Re: MtMan-List: direction?

[RR1LA@aol.com]

thank you Cap. thats the most sensible answer yet, and i gladly stand
corrected.             YHS,  Shootz Himself
In a message dated 11/10/98 9:58:54 PM Pacific Standard Time, lahtirog@gte.net
writes:

<< Consider that the mighty Columbia R. starts it's journey to the sea flowing
north,
 (so going down steam, the right side is the east side). It then turns south,
(so
 the right side going down stream is the west side). then after it enters the
USA
 it turns to the west, (so the right side of the river going down stream is
the
 north side) It travels in a southerly direction for quit a ways and before
leaving
 the State of Washington it turns east, (so the right side of the river is now
the
 south side going down stream. Then It turns westerly again and yup, you
guessed
 it, the right side going down stream is the north side again. Now it didn't
do a
 complete circle but only not by much. It's confusing isn't it? What might be
more
 correct would be to concider that as a river empties into the Atlantic or
Pacific
 or Gulf, at its mouth it will have a north and south side or east and west
side
 and thus will carry that distinction all the way to it's source just as
highways
 do. But sailors don't think of rivers that way.
 
 That's why the right side is determined as you look up stream. Don't make no
 difference where you start. Mouth, middle, end, beginning, the right bank is
 determined as you look up stream. Or as you return from seaward. I remain....
 
 YMOS
 Capt. Lahti'
>>