A Briefe Introduction to Geography

by William Pemble

CAP. 5.

Of divers Distinctions, and Divisions of the earth.

Next after the Circles of the Earth, wee may not vnfitly handle the seuerall Divisions and distinctions which geographers make of the parts, and inhabitants of the earth. These are many, but wee will briefely runne them ouer.

1. The first and most plaine is by the Coasts of the Heauens, and rising, and Setting of the Sunne, so it is distinguished into the
   1. East where the Sunne ariseth. Oreins, Ortus ανατολη.
   2. West where the Sunne goeth downe. occidens.
   3. North: betweene both fromwards the Sunne at Noone. Septentrio.
   4. South: betweene both towards the Sun at Noone. Meridies.
2. These foure are called the cheife or Cardinall quarters of the world. They with the others betweene them are easily knowne but are of more vse to Mariners then to vs. Wee may rather take notice of those other names which by Astronomers Geographers Divines and Poets are giuen vnto them. Who sometime call the East the right hand part of the world, sometime the West, sometime the North, & sometime South, the diuersity is noted in these verses,
   1. The hot or burning Zone (Zona torrida) which containes all that space of earth, that lieth betwtene the two Tropicks, supposed heretofore (but falsly as after experience hath shewed) to be inhabitable by reason of heat, the Sunne continually lying ouer some part of it.
   2. The temperate Zones wherein neither heat nor cold is extreame but moderate: these are two, one on the North side of the Aequator, betweene the Articke circle, and the Tropicke of Cancer, another on the South side betweene the Tropicke of Capricorne, and the Antarcticke circle.
   3. The cold, or Frozen Zones, wherein cold for the most part is greater then the heat, these likewise are two, one in the North, betweene the Articke circle, and the North Pole, another on the South betweene the Antarctick circle and the South Pole. These of all parts of the earth are worst inhabited, according as extremity of cold is alwaies a greater enemy to mans body, then extremity of heat.
3. Ad Boream terræ, Sed Coeli mensor ad Austrum,
   Præco Dei exortum videt, occasumque Poeta.
   1. Amphiscy (αμφισχιοι) whose shadow at noone day fall both waie, so to the North when the Sunne is Southward of them, & to the South when the Sunne is Northward, and such are those people that doe dwell in the hot Zone. For the Sunne goes ouer their heads twice a yeare, once Northward, another time Southward, when the Sunne is just ouer their heads they are called Asoy, ασχιοι, without shadow.
   2. Heteroscy ('ετεροσχιοι) whose shadowes doe alwaies fall one way, namely alwaies towards the North, as those that dwell in the Northerne temperate Zone, or alwaies to the South, as those that dwell in the Southerne temperate Zone.
   3. Periscy (περισχιοι) whose shadowes goe round about them, as those people who dwell in the two cold Zones, for as the Sunne never goes downe to them after he is once vp, but alwaies round about, so doe their shadowes.
4. That is
   1. Perioeci (περιοιχοι) such as dwell round about the Earth in one and the same paralell, as for example vnder the Tropicke of Cancer.
   2. Antoeci (αντοιχοι) such as dwell opposite to the former in another Paralell of the same distance from the Æquator. As those vnder the Tropicke of Capricorne.
   3. Antipodes (αντιποδεσ) who dwell iust vnder vs theire feete opposite to ours.
5. Geographers looke to the North, Astronomers to the South.
   Priests turne them to the East, & Poets to the West.
   1. Absolutely, and so the
      1. Longitude or Length of the Earth is its Circuit, and Extension from East to west,
      2. Latitude or breadth of it, is the whole Circuit and Compasse of it from North to South.
   2. Comparatiuely: comparinge one places scituation with another, and so the
      1. Longitud of a place, is the distance of it from the first Meridian going through the Canary Ilands, Eastward. Whereby wee know how farre one place lies East or West from another.
      2. Latitude of a place, is the distance of it from the Æquator towards the North or South. Whereby wee know how farre one Place lies Northward, or Southward of another.
6. This serues for vnderstanding of Authors, wherein any mention is made of the right or left part of the World, if for example he be a poet, he means the South by the right hand, the North by the left: because a poet turnes his face to the West, and so reckons the quarters of Heauen and Earth.
7. The second distinction is by the notable differences of heat and cold, that are observed on the earth, this is the division of the Earth by Zones or Girdles, which are parts of the Earth, wherin heat and cold doe remarkably increase or decrease. Those Zones are 5.
   1. They dwell (in Sphæra recta) in a right or streight Spheare who dwell iust vnder the Æquinoctiall, whose Horizon is paralell to the Meridians, but cutts the Æquator at right Angles, they dwell in paralell Spheares, who dwell iust vnder either of the Poles, whose Horizon is parallell to the Æquator, but cuts all the Meridians at right Angles: and the latter is sometime called a Paralell Spheare.
   2. They dwell (in Sphæra obliqua) in a crooked Spheare, who inhabite any place betweene the Æquinoctiall and the Pole, whose Horizon cuts the Æquator, the Paralells, and the Meridians at oblique or vnequall angles.
8. The third distinction is by the shadowes, which bodies doe cast vpon the earth, iust at nooneday; for these doe not alwaies fall one way but diuersly according to their divers scituation vpon the Earth. Now in respect of the shadowes of mens bodies, the inhabitants of the earth are divided into the
9. The fourth distinction is by the scituation of the Inhabitants of the Earth, compared on with another: who are called either.
10. The fifth distinction is of the Length and Breadth of the Earth and places vpon it: these may bee considered two wayes
11. The Longitude must bee reckoned by the degrees of the Æquator, the Latitude by the degrees of the Meridian.
12. For example, in these two Hæmisphæres, the longitude of the whole earth is from (C) to (A) and (B) in the Æquator. The latitud is from (N) to (S), and from (Q) to (P) the North and South poles, and this reckoned in any meridian. The first meridian is (ANBS) which goes by the Canary Ilands, the Æquinoctiall is (ABCA). Now I haue a Citty giuen so. (D) I would know in what longitude and latitude it is. For the longitude I consider what meridian passeth through it, which is the meridian (NDS) which crosseth the Æquinoctiall in (I) at 15 degrees, wherefore I say that (D) stands Eastward from the first Meridian 15 degrees. So I finde that the Citty (E) is 150 degrees Eastward, (G) 195, and (F) 345.
13. For the Latitude I consider what paralell runnes through (DEG) or (F) and I finde the 30 to passe by (D) 45 by (E) the 15 by (F) the 45 Southward by (G) and those numbers are the latitude of the place that are distant from the Æquator, (CAB).
14. Concerning the means whereby the longitude of places is found out, there is scarce any thing that hath troubled Mathematicians so much as the observation of it. For because no standing marke can be taken (the Heavens alwaies running about) it must needs bee difficult. To measure vpon the earth, going alwaies vnder the same paralell, is a way certain in regard of some few places, but so troublesome in it selfe, and vnprofitable in regard of other places that ly out of that paralell, that it may be accounted a fruitlesse labour. The voyages & accounts of Marriners at Sea, are so full of casualty & vncertainty by reason of the doubtfull variation of the compasse, the vnequall violence of windes and tides, the false making of their sea cards, by which they saile, and the ignorance of the Masters for the greatest part, as there can hardly be any assured reckoning made by them. The best means of observation is by Eclipses of the Sunne & Moone, which in severall Countries are sooner or later seene, according as one place lies farther East or farther West from another. But this also falls out so seldome, and when it happens, is so seldome obserued, and when it is observed, hath so many difficulties in the precise and exact observation of it; that wee may Well account this inquiry after the longitude of places, to be one of those things whereof wee must be content to be ignorant, & rather to gesse at it in Grosse, then in vaine to striue for exactnesse, which is the cause why the tables of the longitude and latitude of Citties, though they many times agree in the latitude, doe yet for the most part very much differ in the Longitude.
15. [Sidenote: Those that dwell vnder the Pole haue not past 3, or 4 moneths profound as tenebras darke night, for when the Sun is in Libra & Pisces being then nigh, the Horizon it sends forth to them a glimmering light not vnlike to the twilight or dawning of the day in a morning a little before the Suns rising Munster lib. I. cap.]
    The sixth Distinction is by the Length or shortnesse of the Day in Summer time in seuerall Quarters of the earth. And this diuision is by Climates (χλιματα) which are seuerall spaces of the earth contained betweene two Paralells, in the which the longest day in Summer excedes that in another Paralell by halfe an Houre. There is a greate deale of Confusion and difference betweene the late and ancient Geographers about the distinction and diuers reckonings of the Climats. It is not worth the labour to recount theire opinions and Calculations: thus much is plaine, and easie to bee knowne. There are 24. Climats in which the Day encreaseth by halfe houres from 12. houres to 24. There are likewise 6. Climats in which the day encreaseth by moneths, from one moneth to sixe that is halfe a yeare. Vnder the Aequator the day is alwayes twelue houres longe, but as you goe from it towards the Pole, the Day lengthens still till it comes to a day halfe a yeare long. Now in what degrees of latitude euery on of these Climats beginne and end, shall appeare by this table following.
16. The seaventh and last distinction of the earth is taken from the scituation of it in respect of the Heavens, and especially the Sunnes motion. In regard whereof Some parts or inhabitants of the Earth are said to be or dwell in a Right Spheare, some in a paralell Spheare, and others in an oblique or crooked Spheare.

Ad Boream terræ, Sed Coeli mensor ad Austrum,
Præco Dei exortum videt, occasumque Poeta.

Geographers looke to the North, Astronomers to the South.
Priests turne them to the East, & Poets to the West.

A table of the climats.

Climes	Paralells	The longest summer day.		Latitude & elevation of Pole.		The breadth of the Climats.		The places by which the climates passe.
		Hou.	Scr.	Scr.	Degr.	Deg.	Scr.
0	0	12	0	0	0	4	18	The beginning from the Aequator.
	1	12	15	4	18
1	2	12	30	8	34	8	25	Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea.
	3	1	45	12	43
2	4	13	0	16	43	7	50	Meroe an Iland of Nilus in Aegypt.
	5	13	15	20	33
3	6	13	40	23	10	7	3	Siene a Citty in Africa.
	7	13	45	27	36
4	8	14	0	30	47	6	9	Alexandria in Aegypt.
	9	14	15	33	45
5	10	14	30	36	30	5	17	Rhodes and Babylon.
	11	14	45	39	2
6	12	15	0	41	22	4	30	Rome and Hellespont.
	13	15	15	43	32
7	14	15	30	45	29	3	48	Venice and Millaine.
	15	15	45	47	20
8	16	16	0	49	21	3	13	Podalia and the lesser Tartary.
	17	16	15	50	33
9	18	16	30	51	58	2	44	Batavia and Wittenberge.
	19	16	45	53	17
10	20	17	0	54	29	2	17	Rostoch.
	21	17	15	55	34
11	22	17	30	56	37	2	0	Ireland and Moscovy.
	23	17	45	57	34
12	24	18	0	58	26	1	40	Bohus a Castle in Norwey.
	25	18	15	59	1
13	26	18	30	59	59	1	26	Gothland.
	27	18	45	60	40
14	28	19	0	61	18	1	13	Bergia in Norwey.
	29	19	15	61	53
15	30	19	30	62	25	1	0	Wiburge in Finland.
	31	19	45	62	54
16	32	20	0	63	22	0	52	Arotia in Sweden.
	33	20	15	63	46
17	34	20	30	64	6	0	44	The mouth of Darecally a riv. ofSwedẽ.
	35	20	45	64	30
18	36	21	0	64	49	0	36	Diverse places in Norwey.
	37	21	15	65	6
19	38	21	30	65	21	0	29	Suetia, Alba Russia.
	39	21	45	65	35
20	40	22	0	65	47	0	22	With many Ilands.
	41	22	15	65	57
21	42	22	30	66	6	0	17	Thereunto adioyning.
	43	22	45	66	14
22	44	23	0	66	20	0	11	Wanting speciall names.
	45	23	15	66	25
23	46	23	30	66	28	0	5	And Landmarkes.
	47	23	45	66	20
24	48	24	0	66	31	0	0	Island vnder the Articke circle.
Here the Climats are accounted by the months from 66 Degr. 31min. where the day is 24 houres vnto the Pole it selfe set at 90Degrees where the artificiall day is sixe Months.		Menses				These Climats are supposed to passe by diverse Ilands within theArticke circle as Groenland, Island, Greenland: wherein as yetfor the narrownesse of these climats comming neere together, andthe vncertainty of observation no speciall places haue beeneassigned as to the other.
		1		67	15
		2		69	30
		3		73	20
		4		78	20
		5		84	0
		6		90	0

1. The vse of this table is easie.
   1. In the first Culumne are contained the names and number of the Climats.
   2. In the second the Paralells which enclose it on each side, and deuide it in the middest. For the paralells here are drawne by euery halfe houres encrease.
   3. The third Columne is the length of the Day in Summer, in euery Climate, which from 12. houres encreaseth by halfe houres to 24. houres after by moneths, from one moneth to sixe.
   4. The fourth containes the degrees of latitude, how farre euery climate lies from the Æquinoctiall.
   5. The fift contaynes the space or breadth of euery Climate, how many degrees or minutes it takes vp vpon the Earth.
   6. The sixt containes some notable places by which the Climats passe.
2. Hereby it is easie to know what the longest Day is in any Place of the worlde whose latitude is knowne. Or contrarily the longest Day being knowne to know the latitude. For example Oxford hath latitude 52.0. degrees longitude 24.0. In the table I finde that 52. degrees of Latitude lie in the 9th Climate wherein the day is 16. houres and a halfe longe. So much I say the Day is at Oxford in Summer. The place of Oxford in the Hæmisphere is at (V.)
3. Vpon Globes the Climats are not vsually described, but are noted out vpon the brazen Meridian. So also in vniversall mappes they are seldome drawne, to avoide confusion of many lines together, but they are many times marked out on the limbe or edge of the mappe.