days. We saw distinctly for the first time the Cross of the south, in the sixteenth degree of latitude; it was strongly inclined, and appeared from time to time between the clouds, the centre of which, furrowed by uncondensed lightnings, reflected a silver light. If a traveller may be permitted to speak of his personal emotions, I shall add, that in this night I saw one of the reveries of my

earliest youth accomplished.

"When we begin to fix our eyes on geographical maps, and read the narratives of navigators, we feel for certain countries and climates a sort of predilection, for which we know not how to account at a more advanced period of life. These impressions, however, exercise a considerable influence over our determinations ; and from a sort of instinct we endeavour to connect ourselves with objects, on which the mind has long been fixed as by a secret charm. At a period when I studied the heavens, not with the inteution of devoting myself to astronomy, but only to acquire a knowledge of the stars, was agitated by a fear unknown to those who love a sedentary life. It seemed painful to me to renounce the hope of beholding those beautiful constellations, which border the southern pole. Impatient to róve in the equinoctial regions, I could not raise my eyes towards the starry vault without thicking of the Cross of the south.

“The pleasure we felt on discovering the southern Cross was warmly shared by such of the crew as had lived in the colonies. In the solitude of the seas, we hail a star as a friend, from whom we have long been separated. Among the Portuguese and the Spaniards peculiar motives seem to increase this feeling; a religious sentiment attaches them to a constellation, the form of which recalls the sign of the faith planted by their ancestors in the deserts of the new world.

66 The two great stars which mark the summit and the foot of the Cross having nearly the same right ascension, (see No. 64,) it follows hence, that the constellation is almost perpendicular at the moment when it passes the meridian. This circunstance is known to every nation, that lives beyond the tropics, or in the southern hemisphere. It has been observed at what hour of the night, in different seasons, the Cross of the south is erect, or inclined. It is a time-piece that advances very regularly near four minutes a day, and no other group of stars exhibits to the naked eye, an observation of time so easily made. How often have we heard our guides exclaim in the savannas of Venezuela, or in the desert extending from Lima to Truxillo, Midnight is past, the Cross

begins to bend ! How often those words reminded us of that affecting scene, where Paul and Virginia, seated near the sources of the river of Lataniers, conversed together for the last time, and where the old man, at the sight of the southern Cross, warns them that it is time to separate."

Many of the facts stated above, with some others relating to the bodies which compose the solar system, are arranged in the following table, useful for reference, but not necessary to be learned.

TABLE I.
Of the Sun and Primary Planets.

Those figures marked t are not certain.

Of Secondary Planets.

CHAP. II.

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE.

55. When latitude and longitude are applied to places on the earth, they properly belong to geography. But as the method of finding them is purely astronomical, it is proper to treat of them as used both to designate the situation of places on the earth, and of the heavenly bodies. Before any thing can be understood of latitude and longitude, definite ideas must be obtained of the poles, the equator, parallels of latitude, and meridians. The earth turns round on an imaginary line passing through its centre, called its axis ; the extremities of this axis are, as before stated, called poles ; one north pole, the other south. If the axis be supposed to extend both ways to the starry heavens, its places or points among the stars are the celestial poles, one north, and the other south, directly over or beyond the poles of the earth of the same name. The northcelestial pole is very near a particular star, which on that account is called the pole star.

56. The equator is a circle surrounding the earth from west to east, at equal distance from the poles. Hence the equator divides the earth's surface into two equal parts, called hemispheres. If the plane of the equator were extended every way to the starry heavens, the circle it would make among the stars is called the celestial equator. It is from the equator that latitude on the earth is reckoned. All places between the equator and the north pole are in north latitude, and all places between the equator and the south pole are in south latitude. The latitude is greater, as the place is farther from the equator and nearer the poles. All circles, passing round the earth from west to east between

the equator and the poles, are called parallels of latitude ; and when two places, as Boston and Philadelphia, differ in latitude, they are said to be on different parallels. There may be as many parallels as there are places not equally distant from the equator.

57. A line passing over the earth from the north to the south pole, and crossing the equator at right angles, is called a meridian. Every place on the earth's surface may be supposed to have such a line or circle passing through it; consequently, when a place lies more easterly or westerly than another, it is said to have a different meridian. Hence there may be as many as meridians, as there are places lying eastwardly and westwardly of each other. When places are on different meridians, they are said to be in different longitude. Celestial meridians are lines passing among the stars from one celestial pole to the other, crossing the celestial equator at right angles. When it is noon at any place, the sun is in the celestial meridian directly over the meridian of that place. Let the instructer explain right angles.

58. To illustrate what has been said, let Pl. III. fig. 1. represent the earth. The line NS is its axis ; the extremities of which, N and S, are the north and south poles of the earth. EQ shows the equator. The lines 10 10, 20 20, 30 30, &c. are parallels of latitude; and the lines NAS, NBS, &c. are meridians. If each of these meridians be supposed to extend quite round the earth, (as they do on the artificial globe,) each would divide it into an eastern and western hemisphere; just as the equator divides it into northern and southern.

Much of what is said in this chapter may be illustrated with a terrestrial and celestial globe, if at hand, far better than by any figure.

59. Latitude and longitude are expressed in degrees