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I had asked Frank Reed, after he admitted being a physicist specialising in
gravitation-

"Frank, where were you a few months ago when the list was wrangling over
the question of the dips and bumps in the Earth's gravitational field (and
whether you could shorten a passage by navigating around them)?"

and Frank replied-

Can you point me to the right spot in the message archives? I would love to
see how the discussion turned out.

That thread was started by David Hoyte on 13 August and named "Navigating
around hills and dips" and ended up (by him and me) on 30 August under-
"Reality Check: Navigating Around Hill and Dips". Some contributions may
have been under different (but associated) thread-names.

In response to an inquiry about the Centennia Historical Atlas, he replied-

"Since it's a commercial product, I don't think I should spend time on it
on this list"

Frank's reservations are admirable, but we are accustomed to, and accept,
list-members pushing their own books where they are relevant. The
Historical Atlas might well be of some interest to members. But otherwise,
if Frank's scruples get the better of him, and he has information he can
send out as e-mail, I would welcome a copy sent directly to my email
address.

Later, Frank said-

"There's a funny quote in a navigation textbook from c.1905 (by the Earl of
Dunworthy??). His chapter on lunars begins with a long explanation of why
lunars are "a foolish thing" but a "fascinating mathematical problem"."

It was in vol.3 of "Practice and theory of navigation" (2nd ed. 1908) by
the Earl of Dunraven, who had achieved an extra master's ticket. This was
mainly a course-book for the Board of Trade exams. I have vols 1 and 3 and
am seeking vol 2.

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It's clear we are going to enjoy Frank Reed's membership.

George.

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contact George Huxtable by email at george@huxtable.u-net.com, by phone at
01865 820222 (from outside UK, +44 1865 820222), or by mail at 1 Sandy
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