Page 199 - The Lost Ways

❖ Place the stick upright in
the ground so that you can
see its shadow. The
narrower the tip is, the

more accurate the reading
will be.
❖ Make sure the shadow is
cast on a level and brush-
free spot.
❖ Mark the tip of the shadow
of the stick by scratching
the ground or by using a

pebble.
❖ Wait 10–-15 minutes or
just until the shadow tip
moves a few centimeters.
❖ Mark the shadow tip’s new position.
❖ Draw a straight line in the ground to connect the two marks to make your
approximate east–west line.
❖ Label the first mark of the shadow as west and the second as east.
❖ Stand with the first mark, which is west on your left and the east mark on your
right. The direction you are facing is north no matter where you are in the world.

Watch Method

You can also tell the direction by using your watch.

Procedure:

❖ Make sure that the time is set accurately.
❖ Place it on a level surface, or hold it horizontally in your hand.
❖ Position the hour hand of your watch toward the sun.

❖ Bisect or find the center point of the angle between the hour hand and the 12:00
mark.
❖ In your mind, draw the line based on the center point. This is the north–south line.
❖ If you’re having trouble determining which way is north or south, remember that
the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It is due south at noon, east before
noon, and west after noon.

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