mariners, mar aberto

“A labour-saving device for mariners, navigation reduced to kindergarten simplicity,” he answered gaily.  “From to-day a child will be able to navigate a ship.  No more long-winded calculations.  All you need is one star in the sky on a dirty night to know instantly where you are.  Look.  I place the transparent scale on this star-map, revolving the scale on the North Pole.  On the scale I’ve worked out the circles of altitude and the lines of bearing.  All I do is to put it on a star, revolve the scale till it is opposite those figures on the map underneath, and presto! there you are, the ship’s precise location!”
There was a ring of triumph in his voice, and his eyes, clear blue this morning as the sea, were sparkling with light.
“You must be well up in mathematics,” I said.  “Where did you go to school?”
“Never saw the inside of one, worse luck,” was the answer.  “I had to dig it out for myself.”

Jack London no cap. 10 de The Sea-Wolf.
those were the days.

o livro pode ser todo lido aqui (embora não seja a mesma coisa)