M. Blundevile his exercises containing sixe treatises, the titles wherof are set down in the next printed page: which treatises are verie necessarie to be read and learned of all yoong gentlemen that haue not bene exercised in such disciplines, and yet are desirous to haue knowledge as well in cosmographie, astronomie, and geographie, as also in the arte of navigation ... To the furtherance of which arte of navigation, the said M. Blundevile speciallie wrote the said treatises and of meere good will doth dedicate the same to all the young gentlemen of this realme.

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The draught of the Meridians and parallels of the Mariners Carde or nauticall Planispheare according to the former Table.

[illustration]

IN this last figure or Table is first drawn (as you sée) the Equinoctiall line marked with the letters A. B. C. and that line is deuided into 360. degrées, and there∣in also are drawne perpendicular lines, as well tho∣rough the beginning and ending of the sayde Equinoctiall lyne, as also through euery tenth degrée thereof, which be the Meridi∣ans, and are euery where equidistant each one from other, then take halfe the length of the Equinoctiall which is A. B. or B. C. with your Compasses and setting one foote in the end of the Equi∣noctiall marked with C. make with the other foote a pricke at D. in the Meridian or perpendicular line marked with the letters C. D. E. then deuide the space contained betwixt C. & D. into 1080. parts in such sort as before hath béene shewed, and set the figures vnto them as here you sée, to the intent that you may the more rea∣dily number the parts. Then looke in the first Table what number answereth to euery 10. degrée of the Equinoctiall, & casting away the first figure of that number on the right hand, find out the parts answerable to the number remaining in the line C. D. and at those parts set prickes in both the outermost Meridians through which prickes you shall drawe the Parallels. As for example in the first Table you sée that the number right against 10. degrées is 60. (the first figure 3. towardes the right hande being reiected) therefore looke 60. in the line C. D. and by that part draw the first Parallel distant 10. degrées from the Equinoctiall. And after this maner all the rest of the Parallels are to be drawne.

Many doe vse to paint the vacant places in their Cardes with ouer many flags, and the compasses thereof with diuerse and su∣perfluous colours which William Borne misliketh, wishing that in stead thereof they would shewe by letters or other Characters what moone doth make a full sea, in such places as are necessary to be knowne, and also to drawe the true shape and fashion of eue∣ry Cape or headlande that is néedefull about the coast, and at what point of the compasse the land riseth of this or that fashion, for being néere the land it wil séeme to be of one fashion, & being far off to be of an other fashion, and to mistake any place on the sea is very dangerous to the Mariner. But aboue al things let him that saileth by Card & Compasse be sure that the néedle of his compasse haue the like declinatiō that his néedle had which made the Card.

For Cogniet reporteth that certaine Mariners being in the west Indies, and séeing the North starre to be Northeast, maruailed thereat very much not knowing the cause of that error, which in∣déed was for that the néedle of their compasse was made to decline Northeast, whereas it should rather haue declined Northwest, for the West Indies do stand Westernly from the Azores. It is ne∣cessarie also to set downe in the Card such places as are daunge∣rous, as sands, flats, or shoulds, rockes, and such like things as are not alwayes to be séene with the eye, to the intent that the Ma∣riner being aduertised thereof may shunne the same. All which things before mentioned, Wagoner hath in all places contayned in his booke very well obserued. Thus hauing spoken sufficiently of making the Mariners Carde, Now I thinke it good to shewe the most necessary and chiefest vses thereof.