Men have made plans of the city, the country, and the whole world. These plans which show the land [p69] and water are called maps. On all maps north is usually at the top.
Look at the map of the whole world. How can you tell which part means land and which means water? What direction is at the top of the map, at the bottom, at the right side, and at the left side?
6
See where we find the north-east, south-east, south-west and north-west.
[p71]
PART TWO
[p73]
[CHAPTER I]
THE EARTH AS A WHOLE
1
Long ago wise men found out that the great earth on which we live is not flat, but round like a ball. It is so very large, and we see so small a part of it at one time, that it looks flat to us. Take a piece of paper and tear out a small hole. Hold the hole over your [p74] globe so that a small part of the surface shows through. Does the small piece of the globe look very curved?
These men noticed ships sailing away across the water. When the ships were far away the lower part of the boat could not be seen. More and more disappeared till only the tops of the masts could be seen; and at last they were gone too. If you make a little paper boat and let it sail flat across your desk and then try it over the globe, you can see how this proves that the earth is not flat.