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In 1872 Samual Rowbotham (1816-1885) wrote in "Earth Not a Globe", a nice preface that you should read if you have time. It shows that he honestly reports what he sees and is unlikely to be a fraud.

Bedford Level Experiment

A round, globe-type Earth should have curved surfaces, especially of standing water. Some math can show that any "level" surface would drop off about 8 inches in the first mile. The second mile should put the water surface 2.7 feet below the horizontal line through the starting point. The third mile, 6 ft and by the sixth mile, 24 ft. Sam tested this on a very long, very straight canal called the Bedford Level.

Take a look at the horizon of a great expanse of level land or sea. See if it looks flat, curved upwards or curved downwards. Use a long straight-edge held or balanced on something steady to assist your eyes. Here are some photographs in case you do not have such a big view within convenient distance from you.

/Driving/

Copyright:http://www.flickr.com/photos/morealtitude/731081486/

To start we will make some assumptions:

1. The Sun is much farther away than the Moon. You may take that as a good story for itself, or check the evidence that the ancients used. There is so much background evidence that it might be better to just take this idea as the best story that has been found yet and not spend much time trying to prove it.

2. The Sun, Moon, and all visible planets are roughly spherical.

3. That calculations based on a curved surface Earth show drops in level at greater distances:

Earth

Circumference = 40000 Km = 24800 miles
Diameter = 12732 Km = 7894 miles