The
Stadia We Have Already Founded Our Calculations Upon Will Bring Us To The
Latitude Of 69 Deg.
27':
The latitude of the southernmost point of Greenland is
very nearly 70 deg.. But the description given by Pytheas of the productions of
the country by no means coincides with Greenland. At the same time, other
parts of his description agree with this country; particularly when he
says, that there the sea, the earth, and the air, seem to be confounded in
one element. In the south of Greenland the longest day is two months which
does not coincide with Pytheas' account; though this, as we have already
pointed out, is contradictory with itself.
Let us now consider what will be the result if we suppose that a different
stadia were employed: the next in point of extent to that on which we have
already founded our conjectures, (there being 700 equal to one degree of
the equator) will bring him to the latitude of 66 deg. 8'; the latitude of the
northernmost part of Iceland is 66 deg. 30', coinciding with this result as
nearly as possible. The description of the climate agrees with Pytheas'
description; but not his account of the length of the day, nor of the
productions of the country. Of the third kind of stadia, 833-1/3 were equal
to one degree of the equator; calculating that 1000 of these were sailed
during a day and night's voyage, Pytheas would arrive in the latitude of
55 deg.
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