[Tontogary]

Charlatan Rowbotham did not present accurate facts to back up his crackpot theories.

Take the explanation of his attempt to explain why a compass needle is horizontal on about the equator.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za35.htm#page_227

He proudly boasts that on a round earth there can no way be a compass needle aligned horizontal with the earths surface, if the surface were a globe.
He also says and does not argue that the angle of dip of the needle increases in the north lattitude as well as the south, and in fact uses that as an observation that is not denied.

Now on that page is a diagram where he asserts that if the earth were round, then the compass needle will point to north, along a straight line represented by C-N. And makes the jump to the conclusion that it proves that the earth cannot be round.

There is a major flaw with his argument.
The compass needle does not point to a pole directly, lies parallel to the lines of magnetic flux, or force

The lines of magnetic force are represented on the attached picture, but dont believe me, get a magnet and iron filings, and a piece of paper. Zero cost if you have them, and do the experiment yourself.

On the other attached picture is shown the earths round shape and the magnetic field.

Now take this quote from EnaG

“and that the two facts that the compass always points towards the pole and yet on the equator lies without dip, cannot possibly co-exist on a globe. They do co-exist in nature, and are well ascertained and easily proved to do so, therefore the earth cannot possibly be a globe. They can co-exist on a plane with a northern or central region: they do beyond doubt co-exist, therefore, beyond doubt the earth is a plane.”

Taking his first statement, that a compass needle points towards the pole, is correct in a way, but the compass needle lies parallel to the lines of force, so will point north along the lines of longitude, (more or less) but the horizontal angle will be parallel to the lines of flux, and it is seen at the equator will be Horizontal, and dip increases in the north and south latitudes, which Charlatan Rowbotham says are “well ascertained and easily proved to do so” then this actually proves the earth is a globe, and debunks his theory.

This is a classic example of him getting a basic principle wrong, then using it to “prove” his theory, when in fact using the correct principle completely debunks his ideas.

The observation that the needle dips in the north and south equator is accepted and stated as a truth by him, but when you see the lines of force with the round earth placed on it, it is very evident that it does. More interestingly superimpose those lines of force on a plane surface and you cannot ever get the needle to do what it does, and that in fact disproves the flat earth theory!

So having debunked his methods on the first attempt, i can do so on most of his other flawed experiments.