"They were wicked, and I don't want to be one. But I do not quite
understand how you found out what time it was at noon to-day," added the
young lady.
"For every degree of longitude sailed there is four minutes' difference of
clock-time," Scott proceeded. "You know that a chronometer is a timepiece
so nicely constructed and cared for, that it practically keeps perfect
time. Meridians are imaginary great circles, and we are always on one of
them. With our sextants we find when the centre of the sun is on the
celestial meridian corresponding to the terrestrial one; and at that
instant it is noon where we are. Then we know what time it is. We compare
the time thus obtained with that indicated by the chronometer, and find a
difference of four hours."
"I see it all!" exclaimed the fair maiden, as triumphantly as though she
had herself reasoned out the problem. "Four hours make 240 minutes, and
four minutes to a degree gives 60 deg. as the longitude.
"Quite correct, Miss Woolridge," added Scott approvingly.
"If I could only take the sun, I could work up the longitude myself," the
little beauty declared.
"You have already taken the son," replied Scott; but he meant the son of
Mrs. Belgrave, and he checked himself before he had "put his foot in it;"
for Louis would have resented such a remark.
"I have seen them do it, but I never took the sun myself," protested the
maiden.
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