Abstract

Sailors as a class may fairly claim to have been the earliest technicians; they were the first, that is to say, to graduate from the stage of simple craftsmanship, involving only the use of tools and rules of thumb, to the employment of instruments and mathematics for solving their problems. For the nautical chart and magnetic compass are instruments of precision while sailing directions, if they are to be useful, must be couched in mathematical language. All these three aids to navigation go back at least seven hundred years, and an Italian ship inventory of 1294 has been quoted which included two charts, a pair of compasses and two lodestones with their accompaniments.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.