Book contents
- Frontmatter
- INTRODUCTION
- Contents
- CHAPTER I WHY WE WENT
- CHAPTER II THE VOYAGE
- CHAPTER III ST. HELENA
- CHAPTER IV WHAT ASCENSION LOOKED LIKE
- CHAPTER V ASCENSION PAST AND PRESENT
- CHAPTER VI ROUND ABOUT GARRISON
- CHAPTER VII A NIGHT ON THE CLINKER
- CHAPTER VIII CHANGE AND CHECK
- CHAPTER IX MARS BAY
- CHAPTER X A SUNDAY SCENE
- CHAPTER XI THE OPPOSITION OF MARS
- CHAPTER XII THE SEA-SHORE AND THE ROLLERS
- CHAPTER XIII GREEN MOUNTAIN
- CHAPTER XIV SUNDAY AT THE MOUNTAIN
- CHAPTER XV WHY WE HAD ONLY A GALLON OF WATER
- CHAPTER XVI TRIPS FROM GARDEN COTTAGE
- CHAPTER XVII MARS BAY WITHOUT A COOK
- CHAPTER XVIII WIDE-AWAKE FAIR
- CHAPTER XIX LAST DAYS AT MARS BAY
- CHAPTER XX CHRISTMAS IN GARRISON
- CHAPTER XXI ABOUT THE KROOMEN
- CHAPTER XXII CLINKER CEMETERIES
- CHAPTER XXIII CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
- CHAPTER XXIV THE DEVIL'S RIDING SCHOOL
- CHAPTER XXV HOMEWARD BOUND
CHAPTER I - WHY WE WENT
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2011
- Frontmatter
- INTRODUCTION
- Contents
- CHAPTER I WHY WE WENT
- CHAPTER II THE VOYAGE
- CHAPTER III ST. HELENA
- CHAPTER IV WHAT ASCENSION LOOKED LIKE
- CHAPTER V ASCENSION PAST AND PRESENT
- CHAPTER VI ROUND ABOUT GARRISON
- CHAPTER VII A NIGHT ON THE CLINKER
- CHAPTER VIII CHANGE AND CHECK
- CHAPTER IX MARS BAY
- CHAPTER X A SUNDAY SCENE
- CHAPTER XI THE OPPOSITION OF MARS
- CHAPTER XII THE SEA-SHORE AND THE ROLLERS
- CHAPTER XIII GREEN MOUNTAIN
- CHAPTER XIV SUNDAY AT THE MOUNTAIN
- CHAPTER XV WHY WE HAD ONLY A GALLON OF WATER
- CHAPTER XVI TRIPS FROM GARDEN COTTAGE
- CHAPTER XVII MARS BAY WITHOUT A COOK
- CHAPTER XVIII WIDE-AWAKE FAIR
- CHAPTER XIX LAST DAYS AT MARS BAY
- CHAPTER XX CHRISTMAS IN GARRISON
- CHAPTER XXI ABOUT THE KROOMEN
- CHAPTER XXII CLINKER CEMETERIES
- CHAPTER XXIII CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
- CHAPTER XXIV THE DEVIL'S RIDING SCHOOL
- CHAPTER XXV HOMEWARD BOUND
Summary
I remember a story once told me by a learned friend. He had been explaining to a lady, with much care and minuteness, the reasons why the axis of the earth is slowly though constantly changing its direction in the heavens, and why, therefore, the star, which is the Pole star now, was not the Pole star 4000 years ago.
The lady had encouraged our friend to proceed with his explanation by the most marked attention, and by such appreciative interjections as “Really!” “Indeed!” “How beautiful!” In this way he was led to more than usually minute description, and with much unction proceeded to crown his argument as follows.
“Now you see, by this change of the direction of the earth's axis, if we have any permanent record of an observation of the angular distance of a star from the Pole, we can calculate how long ago that record was made.” “Of course!” “And in the Great Pyramid we have such a record.” “Indeed! how wonderful!” “The entrance passage points to the north, and its angle of inclination corresponds with the lower culmination of the Pole star of 4000 years ago.”
Here a little hand was laid on our friend's arm, and his feelings may be better imagined than described, when, in an anxious voice, the question was put, “And pray, Professor, what is an angle?”
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Six Months in AscensionAn Unscientific Account of a Scientific Expedition, pp. 1 - 13Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1878