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Everyone after Herodotus was quoting him.
Including Strabo and Halkuyt.
I will find and post the exact sentence
of Herodotus later today.

Alex.

On Mon, 19 Mar 2012, John H wrote:

>
> Actually wasn't this from Strabo quoting Herodotus?
>
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>
> On Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 6:12 PM, Alexandre E Eremenko <
> eremenko---purdue.edu> wrote:
>
>> I can only add that all information about this travel is based
>> on a sentence of Herodotus History, where the mentions this fact,
>> that the Sun was on their right, and adds that he does not believe it.
>>
>> Authors in late antiquity and Middle ages also found this absolutely
>> incredible. However, in modern times, this is considered a decisive proof
>> that the travel really happened, because Herodotus or
>> his sources could not
>> possibly invent such an "absurd" thing:-)
>>
>> Alex.
>>
>>
>> On Mon, 19 Mar 2012, Wil Bailey wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Tracking down the coast of Eastern Africa, through the Mozambique Channel
>>> and onwards - essentially SSW'ly - the sun at noon would be more often
>>> than
>>> not over the starboard quarter, where the 'steering oar' was then
>>> positioned.
>>>
>>> In following the coastline of Southern Africa along the stretch between
>>> Port Elizabeth and Cape Agulhas, then on to False Bay/The Cape of Good
>>> Hope, the course is more or less westwards. for some 750-800km. That would
>>> place the sun at noon on the starboard beam - more or less.
>>>
>>> Given that reliable compasses were not then in general use or favour, one
>>> would expect a close awareness of ship's direction with respect to the
>>> noon
>>> sun to be maintained - for there was little else they could rely on.
>>>
>>> KR
>>>
>>> On 19 March 2012 09:47, Richard Dunn  wrote:
>>>
>>>  Dear all
>>>>
>>>> I have been sent the query below and was wondering if anyone on NavList
>>>> had any useful thoughts.
>>>>
>>>> One suggestion here is that Hakluyt is saying that once in the tropic of
>>>> capricorn the sun was behind the mainmast and over the steering board,
>>>> ie.,
>>>> astern. This makes sense to me, but if anyone can add something, we'd
>>>> love
>>>> to hear.
>>>>
>>>> All the best
>>>> Richard Dunn
>>>> National Maritime Museum Greenwich
>>>>
>>>> Original message:
>>>>
>>>> I have been working on Hakluyt’s prefatory materials and a question has
>>>> come up which exposes my lack of grasp of matters navigational. I
>>>> wondered
>>>> if I could run this by you.
>>>>
>>>> The passage comes from Hakluyt’s preface to the reader of volume 1
>>>> (1598).
>>>> The context is that he is trying to point out that the English had it
>>>> much
>>>> harder sailing to the northern waters above Russia since no one had led
>>>> the
>>>> way. By contrast, in Vasca da Gama’s case the Portuguese knew from
>>>> classical sources that Africa could be rounded. Hakluyt then recounts
>>>> something from Herodotus to prove his point:
>>>>
>>>> 'Neco an AEgyptian King, who (for trials sake) sent a Fleet of
>>>> Phoenicians
>>>> downe the Red sea; who setting forth in Autumne and sailing Southward
>>>> till
>>>> they had the Sunne at noonetide vpon their sterbourd (that is to say,
>>>> having crossed the AEquinoctial and the Southerne tropique) after a long
>>>> Navigation, directed their course to the North, and in the space of 3.
>>>> yeeres environed all Africk, passing home through the Gaditan streites,
>>>> and
>>>> arriving in AEgypt?'
>>>>
>>>> The basics of what he’s saying are clear enough in terms of rounding
>>>> Africa but I realize I don’t have a way of properly annotating what he is
>>>> saying about the navigational element.
>>>>
>>>> My question is what Hakluyt is trying to indicate about the sun’s
>>>> position, etc. The journey referred to begins in autumn, sailing south
>>>> from
>>>> the Red Sea. The position of the sun at noon (noontide) is at its height
>>>> in
>>>> the southern tropic in the December solstice (which may be why he
>>>> mentions
>>>> autumn, though he clearly doesn’t know how far they would have got by
>>>> then). I’m not too sure what it means to say that having crossed the
>>>> tropic
>>>> the sun is on the right (i.e. not overhead) at noon and what that
>>>> indicates
>>>> about the position of the vessel. I take it that this is all while
>>>> travelling south as opposed to sailing west once the end of the continent
>>>> had been reached.
>>>>
>>>> Any illuminations you could offer or advice about where to look would be
>>>> most welcome.
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> : http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=**118394
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
> -- 
> Keeping up with the grind
>
>
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>
> : http://fer3.com/arc/m2.aspx?i=118398
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