Note 75 — Chapter XIV · EARLY SPITSBERGEN VOYAGES

“We were against Fair Foreland in 79° N.” [north end of Prince Charles Island]. “The night was very clear with fair weather, also calm, by which I had a very good opportunity to find the sun’s refraction. For beholding it about a north-north-east sun, by a common compass, at which time the sun was at the lowest, it was but one-fifth of his body above the horizon, having about four-fifth parts below, so near as I could guess. His declination for that instant was 10° 35′ N., being at noon in the 2° 7′ of Virgo, his daily motion was 58′ whose half being twenty-nine, to be added to the former, because it was at twelve hours after noon. I say his place at the instant was 2° 26′ of Virgo, whose declination was as before 10° 35′; the latitude of the place was 78° 47′ whose complement was 11° 13′ the declination being subtracted from the complement of the pole’s elevation, leaveth 38′, four-five part of which 12′, which being subtracted from 38 leaveth 26′ for refraction. But I suppose the refraction is more or less according as the air is thick or clear, which I leave for better scholars to discuss; but this I thought good to note for the better help of those who do profess this study.”