not know enough about compasses in the 1930's that a Commander would have bought his children, but I suspect as I would have done that he would have bought a compass marked with at least NE, NNE etc. If it had the degrees on it so much the better. He was teaching them to sail and to do nautical geometry.
Now AR is beset with a problem if he uses degrees then one has to know that north is zero and that angles are measured clockwise. (But not everyone agrees on that - like not everyone agrees on metric or imperial [I always wonder who actually won the war - 1776 and all that war?] Children in reading the book will understand what NE is and SW even if they have no idea that NW is 315 degrees.
After spending several months with AR's drawings I can say it is much easier, once you learn to box the compass, to point out a direction that way. (It is awful because now I am using it in class so as to provide a sure meaning to the direction. But the students know I am slightly strange)
If Dick had been there then I am sure the scientist would have taken over and Titty would have been relegated to some more minor role (always wondered why he left the D's out.), but I suspect it was for the interaction he then gets between Roger and Titty and Bridget which is quite a nice sub plot.
Interesting issue I wish I could find a navy stores compass of the 1930's that would provide a good clue as their equipment. Any old curmudgeon on the site who has one?
Ed -- can you do a search on compass and see if there is a brand name?
We are spoilt by GPS now
John