Response to The Harrison Time Piece

Walter Mok

SS,

Some scattering.

Knowing the season is very important for an agricultural society. It is a matter of survival. The one knowing the secret of season became very powerful.

A friend of mine who worked as a surveyor for HK government once told me that there was similar structure of much smaller scale, in one of the outer island in Hong Kong. 

In eighteen century, when sailing vessels dominated the sea, only the captain held the secret of winding the "longitude" clock. No one could touch the clock.. ( source: Tai Pan by James Caldwell ). He became indispensable in navigation. No mutiny, please.

I bet, Clinton read Tai Pan. His policy of engaging with China is quite similar to Tai Pan's intention of trading with China.