NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Mid XIX century Nav
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 Nov 15, 12:35 -0500
From: Alexandre Eremenko
Date: 2005 Nov 15, 12:35 -0500
Henry, I suppose the coordinates of the rock were not known. (Japanese did not practice Cel Nav (or any Nav whatsoever) at that time: even construction of the ocean-going ships was forbidden. But I agree with the previously given explanations that the rock was needed to instal instruments like theodolite, meridian circle or a sextant on a tripod. Or maybe a telescope for Jupiter satellites: this Russian ship was very well equipped). Another suggestion, on pendulum clock, I don't understand: what was a pendulum clock for if they had chronometers? And how can you check your chronometers using a pendulum clock, after a year of ocean voyage. Alex. On Tue, 15 Nov 2005, Henry C. Halboth wrote: > Alex, much depends on whether or not the Longitude of the "rock" was > accurately known. Pending confirmation of such knowledge their purpose > must remain in the realm of supposition. > > Henry > > On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 19:36:31 -0500 Alexandre E Eremenko >writes: > > I am reading a book by a famous Russian XiX century > > author, Goncharov, on his voyage to Japan in 1853/4. > > > > (The Russians were trying to "open" Japan for trade > > at that time, the same thing did the Americans (at exactly the same > > time). > > Japan was "closed to foreigners"; no one could land > > etc. I don't want to describe all details. > > Anyway, the Russians were negotiating with the Japanese > > authorities for a permission to land. The following episode > > in this long and complicated negotiation, which lasted several > > months, attracted my attention. The Russians asked for a > > permission to land on some rock between their ship place > > and the land. Apparently a small uninhabited island. > > The reason they clamed for this permission was the > > "Necessity to check chronometers". > > Apparently they thought that this was a good reason > > for landing on a rock). > > > > Unfortunately the author of the book was not interested > > in navigation and did not want to explain to the readers > > this point. WHY did the Russians think that this was a > > legitimate reason? > > > > Why exactly did they need land to check their chronometers? > > Or, more precisely, why did they think that "checking chronometers" > > is a legitimate reason for a landing? > > > > What was the proper procedure of "checking chronometers" they had in > > mind? > > Was this by the Lunars? > > Did they mean that a firm ground > > is needed for the Lunars? Or Jupiter satellites? to install a > > powerful > > telescope? > > > > (They were at ancor in the Nagasaki harbor at that time. Nagasaki > > was one of the few cities where foreigners were permitted to stay on > > ancor > > at that time). To finish this part of the story I just say that they > > were > > not permitted. The Japanese quickly built some structure on the > > rock, > > as an evidence that this rock was "land", rather than some "rock in > > the > > sea" > > or "uninhabited (and unclaimed?) island" where anyone can land. > > Before > > arriving > > to Nagasaki, the Russians signed the paper that they will not land > > without > > the permission of the authorities.) > > > > But I only wanted to discuss the CelNav part of the story. > > Why did the Russians think that "checking chronometers" was a > > legitimate > > purpose of landing on a rock? > > > > Alex. > > > > P.S. I am well aware that the first underwater transoceanic cable > > layings > > were made at about the same time. So the Lunars were doomed, already > > then, > > even as a > > mean > > of checking chronometers:-( > > >