ENSEMBRE OF QUADRANTS AND WEATHERVANE

Its formation is that of a limestone cube of one metre at its circumscribed sphere, settled with a diametre in vertical line with one superior face declining ab.15º to the west. The vertex is crowned with a wathervane, whiche permits us to calculate the "the eight Majorcan winds" according to the limestone star surrounding the foot of the pedestal of the cube. The cube faces show, always in actual (true) solar time, the solar astronomical hours, which begin al midnight; the babylonian hours, historically used in Mallorca, which begin al sunrise; the italic hours, which begin al sunset, and two quadrants more in nocturnal lunar hours. The sixth face shows a table to convert actual (true) time (shown in red on the quadrants) to mean time (greenwich) in Sóller.

SOLAR TRUE TIME

Hour reading - Observe the straight edge of the gnomon shadow and estimate the hour between the two horly lines whiche contain this shadow.

Date reading - Observe the point of the gnomon shadow and estimate its position in relation to the curve (hyperbola) corresponding to the changes in zodiacal dates identifies by its sign on each border.

BABYLONIAN AND ITALIC HOURS

Hour reading - Observe the point of the gnomon shadow and estimate the hour between the two straight edge horly lines which contain this point.

Date reading - Proceed in the same way as explained for the solar true time quadrant. There is a double numeration: the second one shows the hours of sun remaining till sunset, and the first one shows those hours past since the last sunset.

NOCTURNAL HOURS (MOONDIALS)

Hour reading - Steps to follow:

1º.- Find the semicircle corresponding to the Moon’s age (time elapsed since the last new moon) shown on the scale af horizontal numbers.

2º.- Find the point where the straight edge of the gnomon shadow, produced by moonlight, cuts the semicircle of age.

3º.- This point is between two hourly lines (spiral lines) and the hour must be estimated.

THE INSCRIPTION

The author of the inscription, J.L. Gradaille, relates the hour with the vital cicle of plants:

The first are for the morning dew
And midday for flowers
At sunset, nostagia,
And at night, repose.