the long axis of the cross. The intersection of these two lines is close to
the South Pole.
You can also use the moon to navigate or at least gain a rough
idea of where north and south lie. If the moon is a crescent, draw an
imaginary line through the ends of the crescent down to the horizon. If
you’re in the northern hemisphere, the point where it touches is south;
if you’re in the southern hemisphere, it’s north.
If the moon rises before the sun sets, the illuminated side will be west. If it rises after mid
night, its illuminated side will be east.Following beside a stream or river may seem like a logical plan,
since it can lead you to civilization . . . or into endless wilderness. You
can walk along gravel riverbanks with ease or find that the forest on the
edge of the river is too thick to penetrate. Only solid knowledge of an
area, gained during your planning and preparation stage, will help you
decide what to do.
Nor are train tracks or power lines necessarily the path home.
You could find a town just around the bend . . . or walk through miles
of nothingness along a line no longer in use. Power lines also have a
nasty habit of leading to a swamp or lake across which the wires have
been strung.
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