We Have Already Observed, That The Day's Sail
Of An Ancient Vessel Was 500 Stadia, Or 50 Miles; Supposing The
Largest
stadia of 666-2/3 equal to one degree of the equator, if the vessel sailed
during the night
As well as day, the course run was, on an average, 1000
stadia, or 100 miles. Now, as the voyage from the extremity of Britain to
Thule was of course not a coasting voyage, and as the nights in that
latitude, at the season of the year when the voyage was made, were very
short, (Pytheas says the night was reduced to two or three hours) we must
suppose that he sailed night as well as day; and consequently, that in six
days he had sailed 600 miles, either directly north or to east or west of
the north, for his exact course cannot well be made out.
What country lies 600 miles to the north or the north-east of the extremity
of Britain? None exactly in this direction: if, however, we suppose that
Pytheas could not fix exactly the point of the compass which he steered, (a
supposition by no means improbable, considering the ignorance of the
ancients,) and that his course tended to the west of the north, 600 miles
would bring him nearly to Greenland. There were, however, other stadia
besides those by which we computed the day's sail of the ancients; and
though the stadia we have taken are more generally alluded to by the
ancients, yet it may be proper to ascertain what results will be produced
if the other stadia are supposed to have been used in this instance. The
stadia we have already founded our calculations upon will bring us to the
latitude of 69 deg. 27': the latitude of the southernmost point of Greenland is
very nearly 70 deg.. But the description given by Pytheas of the productions of
the country by no means coincides with Greenland. At the same time, other
parts of his description agree with this country; particularly when he
says, that there the sea, the earth, and the air, seem to be confounded in
one element. In the south of Greenland the longest day is two months which
does not coincide with Pytheas' account; though this, as we have already
pointed out, is contradictory with itself.
Let us now consider what will be the result if we suppose that a different
stadia were employed: the next in point of extent to that on which we have
already founded our conjectures, (there being 700 equal to one degree of
the equator) will bring him to the latitude of 66 deg. 8'; the latitude of the
northernmost part of Iceland is 66 deg. 30', coinciding with this result as
nearly as possible. The description of the climate agrees with Pytheas'
description; but not his account of the length of the day, nor of the
productions of the country. Of the third kind of stadia, 833-1/3 were equal
to one degree of the equator; calculating that 1000 of these were sailed
during a day and night's voyage, Pytheas would arrive in the latitude of
55 deg.
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