 An Astrolabe was
a navigational device used to measure the latitude and relative positions
of heavenly bodies. In 1867 an astrolabe such as this was discovered along
this old portage route taken by Samuel de Champlain in 1613 in his quest
to find the Northern Sea.
Although it cannot be conclusively proven that the Astrolabe found near
this Lake (Lake Astrolabe at Logos Land) indeed belonged to Champlain,
the following facts should be taken into consideration.
 The bottom portion
of the Astrolabe
isengraved 1603, the same year
Champlain was commissioned
"geographer Royal"
to Henry lV on his first voyage to Canada
Champlain's reading
at Gould's Landingerred by 1 degree.
A subsequent
reading
recorded at
Alumette Island
also errs 1
degree
Apart from this reading
at Alumette Island
Champlain does not enter
readings
for
the remainder of his expedition
It was not unusual
for Champlain to omit recording events and
conditions in hisjournal. He was considered
a laconic
journalist who only dealt
with facts he
considered important
Finally, by 1611, the
astrolabe had been
largely replaced by the vernier
scale which was considered
to be
far more accurate |
