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How to Calculate Longitude Without a Direct Method
As voyages became longer and more demanding, the determination of position east or west became absolutely critical. There were practical ways of finding your longitude without having a profound method for so doing. This was what mariners called longitude by account - you would estimate the speed at which the vessel was travelling by throwing out a lead. And you'd measure the time with a sand glass. Those were the workerounds that allowed you to compute longitudes by account without having any direct method of determining your longitude at sea. So why? Where did this word work around come from? Them? In europe, for example.