"
"Perhaps you are right; but there is scarcely any invention of
importance that has not two or three names fastened to it as
inventors; they stick to it like barnacles, and there is no way to
shake any of them off. So, in the case of illustrious men, nations
dispute the honor of giving them birth; there are six or seven towns
in Asia Minor that claim to be the birth-place of Homer. National
vanities justly desire to possess the largest amount of genius; hence,
no sooner does anything useful make its appearance in the world, than
half a dozen nations or individuals start up to claim it as their
offspring. The wisest course, under such circumstances, is to side
with the best accredited opinion, which I have done in the case of the
compass."
"It was no joke," said Willis, "to circumnavigate Africa without a
compass."
"You are quite right, Willis, if you judge the navigation of those
days by the modern standard; but it is to be borne in mind that the
ancients never lost sight of the coast. They steered from cape to
promontory, and from promontory to cape, dropping their anchor every
night and remaining well in-shore till morning. If by accident they
were driven out into the open sea, and the stars happened to be hidden
by fog or clouds, they were lost beyond recovery, even though within a
day's sail of a harbor; because, whilst supposing they were making for
the coast, they might, in all probability, be steering in precisely
the opposite direction.
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