© Duane A. Cline 1999
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Navigation: The Compass Rose The compass rose with its 32-points on the compass would have been one of the first things a young boy of 8 to 12 years
old would have been required to learn by rote when he went to sea. The term "mariner's compass" is generally taken to mean the magnetic compass. However, it originally meant the division of
the circle of the horizon into 32 points. The cardinal points of the compass are North, East, South and West. The divisions run North, North by East, North
Northeast, Northeast by North, Northeast, etc. These are the directions or rhumbs of the wind. Thus, a rhumb-line is the
direction followed by a ship sailing on one course, which is plotted on a chart as the voyage continues. In using the compass rose page included in this packet, the teacher will need to help the pupils understand that spelling was
not a major concern in the early 17th century. Even learned men might spell a word in several ways within the context of
one piece of literature. As noted on the worksheet, the word "east" is spelled "est" using the old English symbol for "s," and again as "easte."
Sometimes the same direction is simply indicated by the abbreviation "E." By pointing out these facts on the compass rose, the pupils are being prepared for the study of the hornbook and the text of
the Mayflower Compact, which are given in Part V. A basic acquaintance with the compass rose will also help prepare the
pupils for the Make-A-Map puzzle, which follows, and in which they must begin to understand the basic concepts of
map-reading. Help them to understand that modern maps are drawn with North at the top, East at the right, South at the
bottom, and West at the left of a sheet. Some pupils may be challenged to learn the 32-points of the compass. At the minimum, it will serve to illustrate the skills
which had to be mastered by the young boys who went to sea.
Last modified October 7, 1999
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