[Bcma-l] Maritime Museum Exhibit

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 14:25:23 -0700

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A Star to Steer By

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky =20

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

John  Masefield,  Sea Fever

The evolution of celestial navigational instruments is the theme of the
Maritime Museum=92s  new exhibit  on display until November 2nd. It pays
homage to the ancient mariners who expanded human culture around the =
world.=20

=93A Star to Steer By=94 looks at five maritime cultures and their =
impact on the
world. Chronologically, the first group the exhibit  looks  at is the
Austronesians (Primarily the Micronesians and the Polynesians) and their
settlement of the Great South Sea. Using low tech navigational =
instruments,
but having an intimate knowledge of the stars, ocean swells and currents =
and
other natural phenomena, these people were able to settle a third of the
earth=92s surface.=20

=93A Star To Steer BY,=94 then moves on to look at the Phoenicians and =
Greeks,
the Arabs and Chinese and finally western navigation and exploration
starting from Henry the Navigator in the 15th century and ending with =
Cook
and Vancouver at the close of the 18th century.=20

The star of the show is a globe, one of a pair dedicated to Sir Joseph
Banks, President of the Royal Geographical Society. The globe shows the
constellations as they were observed in 1800 with the signs of the =
zodiac
included There is only one other globe like it in London=92s Victoria =
and
Albert Museum.

The exhibit makes two observations. The first is obvious, Western Europe
profited on the wisdom and technology of the ancient astronomers,
mathematicians, cartographers and mariners. For example, the Phoenicians
gave us a phonetic alphabet developed to simplify trade documents, and =
the
Arabs presented us with the Indian numerical system including the =
concept of
zero which greatly simplified financial record keeping.

The second more subtle message is that countries engaged in =
international
commerce trade in far more than goods =96 they trade ideas. Open =
societies
learn and prosper, xenophobic societies do not.=20

This observation is illustrated in the story of when China ruled the =
sea.
Civil war at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty had left the National
Treasury low of funds. In order to rectify this situation, Zheng He, the
=93Eunuch Admiral=94, made seven diplomatic / trade voyages between 1405 =
and
1433 to =93the countries beyond the horizon=94 - India, Africa and the =
=93Spice
Islands - on behalf of the Yongle Emperor.

After the Yongel=92s death in 1424, China began to turn inward to defend =
its
borders against the Mongols. The Treasure Fleet was allowed to rot at =
its
moorings, and much of its history was deliberately destroyed to =
discourage
further adventuring =96 delaying China=92s emergence as a trading =
super-power by
600 years.

-30-

Contact:
Richard MacKenzie 250-385-4222 ext.107=20

HYPERLINK =
"mailto:richardmackenzie@mmbc.bc.ca"richardmackenzie@mmbc.bc.ca

=20

=20

=20

=20

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.=20
Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.4.6/1540 - Release Date: 7/8/2008
6:33 AM
=20

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<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'><b><u><font
size=3D4 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>A Star to Steer =
By<o:p></o:p></span></font></u></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and =
the
sky&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-bottom:3.0pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her =
by;<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>John&nbsp; Masefield, &nbsp;Sea =
Fever<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

The evolution of celestial navigational instruments is the theme =
of the <st1:place
w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">Maritime</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType
 w:st=3D"on">Museum</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>&#8217;s &nbsp;new =
exhibit &nbsp;on display
until November 2nd. It pays homage to the ancient mariners =
who
expanded human culture around the world. =
<o:p></o:p>

&#8220;A Star to Steer By&#8221; looks at five maritime cultures =
and
their impact on the world. Chronologically, the first group the =
exhibit&nbsp; looks &nbsp;at
is the Austronesians (Primarily the Micronesians and the Polynesians) =
and their
settlement of the <st1:place w:st=3D"on"><st1:PlaceName =
w:st=3D"on">Great</st1:PlaceName>
 <st1:PlaceName w:st=3D"on">South</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType =
w:st=3D"on">Sea</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.
Using low tech navigational instruments, but having an intimate =
knowledge of
the stars, ocean swells and currents and other natural phenomena, these =
people
were able to settle a third of the earth&#8217;s surface. =
<o:p></o:p>

&#8220;A Star To Steer BY,&#8221; then moves on to look at the =
Phoenicians
and Greeks, the Arabs and Chinese and finally western navigation and
exploration starting from Henry the Navigator in the 15th =
century
and ending with Cook and Vancouver at the close of the 18th =
century.
<o:p></o:p>

The star of the show is a globe, one of a pair dedicated to Sir =
Joseph
Banks, President of the Royal Geographical Society. The globe shows the
constellations as they were observed in 1800 with the signs of the =
zodiac
included There is only one other globe like it in London&#8217;s =
Victoria and
Albert Museum.<o:p></o:p>

The exhibit makes two observations. The first is obvious, =
<st1:place
w:st=3D"on">Western Europe</st1:place> profited on the wisdom and =
technology of
the ancient astronomers, mathematicians, cartographers and mariners. For
example, the Phoenicians gave us a phonetic alphabet developed to =
simplify
trade documents, and the Arabs presented us with the Indian numerical =
system
including the concept of zero which greatly simplified financial record
keeping.<o:p></o:p>

The second more subtle message is that countries engaged in =
international
commerce trade in far more than goods &#8211; they trade ideas. Open =
societies
learn and prosper, xenophobic societies do not. =
<o:p></o:p>

This observation is illustrated in the story of when <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region
 w:st=3D"on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> ruled the sea. Civil =
war at
the beginning of the Ming Dynasty had left the National Treasury low of =
funds.
In order to rectify this situation, Zheng He, the &#8220;Eunuch =
Admiral&#8221;,
made seven diplomatic / trade voyages between 1405 and 1433 to =
&#8220;the
countries beyond the horizon&#8221; - <st1:country-region =
w:st=3D"on">India</st1:country-region>,
Africa and the &#8220;<st1:place w:st=3D"on">Spice Islands</st1:place> - =
on
behalf of the Yongle Emperor.<o:p></o:p>

After the Yongel&#8217;s death in 1424, <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region
 w:st=3D"on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> began to turn inward =
to
defend its borders against the Mongols. The Treasure Fleet was allowed =
to rot
at its moorings, and much of its history was deliberately destroyed to
discourage further adventuring &#8211; delaying <st1:place =
w:st=3D"on"><st1:country-region
 w:st=3D"on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place>&#8217;s emergence as =
a trading
super-power by 600 years.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter =
style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-align:center'><b><font
size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>-30-<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><font size=3D2
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:
bold'>Contact:<br>
Richard MacKenzie 250-385-4222 ext.107 <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><font size=3D2
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:
bold'><a =
href=3D"mailto:richardmackenzie@mmbc.bc.ca">richardmackenzie@mmbc.bc.ca</=
a><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><font size=3D2
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><font size=3D2
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><font size=3D2
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-weight:
bold'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span lang=3DEN-CA =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG.<BR>
Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.4.6/1540 - Release Date: 7/8/2008 =
6:33 AM<BR>
</FONT> </P>

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