And, As The Two Former
Perpetually Alter The Situation By Their Circular Motion, Their
Virtue, Compared With The Exterior Poles, Must Be Different At
Different Times, And Consequently The Variation Of The Needle Will
Perpetually Change.
The doctor attributes to the nucleus an
European north pole and an American south one, on account of the
variation of variations observed near these places, as being much
greater than those found near the two other poles.
And he
conjectures that these poles will finish their revolution in about
seven hundred years, and after that time the same situation of the
poles obtain again as at present, and, consequently, the variations
will be the same again over all the globe; so that it requires
several ages before this theory can be thoroughly adjusted. He
assigns this probable cause of the circular revolution of the
nucleus that the diurnal motion, being impressed from without, was
not so exactly communicated to the internal parts as to give them
the same precise velocity of rotation as the external, whence the
nucleus, being left behind by the exterior earth, seems to move
slowly in a contrary direction, as from east to west, with regard to
the external earth, considered as at rest in respect of the other.
But to return to our voyage.
CHAPTER IX: DISCOVERS A NEW ISLAND, WHICH HE CALLS PYLSTAART
ISLAND.
On the 19th of January, being in the latitude of 22 degrees 35
minutes south, and in the longitude of 204 degrees 15 minutes, we
had 7 degrees 30 minutes east variation.
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