IZ2 OF THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.

upon land; but at sea, where precision is mostwanted, they are least to be depended upon.The problem is so intimately connected withtrade and commerce, that princely rewards havebeen offered for an easy and accurate solution ofit. By an act of parliament, passed in the year1714, the English government offered 20,coopounds reward to any person who should disco-ver a method for finding the longitude of placesat sea, within thirty miles, or half a degree of agreat circle: 15,000 pounds if it came withintwo-thirds of a degree, and 10,000 pounds if itcame only within a degree of the truth. Sucha liberal encouragement induced the learned, ofall nations, to attempt this important discovery,which now became doubly interesting, both bythe honour and profit which attended it.

I shall not perplex you with a long detail ofall the methods invented by astronomers for thispurpose, as they are frequently involved in ab-struse calculations, which you would find bothtedious and unintelligible. A general idea willbe best obtained by considering those only,which are the most simple and easy; and if thesebe properly understood, it will not be difficultfor you to comprehend the principles uponwhich they are all founded. Disregarding,therefore, all minute particulars, we will firstbegin with the latitude, and shqw the means

which