The young gentleman and lady's astronomy. Familiary explained in ten dialogues between Neander and Eudosia. To which is added, the description and use of the globes and armillary sphere / By James Ferguson.

  • Ferguson, James, 1710-1776.
Date:
1768
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The young gentleman and lady's astronomy. Familiary explained in ten dialogues between Neander and Eudosia. To which is added, the description and use of the globes and armillary sphere / By James Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    now, who {lands on the fide of the earth oppofite to us : which perfon being as flrongiy attracted by the earth there, towards its center, as we are here, he is in no more danger of failing off downward, than we are at prefent of falling upward. E. Pardon me, fir, if you had not been at the uni- verfity, I fhould have thought falling upward a very im¬ proper expreffion. N. So it is j and I do affure you that I never heard fuch an expreffion at the univerfity, nor do I remember ever to have ufed it before.-—But, to proceed. Up and down are only relative terms. Let us be on what part of the earth we will, we call it up toward the fky over our heads ; and down toward the center of the earth, to which all terreffria! bodies would fall, by the power of the earth’s attradlion. So that, with regard to open fpace, what is up from any given point of the earth’s furface, is down from the oppofite point thereof. And as the fky furrounds the whole earth, we call it up toward the fky over our heads, be where we will y and down from our place toward the center of the earth. E. Then, to be fure, we can perceive no difference, as to our pofition at different times of the day. You have quite fatisfied me in this : but, pray, how can the earth move, and we not feci its motion ? N. I heard you was at Plymouth lafl year ; had you pot then the curiofrtv to go aboard foine of the fhips there, or at the Dock ? £. My papa and I went to the Dock, with a fmall party of gentlemen and ladies. Mr. Falconer, who was then mafter of the Belkifie happened to be on fhore ; and ohferving that we were {Dangers, he moff politely invited us to fee his fhip, which was then lying with tnany others in the Hamoaze. We moff willingly ac¬ cepted his invitation, and he took us all out in his boat; fhewed us firff into the cabin of the fhip, and, as it was in