ACADEMIA DE MARINHA

THE STELLAR COMPASS

AND THE KAMAL
AN INTERPRETATION OF ITS PRACTICAL USE

JOSÉ MANUEL MALHÃO PEREIRA

LISBOA — 2003
Execução gráfica: INSTITUTO HIDROGRÁFICO – Lisboa

ISBN 972-781-068-3
 The Stellar Compass and the Kamal

Comunicação apresentada pelo C. M. G. José

Manuel Malhão Pereira em 14 de Março de 2003 na India
International Centre em New Delhi, Índia, durante o
«International Seminar on Marine Archaelogy».

Introduction

Dear Flag Officers dear members of the table, dear comrades of the
Indian Navy, ladies and gentlemen.
It is not only an honour to be here in Delhi again, participating in such an
important event, but it is also a special opportunity for my wife and me to see again
the friends we made before. Besides that, this time we are meeting new friends in
two different areas, the archaeology and the navy, to whom I give my warmest
salute, not only in my name but also in the name of Admiral Rogério de Oliveira the
President of Academia de Marinha, the cultural organization of the Portuguese
Navy from which I belong.
I think that the scholars of the Archaeological Survey of India will
understand if I convey also my special regards to my comrades of the
Indian Navy, with whom I share the same marvellous profession.
And I can tell all of you, ladies and gentlemen, that I came here
mainly as a practical sailor, being the subject of my paper practical ideas
of the use at sea of the stellar compass and the Kamal. The reason of this
is because, although many scholars extensively studied these two impor-
tant instruments of Indian Ocean navigation, the way they are utilized
aboard ships is not so clearly explained by them.
Besides that, at the end of the 15th century there has been a meeting
between European and Indian Ocean techniques, and at least two Por-
tuguese Pilot Books of the beginning of the sixteenth century dealed with
the use of the kamal.
So I hope that some of my experience aboard sailing and motor ships
can be useful to help historians to better interpret the techniques of navi-
gation of this area of the globe.
I am going to read only an abridged version of my paper trying of
course to be brief and clear.

V–3
Environmental conditions of the Indo-Pacific regions of navigation
and its consequence to navigation techniques

Before any other consideration about this subject, I would like to

quote the words of a Portuguese sailor and also a religious man of the six-
teenth century, that sailed extensively in the Atlantic. I am referring to
Father Fernando Oliveira who also wrote important manuscripts of navi-
gation and shipbuilding(1).
In his O Livro da Fabrica das Naus, recently published by Academia de
Marinha(2), Father Oliveira wrote, commenting the Portuguese navigations
of the period, and comparing them with those of the Greeks and Latins, who
previously said that they were the inventors of the art of navigation:

Ours [the Portuguese navigators] deserve greater praise for this [the
explorations of the high seas], than the Greeks or the Latins: because they [the
Portuguese] have done more for navigation in 80 years than the others did in
the 2000 during which they reigned. And more improvements have been
brought to this art than they ever achieved.

After these apparently Euro centric words he added:

However, not even this allows us to say that we are {the Portuguese]
the first inventors of the art, as they have so arrogantly declared. And it is
not just because they have claimed it, that we must consent to the assertion:
for, in many parts of the world where they have never gone and which were
not reached by any doctrine of theirs, [we have seen that] there are ships
and the art of navigation: in some places better than in others, according to
the maturity of backwardness of the people who live there. We find, in
China and Japan, reasonably fine ships where the existence of the doctrines
of the Greeks, or their Neptune, has never been heard of. In Guinea and
Brazil, Greeks were never mentioned either and, without them, navigation
exists, in its own style, anyhow as taught by nature.

(1) The biography o Father Fernando Oliveira has been deeply studied in the XIXth
century by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça (O Padre Fernando Oliveira e a Sua Obra Nau-
tica. Memoria, comprehendendo um estudo bigraphico sobre o afamado gramtico e nau-
tographo, e a primeira reprodução typographica do seu tratado inedito Livro da Fabrica
das Naus, Lisboa, Academia Real das Sciencias, 1898).
(2) Fernando Oliveira, O Livro da Fabrica das Naus, Lisboa, Academia de Marinha,
1992, pp. 139, 140. This is the second edition of this important work, being the first by
Lopes de Mendonça in his work referred in note 1. The manuscript is published in fac

4
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

It is my deep conviction that all the peoples of any area of the world
adapt their techniques of any kind, to his environment. The same happens
with the techniques of navigation and I am going to explain briefly what
are the physical conditions of the navigation in the Indian and Pacific(3)
Oceans, compared to other areas.
The first important fact is that the Arab, Persian, Indian, Malayan, Chi-
nese and Polynesian navigation is performed mainly in inter-tropical areas.
Let us take a look of fig. 1, where the inter-tropical areas of the seas
of the world are shaded and the routes of navigation schematically repre-
sented. It is immediately apparent that Asian routes are mainly inter-trop-
ical, with the only exception of routes of northern parts of China. The
Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French and English routes have big propor-
tions out of the tropics.
It is also evident from the map, that:
– European routes are long distance ones with many months at sea
and out of sight of land.
– Arabian, Persian and Indian routes have some medium distance
ocean routes, but more coastal navigation.
– Malayan and Chinese routes are mainly coastal or short distance
high seas navigation, with the exception of the probable but not
very frequent direct routes to Africa.
– Western Pacific routes are mainly short inter-island routes, which
never exceed the 350 miles distance, with the exception of the voy-
ages to Hawaii and New Zealand.
So all sailors find the necessary techniques and instrumentation for
their areas of operation. And sailors are very practical and only use or
develop what is needed for the purpose of the navigation.
Taking into consideration what has been said above, let us imagine
what does a sailor needs to know to return to a previously discovered
island or harbour in a continent, far away from his home place and out of
sight of land which means that ocean navigation methods are needed,
instead of coastal navigation methods.

simile and there is a complete translation in English of the text and of the introduction of
Rogério de Oliveira and initial commentaries by Fernando Contente Domingues and
Richard Barker.
(3) There is similarity of conditions between these two oceans; it is why I connect
one to each other. Besides that the sailors of both areas should have been in contact, and
developed similar techniques, although with slight differences, in consequence of some
differences in their respective environments. It is this also for example the opinion of Tib

V–5
6
Fig. 1 – Intertropical areas at sea. European and Asian routes of navigation (only for showing areas of operation and consequently not with
historical or sailing accuracy)
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

The first thing is to find a way of recognizing the direction he has to

take to return there, admitting that the same system has been used to
return to his point of departure. But for finding a direction it is necessary
any reference to measure that direction.
Fig. 2 shows two islands A and B sketched on the sand of a beach.
The arrow is the path that any ship has to sail on, to go from A to B or
vice-versa. For attaining this objective, it is necessary to materialize any
means of finding the direction, for example from A to B(4).
One of the ways is having a reference related to the direction of the
swell, if it is constant during the period of navigation.
Another can be the direction of the wind, again if it is constant in
direction.
Another can be the flight of birds, if they go always to the same place B.
We see that those means have too many ifs, and people soon recog-
nized that the
heavens, with its
Fig. 2 – The need for direction
stars and planets
during the night, and
sun and moon during
the day, could be a good ref-
erence. From those, the best are
the stars, because they maintain their
relative positions for very long periods.
Besides that they rise and set in well-defined
positions in the horizon.
However, the effectiveness of stars to be direction
references depends mainly on latitude as we are going to see.

betts, expressed in a paper in 1979 (See G. R. Tibbets, A Comparison of Medieval Arab

Methods of Navigation With Those of the Pacific Islands, Lisboa, sep. CXXI, Centro de
Estudos de Cartografia Antiga, Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, 1979), performed
some years after the publication of his very important work, Arab Navigation in the Indian
Ocean Before the Coming of the Portuguese (London, The Royal Asiatic Society of Great
Britain and Ireland, 1971. He says that: «My own opinion is that in both areas [Indian and
Pacific oceans], there must have been a general mutual awareness of the way that naviga-
tional problems were solved. In the days when the Malaysian peoples travelled to Mada-
gascar, the Pacific peoples may have been in contact with southeast Asia and similar
navigational systems may have operated on both Malayan archipelago». See op. cit., p. 13.
(4) We can also consider A as a continent. We can for example imagine a route from
the African eastern coast to the island of Socotora.

V–7
 Let us imagine that we are standing on
the North Pole (fig. 3). On account of
the rotation of the earth around its
axis the celestial sphere moves
apparently in the opposite direc-
tion. As we have the axis of the
earth in our head, during 24
hours, the celestial hemisphere
revolve around us, and celes-
tial bodies never rise and never
set. The astronomers and navi-
gators call it parallel sphere,
because the heavenly bodies have
their movements along celestial par-
allels.
Fig. 3 – Observer at the Pole. Parallel As there is no rising and setting,
sphere. Stars never rise and never set. and they are always moving horizon-
Only half of the celestial sphere visi- tally, celestial bodies are not good refer-
ble throughout the year.
ences for direction.
Let us now consider the observer at the Equator (fig. 4).
Heavenly bodies trace perpendicular cir-
cles around the observer, and their rising
and setting bearings are maintained
during long periods, specially the
equatorial ones. See for exam-
ple that a star at the equator (or
the sun during the equinox),
rises in the east, maintains its
east bearing till meridian pas-
sage and maintains its west
bearing till it sets.
If the observer is at high
latitude (see fig. 5, observer at
45°N), heavenly bodies trace
oblique circles relative to the horizon,
and their rising and setting
Fig. 4 – Observer at the Equator. Right sphere. Stars
bearings vary rapidly. trace circles perpendicular to the horizon. Equatorial
Nevertheless, any observer stars defining, during rising an setting, long periods
at the same latitude has through- of accurate bearings.
out the year always the same

8
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

bearing of a given star during rising or setting. But if he changes latitude, the
bearing will change appreciably if he is in high latitudes, but change a small
amount in places near the equator.
For clarifying the situation, let us see the table shown after fig. 5, where
the bearings (Z) of the rising of four stars of northern declination (δ) and the
settings of four stars of southern declination, are shown for the latitudes 0°
to 60° north, in intervals of five degrees of latitude.
The 8 stars selected are part of the 16
that Tibbets identified in the Arab
stellar compass, and cover almost
the entire horizon(5).
I am going to admit that we
are looking to the sky in Janu-
ary 2002, which is sufficient
for the purpose of my study.
The declinations and bearings
are to the accuracy of the
degree and the bearings are
from 0° to 360°, clockwise,
which is the normal way used by
navigators.
Fig. 5 – Observer at 45° of latitude. Oblique
sphere. Stars trace circles oblique to horizon,
defining, during rising an setting, very short
periods of accurate bearings.

(5) See Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean…, op. cit., pp. 294-299. Tibbetts fol-
lows Léopold Saussure, in the work of Gabriel Ferrand, (Instruction Nautiques et
Routiers Arabes et Portugais des XV ème et XVI ème Siècles, Tome III, Paris, Librairie
Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1928), pp. 92-124.

V–9
 Observer in the northern hemisphere
Stars with northern declination. Bearings of rising. Stars with southern declination. Bearings of setting.
Latit. Kochab Schedar Capella Altair Sirius Antares Canopus Achernar
δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z
0º 74°N 016° 56°N 034° 46°N 044° 9° N 081° 17°S 253° 26°S 243° 53°S 217° 57°S 213°
5°N “ 015° “ 033° “ 044° “ 081° “ 253° “ 243° “ 217° “ 212°
10°N “ 012° “ 032° “ 043° “ 081° “ 253° “ 243° “ 216° “ 211°
15°N “ 004° “ 030° “ 042° “ 081° “ 253° “ 242° “ 215° “ 210°
20°N “ —- “ 027ª 040° “ 081° “ 252° “ 242° “ 213° “ 207°
25°N “ —- “ 023° “ 037° “ 080° “ 252° “ 241° “ 209° “ 203°
30°N “ —- “ 015° “ 034° “ 079° “ 251° “ 239° “ 203° “ 194°
35°N “ —- “ —- “ 028° “ 079° “ 250° “ 237° “ 194° “ —-
40°N “ —- “ —- “ 019° “ 078° “ 248° “ 234° “ —- “ —-
45°N “ —- “ —- “ —- “ 077° “ 246° “ 231° “ —- “ —-
50°N “ —- “ —- “ —- “ 076° “ 244° “ 226° “ —- “ —-
55°N “ —- “ —- “ —- “ 074° “ 240° “ 220° “ —- “ —-
60°N “ —- “ —- “ —- “ 072° “ 235° “ 209° “ —- “ —-

We can see that the bearings of the stars on rising (the setting is sym-
metrical), have a small variation with latitude, around latitudes 0 to 20 or
25 degrees. I enhanced the maximum variation in bearing of two degrees
in light gray and of 4 degrees in dark gray.
By a similar operation (see table bellow), I will also find that for the
same stars but to south latitudes of the same amount, which I only
extended to 30°S, the bearings are the same.
Latit. Kochab Schedar Capella Altair Sirius Antares Canopus Achernar
δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z δ Z
0° 74°N 016° 56°N 034° 46°N 044° 9°N 081° 17°S 253° 26°S 243° 53°S 217° 57°S 213°
5°S “ 015° “ 033° “ 044° “ 081° “ 253° “ 243° “ 217° “ 212°
10°S “ 012° “ 032° “ 043° “ 081° “ 253° “ 243° “ 216° “ 211°
15°S “ 004° “ 030° “ 042° “ 081° “ 253° “ 242° “ 215° “ 210°
20°S “ —- “ 027° “ 040° “ 081° “ 252° “ 242° “ 213° “ 207°
25°S “ —- “ 023° “ 037° “ 080° “ 252° “ 241° “ 209 “ 203°
30°S “ —- “ 016° “ 034° “ 079° “ 251° “ 239° “ 203° “ 194°

This is a very interesting fact that sometimes is not recognized, even

by experienced navigators(6). It gives an added advantage of using rising
and setting stars for direction between the tropics because their bearings
are equal if we are at the same latitude, even if we are in different hemi-

(6) The formula for finding the bearing Z of any celestial body at rising or setting is:
cos Z = sen δ x sec ϕ. As the latitude is always less than 90° its secant is always positive,

10
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

spheres. This means that the entire area of the tropics is suitable for this
purpose and not only half of it.
It also shows clearly, that for observers between the tropics, the ris-
ing and setting of stars are an accurate way for direction, and that out of
the tropics, they are not suitable for that purpose.
In consequence of what has been said above, it can be understood that
inter-tropical navigators soon recognized that the bearings of rising and
setting of stars were almost constant when they made their inter-island
voyages, although they did not had the notion of latitude as we have today.
So they began to recognize that the island B (fig. 2), was, as seen
from island A or the continent, in the direction of the rising of some star.
And this after repeated voyages.
As other islands or harbours in continents were in other directions,
they soon memorized other different stars that were suitable to maintain
the direction required.
As stars are only near the horizon for a short period, other stars were
used on the same direction or bearing (this is nowadays the appropriate
technical word).
As in the same bearing the amount of stars was not sufficient to cover
all the horizon, soon practical navigators recognized that other stars
would be associated with the others, if they made an image of them, alto-
gether, on a piece of circular or square wood, where they marked all the
stars useful for the purpose of finding different places.
From this stage, and taking into account that their voyages were in
directions that covered the entire horizon, it is easy to understand the
development of a compass rose that showed to the navigator the different
directions which in the future could be the reference for future voyages.
In consequence of this the stellar compass was introduced.

so cos Z will always be of the same sign of sen δ. So the bearing Z will always be of the
same name as the declination. This is also very clearly shown on the excellent work of
David Lewis (We the Navigators. The Ancient Art of Land finding in the Pacific, second
edition, Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1994. In its Appendix I is a clear study
about this subject. To the same conclusion arrived Pedro Nunes, the well-known Por-
tuguese mathematician of the sixteenth century and cosmographer major of the Por-
tuguese crown, when answering to the many questions of Martim Afonso de Sousa, a
captain of an Armada recently returned from Brazil. To the question of finding in 35° S
during sunrise and sunset the bearing of the sun SE1/4E and SW1/4W, respectively, when
the sun had its most southern declination (in the Tropic of Capricorn), the same bearing
that he had already experienced in the same latitude in 35°N, Nunes explained it clearly,
not only with text and images but also mathematically. See, Pedro Nunes, Obras, 4 vols.,
Lisboa, Academia das Ciências, Imprensa Nacional, 1940, vol. I, pp. 165-174.

V – 11
Stellar compass of the Indian Ocean

Let us imagine now specifically, the navigators of the Northern

Indian Ocean (Persians, Indians, Arabs, Malays, Chinese), who sailed in
northern latitudes between the 7th and 23rd parallel mainly in an east-west
direction.
They soon recognized (like the Portuguese after recognized in the
Atlantic), that the Pole Star which was always above their horizon and
near the North Celestial Pole, was a good way to find direction and very
appropriate to maintain an east-west course.
But as the Pole Star or the other stars of the Little Bear could be cov-
ered by clouds, other stars were chosen and drawn in a piece of wood,
separated each other by the angles that separated them in the horizon. So,
a star compass of the Indian Ocean was idealized being its details
explained later. See fig. 7(7).
All of this has been deeply studied by many scholars like Gabriel Fer-
rand(8), G. R. Tibbetts(9), Laguardia Trias(10), Custódio de Morais(11),
Vitorino Magalhães Godinho(12), Moura Braz(13), David Lewis(14),
William Kelsalka(15), Teixeira da Mota(16), among many others. Lewis and
Kelsalka made interesting sailing experiences, with extremely important
results.

(7) Adapted from Gabriel Ferrand, Instructions Nautiques et Routiers …, p. 91.

(8) Op. cit.
(9) G. R. Tibbetts, Arab Navigation in the Indian Ocean Before the Coming of the
Portuguese, London, The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1971. Also,
from the same author, A Comparison of Medieval Arab Methods of Navigation With Those
of the Pacific Islands, Lisboa, Junta de Investigações Científicas do Ultramar, Centro de
Estudos de Cartografia Antiga, 979.
(10) Rolando A. Laguardia Trias, Las Mas Antiguas Determinaciones de Latitude en
el Atlantico y el Indico, Madrid, Instituto Historico de Marina, 1963.
(11) J. Custódio de Morais, Determinação das coordenadas geográficas no Oceano
Índico pelo pilotos portugueses e pilotos árabes no princípio do século XVI, Coimbra,
Universidade de Coimbra, 1960.
(12) Vitorino Magalhães Godinho, «Navegação oceânica e origens da náutica
astronómica», in Ensaios (I, Sobre História Universal), Lisboa, Sá da Costa, pp. 177-227.
(13) C. A. Moura Braz, O Encontro das Marinhas Oriental e Ocidental na Era dos
Descobrimentos, Lisboa, Sociedade de Geografia, 1962.
(14) Op. cit.
(15) Will Kelsalka, An Ocean in Mind, Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press, 1987.
(16) A. Teixeira da Mota, «Méthodes de Navigation …», op. cit.

12
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

Léopold Sassure has deeply studied this subject and his considera-
tions were extensively explained and justified in an article published in
1923 in Génève that Gabriel Ferrand included in his Instructions Nau-
tiques et Routiers Arabes et Portugais(17).
Tibbetts refers also this subject, mainly following de Sassure’s ideas(18).
The stellar compass rose, as previously explained, came into use on
account of the specific conditions of the seas navigated. In consequence
of the need of a multiple of 4 directions (the result of the previous defin-
ition of the 4 cardinal points), 32 directions were found which were
related to the directions of the rising and setting of 15 conspicuous aster-
isms(19). The remaining directions needed were the North Pole (defined by
Polaris), and the South Pole.
The stars were primitively chosen mainly according to its bearing of
rising and setting, the times of this phenomenon, and magnitude. It was
necessary that after a star sets, becoming invisible, another be already
above the horizon but sufficiently low to be a good direction indicator.
This last star will be useful during a short period, after which another star
will rise or is setting in a convenient position for direction reference.
So the idea was to have at any time of the night at least one star suf-
ficiently low. All the others should follow in the same condition, in dif-
ferent positions of the horizon and obviously in different times of the
night.
With this array of asterisms, there will be always the possibility
of orientation of the compass in relation to the north south line,
because the different stars make known angles with the north south
line that is mainly represented by Polaris and the stars around the
North Pole.
Scholars studied deeply this subject, trying to interpret its origin and
date of implementation, the different stars or groups of stars used, etc. The
names of the stars and the compass itself are shown in figures 6 and 7,
based in de Saussure’s work(20).

(17) Op. cit., pp. 31-127.

(18) See Arab Navigation in the Indian …, pp. 295-312.
(19) Ibn Majid also says, when explaining the compass in his First Fahida, that «The
rhums are 32 in number as they are divided on the ship and they make even numbers of
them without using odd numbers.». Idem, ibid., p. 76.
(20) See op. cit., pp. 93-124. Saussure has made the identification of the stars with
the help of a mobile globe of the Observatory of Génève, which had sufficient accuracy
for the purpose. This was made around 1920, but nowadays we have the enormous help
of astronomic computer programs, which have great accuracy and flexibility. They allow

V – 13
 The table in fig. 6 shows, for 15 of January 1300 a. d., in a place of latitude
10°N and longitude 80°E (just north of Sri Lanka), the stars or constellations
indicated by de Saussure(21) with their magnitudes, declinations, bearings, alti-
tudes and times of rising and setting and also times of meridian passage.

Star/Const. Magnit. Declinat. Rising Bear. Setting Bear. Timem.p.

Polaris 02.1 85° 28’.1 N — — — — 1536
β Ursamenor / Kochab 02.2 76° 59’.9 N 2053 (3) 008°.5 1605 351°.4 0637
γ Ursa Menor / Pherkad 03.1 74° 18’.9 N 2210 (6) 011°.6 1544 348°.3 0659
α Ursa Maior / Dubhe 02.0 65° 25’.1 N 1813 (1) 022°.3 0928 337°.6 0153
χ Ursa Maior / Alioth 01.7 59° 48’.3 N 2039 (2) 028°.4 1112 331°.6 0357
α Cassiopeia / Schedar 02.5 52° 39’.3 N 0840 036°.0 2232 (7) 324°.0 1536
β Cassiopeia / Caph 02.4 55° 15’.2 N 0805 033°.2 2209 (5) 326°.7 1507
Capella 00.2 44° 50’.6 N 1316 044°.1 0245 (15) 315°.9 1958
Vega 00.1 38° 21’.3 N 0314(17) 050°.8 1622 309°.3 0948
Arcturus 00.2 22° 33’.9 N 2255 (8) 066°.9 1136 293°.1 0518
Pleiades 24° 07’.0 N 1300 065°.0 0141(13) 295°.0
Altair 00.9 07° 18’.9 N 0444 (19) 082°.5 1657 277°.5 1051
Cint. Orion – Alnilan 01.8 01° 54’.3 S 1433 091°.8 0237(14) 268°.2 2033
Sirius -1.6 16° 12’.9 S 1556 106°.4 0340(18) 253°.6 2146
β, δ, π, Escorpião-δ 02.5 20° 22.9 S 0108 (11) 110°.6 1240 249°.4 0654
Antares 01.1 24° 36’.2 S 0138 (12) 114°.9 1305 245°.1 0721
α Centaurus 00.1 57° 35’.2 S 0025 (10) 148°.8 1023 211°.2 0524
β Centaurus / Hadar 00.9 56° 50’.5 S 2347 (9) 148°.0 0953 212°.0 0452
Canopus -0.9 52° 25’.2 S 1631 143°.4 0255 (16) 216°.6 2141
Achernar 00.6 60° 52’. 5 S 1154 152°.3 2135 (4) 207°.7 1644

Fig. 6. Table showing the bearings of the stars of the stellar compass in 15 January 1300
a.d., in 10° N, 70° E.
On the columns of rising and setting times I highlighted the times that
are in good condition for usefulness of direction indication and numbered
them in sequence of observation during all the night. The ones not high-
lighted are not useful during that time of the year, because they rise or set
during the day. But we have to understand that the stars not useful in Jan-
uary will be useful in other times of the year on account of the annual
movement of the earth around the sun(22).
us to materialize the heavens and its celestial bodies in any year and date we want, hav-
ing easily not only the possibility of seeing the movement of the bodies in any place on
earth, but also to have, among many other useful information, their coordinates. One of
the programs I have used for the calculations of figures 6 and 8 is Cyber Sky.
(21) Op. cit., pp. 108-109. De Saussure bases his identification on the work of
Antoine d’Abadie, a French scientist that published his work in the Journal Asiatique de
1841 and from which he makes a long quotation.
(22) On account of the translation of the earth around the sun, this celestial body moves
apparently around the earth as seen from the earth. So, the stars seem to move relatively to the

14
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

So, taking in consideration that a star near the horizon can be utilized
during a long period for direction indication(23), the intervals of time shown
are an indication that at the same time there was always one star available.

Fig. 7 – Stellar compass of the Indian Ocean.

sun (the projection of the apparent movement of the sun around the earth is called the eclip-
tic). One complete revolution of the earth around its axis and having as reference a star (side-
real day), is completed before the earth completes its rotation around the sun (solar day),
because it is moving in space. As 360° translation takes a little more than 365 solar days the
retardation of the solar day in relation of the duration of the sidereal day is a little less than
one degree of arc (360°/365) or about 4 minutes of time. So we can say that the stars rise every
day 4 minutes earlier. This will also means that in a certain place on earth and at the same day
of the year we never have the same star in the same position on the visible celestial sphere.
(23) David Lewis gives an indication of optimum altitudes of steering stars, as per his
observations at sea and changing information with the local seamen. One of the indica-
tions says that a star can be used from near the horizon till around 15° altitudes. A sailor
from the Pacific says that in Tonga they suggest to «steer by a star until it has reached a
height the same as the sun has at 10 A. M.». This means in tropical areas an altitude of
around 50°, which is too high (see, We the Navigators, pp. 97-98). My personnel experi-
ence, navigating in the Atlantic in inter-tropical areas in the square-rigger Sagres of the

V – 15
 Figure 7 shows a copy of the compass included in the work of
Léopold de Saussure, as referred above.
The compass, with its 32 divisions, is divided in two halves by the
north south line, materialized by the Pole Star, and has inscribed the
names of the stars or star groups in one side, which are repeated on the
other side, all the designations being preceded by the Arabic word mean-
ing setting in the western part and rising in the eastern part.
We can understand that the separation of the useful stars by a regular
angular interval will be impossible to achieve in nature. We can see in fig-
ure 8 (which is a representation of the «real» compass for the year 1300
a.d.), that the bearings of the stars that correspond to the table above are
not distributed regularly.

Fig. 8 – A grafical representation of the bearings of the stars included in the table of
fig 6.

Portuguese Navy, shows that a star of the magnitude used in the stellar compass can be
seen above the horizon with an altitude above around 6°. Its usefulness for direction can
go to 20° of altitude. It is useful to recognize that my information and the one of David
Lewis are related to the Pacific and the Atlantic, where atmospheric conditions are not as
good as the ones in the Indian Ocean.

16
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

This apparent problem has intrigued scholars who tried to find the
epoch when the compass was introduced through the calculation of dif-
ferent arrangements of the same stars that, on account of precession,
change slightly their positions in the sky(24).
But even de Saussure arrived to the conclusion that «…: l’usage de la bous-
sole a rendu les noms de rumbs purement conventionnels (comme, par exemple,
le nom de notre mois de septembre qui n’indique plus le septième mois)».
Tibbets also found that Ibn Majid himself commented the inaccuracy
of the bearings for direction finding(25). It is very useful to quote the two
passages of the Kitab al-Fawaid referred by Tibbets and by him translated
in his work. The first one is as follows:

These stars or rhumbs [of the compass] are all of them approximate as
we have shown in the Hawiya(26):
These stars and rhumbs with the Arabs
Are only approximate, Oh my captain.
If you set course exactly on them
In a narrow place, then you will have difficulty. [here ends the quota-
tion of the Hawiya]
For they are only used for their names and not for their actual position
in the heavens. Their positions are used for the compass rose which is
divided into divisions and we have spoken and commented on this. Then we
said on the Hawiya:
The rest of the rhumbs of the compass are alike:
It is a numerical division which can not be misleaded.

The other quotation referred to another chapter of the Fawaid that

dealed with compass rhumbs(27). It is as follows: «Aiyuk [Capella], is
used to divide the heavens exactly in quarters for it is 45° from the east

(24) Not only the above-mentioned scholars who studied Arab navigation tried to
find the date when the bearings agreed with the equidistant rhumbs. An excellent
work of Marina Tolmacheva tried to interpret this problem with an extensive use of
different calculations for different epochs. Tolamcheva gave finally her stellar com-
pass composition for the year 310 B.C., «… resolved in retrospect by a selective
process bringing together a star and a rhumb showing best agreement of the present
and projected azimuth».
See, Marina Tolmacheva, An Analysis of the Arab Wind Rose, University of Toledo, paper
to be presented to the 1977 Convention of the Middle East Studies Association.
(25) See Arab Navigation…, pp. 297-298.
(26) Ibn Majid was quoting the passage in one of his previous works also referred by
Tibbets who mentioned and listed 40 of those works. See Arab Navigation…, pp. 74-75.
(27) See op. cit., p. 139.

V – 17
point and 45° from the North Pole. It is the only star used as rhumbs
which is accurately in position.».
It is very interesting to note in figure 8 that Capella in fact, has the
bearing of 45° NE, which fits exactly with the words of Ibn Majid. If there
were any doubts about this subject, this only statement from this most
famous Arab pilot would be sufficient.
Ibrahim Khoury calls also the attention to this problem in his work
As-Sufaliyya. «The Poem of Sofala» by Ahmad Ibn Majid. When com-
menting al-Hawiya, the poem of Ibn Majid where this pilot referred «The
Circle of Ship» (which is the stellar compass), says:

The basis of this choice [the division of the compass in equal parts]
would be, theoretically, the apparent rising and setting of these stars in the
sectors. In fact, this is not always true, because the distance between two
consecutive stars or groups of stars, is never 7 fingers as it should be (11° 15’),
and that α β Cen (al-himaran) sector comes before Canopus and Achernar
sectors, although its declination is superior to theirs, and this fact is well
known among the arab seamen. In this conjecture, it seems that the Point-
Polaris is of the utmost importance for drawing the sectors, which lead to the
guiding stars. Thus the sectors are believed to be a kind of frame reference
to show the beginners how to find and learn the positions of the stars of nav-
igation that give sailing directions(28).

So I think that the way to use the compass was not so complicated as
sometimes is suggested. My final interpretation will be given latter at the
end of this work.

Navigation in the Indian Ocean and the adequate techniques

Before analysing the practical way in which the sailors of the Indian
Ocean used these instruments let us complement the environmental con-
ditions that were explained in the beginning of this work.
The north Indian Ocean, except during the height of the southwest
monsoon which corresponds roughly to the months of June, July and

(28) Ibrahim Khoury, As-Sufaliyya. «The Poem of Sofala» by Ahmad Ibn Majid,
Coimbra, Junta de Investigações Científicas do Ultramar, 1983. In this work, the author
tries to demonstrate that Ibn Majid was not the pilot of Vasco da Gama. One of the rea-
sons is the inclusion of false verses in this known work of Ibn Majid.

18
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

August(29), has light to moderate winds and waves. There are generally
clear skies and especially clear nights, very appropriate to the observation
of heavenly bodies.
The voyages from west to east were performed from the begin-
ning or the middle of April till the middle of May. This was the first
period, taking in advantage the southwest wind of the beginning of
the southwest monsoon. The second period was the crossing of the
sea at the end of the southwest monsoon, to arrive at the coasts of
India in mid September.
The return voyage, with the northeast wind was performed after the
middle of October till the beginning of April.
Figure 9 shows schematically the north Indian Ocean and its main
islands and coasts. It is clear that the voyage was mainly along a parallel of
latitude and sometimes it was necessary to cross narrow passages like the
Lachadweep Islands that were also spread in a north-south direction. The
coasts of the Indian subcontinent have also more or less the same orientation.
It is also interesting to note that the navigation area was mainly
between the equator and around the 23rd parallel of north latitude.
So, the safer and more adequate technique was to find the parallel of the
destination, which was previously known, and stay on it until arriving near
the coast. The image shows an example of voyage from Kalicut to Socotora.
This was the kind of technique used by all the modern navigators till
the better knowledge of longitude in the end of the XVIII th century.
To find the parallel of destination a course had to be maintained, the
stellar compass being used. To find ashore the «latitudes» of the harbours
and to maintain the ship on the same parallel for long periods the stars
were also utilized.
For this last purpose the pole star was the most useful and accurate
star to be used, because it was recognized by the experience of observa-
tion that all the heavens circled around a point very near this heavenly
body. The height of this star over the horizon was the main reference in
the area, as for example is clearly explained by Ibn Majid in the Faawid.

(29) Ibn Majid explains all of the strategies employed by the pilots to choose the best
season for crossing the Indian Ocean from all the harbours and directions. See Arab Nav-
igation …, pp. 225-242, which includes Tibbet’s translation of the Eleventh Faida, Mon-
soons and Connected Matters. Commenting the anchorage in harbours after the crossing
Majid says: «Because of this [the strength of the Dabur wind], intelligent men never make
this journey during the 3 months or 90 days for then it is a gamble». (Op. cit., p. 227). The
90 days corresponded to the months of June, July and August.

V – 19
 Fig. 9 – The North Indian Ocean area of navigation.

Besides that the Pole Star was visible from around 6° N(30), covering
all the area navigated from this latitude to the north.
But as sometimes the heavens was obscured by clouds, the positions
of other stars relative to the Pole Star were used for the same purpose,
being the main reference for parallel navigation the height of the Pole
Star on its inferior meridian passage(31).
This last situation is represented in figure 11 where the Little Bear is
represented with the Pole Star in its tail, the movement of the heavens
counter clockwise for an observer looking north, the celestial pole and the
polar distance of Pole Star during the beginning of the 16th century.
So, having already seen the way to find direction, the remaining oper-
ation would be to measure with an acceptable accuracy the height of a star
above the horizon.

(30) At least, because the Indian Ocean atmosphere is much more pure than the
Atlantic one. See note 22 above.
(31) In all the texts of the pilots (Ibn Majid or Suleiman al Mahri, for example), it is
clearly referred that this position of the Pole Sitar was the main reference. All the other
star altitudes were reduced to this same reference. All the scholars referred recognize also
this principle.

20
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

Fig. 10 – The Little Bear, the Pole Star and the main operation needeed for navigating
along a parallel.

The Kamal

It seems that the first approach to this problem has been the measure-
ment of this angle with something that could be practical and relatively uni-
form. The more intuitive instrument has been the human body. So soon
sailors found that a stretched arm with the four fingers of the hand perpen-
dicular to the line of sight could be a reference for measurement of an angle.
With the little finger in coincidence with the horizon and one, two or
three fingers more superimposed to it, as the altitudes to be measured
were very small, an altitude of a star could be measured. If the altitude
exceeded four fingers it was possible to estimate how many fingers more
were necessary to measure the altitude of the star.
As the angle subtended by the fingers of a human body are more
or less constant because there is a proportion between the thickness of
the fingers and the length of the stretched arm, this simple instrument
was probably the first instrument in the history of navigation, after the
lead line.
I had the opportunity to take measurements with the stretched arm, of
the height of the forefinger and the height of four fingers (with the exception
of the thumb), of nine persons, which are shown in the following table(32).

(32) The angles were found by simple trigonometry.

V – 21
 Length of Forefinger Forefinger’s 4 finger’s height Average of 4
arm (m/m) height (m/m) angle (°) (m/m) finger’s angle (°)
730 21 1° 37’ 78 1° 31’
650 23 2° 00’ 82 1° 48’
645 19 1° 41’ 72 1° 36’
630 18 1° 37’ 72 1° 37’
660 21 1° 48’ 73 1° 36’
600 21 2° 00’ 79 1° 52’
660 23 2° 00’ 76 1° 38’
700 22 1° 48’ 80 1° 38’
640 20 1° 47’ 74 1° 39’
Total aver. 1° 48’ Total aver. 1° 39’

It is very interesting to verify that the results have not a great dis-
crepancy, although I did not take great care with the measurements. The
last column is the angle subtended by 4 fingers divided by 4, which cor-
responds to the angle subtended by a finger with the average height of the
4 fingers(33). The total average is 1° 39’, value that will be very interest-
ing to analyse later. Some photographs of my son in the attitude of mea-
suring with the fingers and the arm stretched are shown in Plate 1.
This system originated the Arab or Indian Ocean unit of measurement
of angles, which is the finger or isba in Arabic. In the beginning sailors
probably were not preoccupied in having a uniform unit, or at least did not
converted it to any constant unit. As soon as navigations were increased,
it was found useful to standardize the finger measurement and the value
agreed by scholars now gave to the isba the value of 1° 36’ which is very
approximate to the anatomical value of 1° 39’.
Ibn Majid, who says in his First Faida that «… the distance between two
rhumbs is 7 isba and between each two mansions 8 isba making a total of 224
isba.»(34), admits a constant value for the isba, which will be 360°/224 = 1° 36’(35).

(33) This anatomic measure was called by the pilots a dhubban and Ibn Majid
explains this, saying that «Four isba is one dhubban, the dhubban being the place occu
pied by the sword handle in the palm of the left handle as far half the nail of the little fin-
ger of the left palm». See Arab Navigation …, p. 76. This explanation is not very clear to
me. De Saussure also gives an interpretation for this that is also not very clear to me. I
think that Ibn Majid tried to explain what was the horizontal reference to measure verti-
cally an angle with the 4 fingers, because their height decreases to the extremity of the
fingers. I think that the reference was the vertical aperture of the 4 fingers passing through
the middle of the little finger, which is more or less between the root of the little finger
and the middle of the nail of this same finger.. See Instruction Nautiques …, p. 162.
(34) See op. cit., p. 76. Tibbets gives complete information about this subject later in
his work (pp. 314-315) when dealing with the Navigational Theory.
(35) The value of the isba is also clearly explained in the Livro de Marinahria de
André Pires, where this portuguese Pilot refers in his manuscript (written between 1517-

22
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

Plate 1
The attitude of the observer when using his fingers.

V – 23
 James Prinsep gave very interesting information about the evolution
of the simple instrument that followed this anatomic way of measuring
angular altitudes. His article published in 1836 in the Journal of the Asi-
atic Society is very important to clarify the situation(36).
In accordance with Prinsep, this anatomic way was first followed by
the use of nine tablets of wood, the first and smaller one with four hori-
zontal equidistant divisions, each one of one isba. The other 8 tablets, of
increasing size, represented 5 to 12 isba(37).
These 12 tablets were all connected by one string, which in my opin-
ion had the main purpose of maintaining all the tablets together. In fact,
the principal of the measurement was that the tablets, which had a uni-
form height, could substitute the fingers for measuring an angle with the
arm completely stretched, without the need to superimpose fingers. So the
navigator had always with him the possibility of measuring an angle from
1 to 12 fingers more accurately than with his fingers(38).
Prinsep found also the modern instrument, brought to him, by a sailor
of the Maldive islands which was:

… a small parallelogram of horn (about two inches by one) with a

string (or a couple of strings, in some instances), inserted in the centre. On
the string are nine knots. To use the instrument for taking the height of
Polaris, the string is held between the teeth, with horn at such distance from

-1540), that «Se caso for que achares alguma carta de mouros e a quiseres graduar à nossa
usança, tomarás 5 polegadas e reparti-las-ás em 8 partes, que são 8 graus …». This means
that one isba is 8/5º or 1º 36’. See Luís Mendonça de Albuquerque, O Livro de Marin-
haria de André Pires, Lisboa, Junta de Investigações do Ultramar, 1963, p. 135. Luís de
Albuquerque studies very deeply the precious information about the techniques of navi-
gation in the Indian Ocean included in the manuscript.
(36) His article has been reproduced by Gabriel Ferrand in his Instructions
Nautiques …. See op. cit. pp. 1-24.
(37) It was the Muhit of admiral Sidi Ali Celebi that described this instrument. This
nautical guide was produced by this Turkish admiral who was in charge of conducting the
Turkish fleet in its return to Egipt after being attacked by the Portuguese in the mouth of
the Persian Gulf being after scattered by a storm. While anchored in Gujerat he produced
this important nautical guide based mainly in the Ibn Majid and Sulaiman al Mahri works,
although many comments of his own were introduced.
(38) The explanation given by Prinsep or his interpretation of the Muhit is very confus-
ing. The following text, which I am not sure if it is a quotation of the translation of the Muhit,
says: «The method of taking the measure is as follows: You take the table with the left hand
and the thread that passes through the middle in the right; you stretch your left hand firm and
take the elevation which gives …». I do not understand the need to take the thread with the
right hand unless for separating the undesired tablets from the one that was being used.

24
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

the eye, that while the lower edge seems to touch the oceanic horizon, the
upper edge meets the star: the division or knot is then read off as the
required latitude(39).

His description shows that now the idea was to have a constant ref-
erence with a known height (the piece of wood) and a variable length of
string adequately graduated.

Fig. 11 – Two examples of Kamal, according to Pereira da Silva.

(39) Op. cit., p. 2.

V – 25
 Luciano Pereira da Silva published an excellent work in 1924 about
this subject. The objective of the work was mainly to comment the meet-
ing of Vasco da Gama with the Muslim pilot in Melinde and the instru-
ment that he showed to him consisting of three tablets(40)
Trying to understand the instrument he finally found in the Ethno-
graphic Museum of Hamburg, two instruments called Kamal, from which
he got a drawing.
Figure 12 reproduces the drawing received by Pereira da Silva, being
the instrument on the left been offered by an Hindu pilot to captain Doher
of the Steamship Line of Calcutta in 1892.
The same instrument is in wood of 4 millimetres thickness and has
6.65x4.8 centimetres. The rope has 16 knots, which correspond to the
height of the Pole Star in 16 harbours of the Gulf of Bengal(41).
The designation kamal to this simple instrument is probably very
modern. Tibbetts comments that «he measurer’s instrument is never
called this by the navigators»(42).

Experiences with replicas of the Kamal

Following my belief that to better understand history is very

important to experiment techniques of the ancients, I
made replicas of the kamal taking as reference
the first one described by Luciano
Pereira da Silva. I ordered
the making of some
pieces of

Fig. 12 – Geometrical principal of the Kamal.

hardwood of 4 millimetres of thickness and of 70x50 millimetres, being

its width and height very near the 6.65x4.8 millimetres of the original.

(40) See, Luciano Pereira da Silva, «Kamal, Tábuas da Índia e Tavoletas Náuticas»,
in Lusitânia, vol. I (1924), published in Obras Completras de Luciano Pereira da Silva,
vol. III, Lisboa, Agência Geral do Ultramar, 1924, pp. 31-41.
(41) See op. cit., p. 32. The instrument on the right is similar in nature, have in one
of its faces a list of harbours in Tamil.
(42) See op. cit., pp. 315-316.

26
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

The principle of graduating the instrument with the appropriate

knots, which now will represent isbas, and is equivalent to the principle
of graduation of the cross staff, is explained in fig. 13.
Taking into consideration the dimensions adopted for the instrument
and the value of the isba of 1° 37’ adopted by de Saussure(43), the table
bellow has been produced.

Isba (97’) (1/2 Isba) (°,’) 1/2 width (m/m) Length of the knot (m/m)
1 0° 43’ 25 1998.6
2 1° 37’ “ 885.8
3 2° 25’.5 “ 590.3
4 3° 14’ “ 442.5
5 4° 02’.5 “ 353.8
6 4° 51’ “ 294.6
7 5° 39’.5 “ 252.3
8 6° 28’ “ 220.6
9 7° 16’.5 “ 195.8
10 8° 05’ “ 176.0
11 8° 53’5 “ 160.0
12 9°42’ “ 146.3
1/2 height (m/m)
1 0° 43’ 35 2532.92
2 1° 37’ “ 1240.09
3 2° 25’.5 “ 826.46
4 3° 14’ “ 619.55
5 4° 02’.5 “ 495.35
6 4° 51’ “ 412.49
7 5° 39’.5 “ 353.25
8 6° 28’ “ 308.79
9 7° 16’.5 “ 274.17
10 8° 05’ “ 246.44
11 8° 53’5 “ 223.72
12 9°42’ “ 204.76

It can be seen that I obtained the graduations for the kamal used in its
vertical position (values for the 35 m/m) and horizontal position (values
the 25 m/m column).
Instead of one instrument with two strings attached with the two dif-
ferent graduations I used the other string with the different graduation in
another piece of wood. The resultant instruments are in Plate 2.

(43) We could adopt the value of 1º 36’ as was the one used by the navigators, but
this is irrelevant to the experiences, because I will find the errors in degrees and the gra
duations will be in any way proportional, although each knot will have a slight difference
in position relative to the piece of wood. See Instructions Nautiques …, p. 162.

V – 27
 It is clearly seen that the interval among graduations has not a linear
variation but in accordance with the variation of the co-tangent of the angle.
I made the experiences aboard our sailing boat at sea last month. I
have chosen for observation two stars of low altitude and with a magni-
tude similar to Polaris and for all the needed information I used the pro-
gram Starry night installed in my computer.
The aspect of the night ski during the two nights of the observation was
schematically the one shown in fig. 14, taken from the computer. I observed
the stars Adhara and Diphda, which fulfilled the conditions wanted.

Fig. 13 – Some of the stars of the southern sky during the observations.

We sailed near the coast, being the wind light to moderate and some
light swell from the southwest. There was moonlight, which was not a good
thing for observation because the somewhat faint stars observed were not
very clear. Ibn Majid gave a big amount of suggestions for good conditions
and procedures for observation and moonlight was not welcomed(44).
I made all the observations with the help of my wife and a friend. The
instrument used has been the one graduated for the upright position,
because the altitudes were sufficiently high for it. The attitudes of the
observers are shown in the photographs of Plate 3.

(44) See Arab Navigation …, pp. 319-324, where Tibbetts comments the suggestions
of the navigators for good star observation.

28
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

15th February 2003; 37° 03’N, 8° 09’E

Gmt Star Altitude Altitude Altitude Altitude Error
(isba) corr. corr. Calc.
(isba) (°) (comp.)
18 50 24 Adhara 7.8 7.5 12° 07’ 11° 46’ -21’
18 55 44 Adhara 7.7 7.4 11° 58’ 12° 26’ + 28’
19 01 24 Adhara 8.5 8.1 13° 06’ 13° 08’ + 2’
19 03 29 Adhara 8.4 8.0 12° 56’ 13° 22’ + 26
’ 19 05 43 Diphda 10.2 9.75 15° 46’ 15° 57’ + 11’
19 07 00 Diphda 10.1 9.85 15° 55’ 15° 45’ - 10’
19 08 35 Adhara 8.9 8.65 13° 59’ 13° 58’ -1’
19 10 24 Diphda 9.8 9.3 15° 02’ 15° 13’ + 9’
19 12 00 Adhara 9.1 8.9 14° 23’ 14° 22’ -1
19 16 32 Diphda 9.6 9.1 14° 43’ 14° 14’ - 29’
19 17 33 Adhara 9.4 9.0 14° 33’ 14° 59’ + 26’
19 18 52 Adhara 9.4 9.0 14° 33’ 15° 08’ + 35’
19 20 07 Diphda 9.4 9.05 14° 38’ 13° 39’ - 59’
19 21 00 Diphda 9.2 8.9 14° 23’ 13° 30’ - 53’
19 21 55 Adhara 9.8 9.3 15° 02’ 15° 28’ + 26’
19 24 46 Adhara 10.0 9.75 15° 46’ 15° 47’ + 1’
19 27 26 Diphda 8.2 7.95 12° 51’ 12° 27’ - 24’
19 31 14 Adhara 10.4 9.9 16° 00’ 16° 28’ + 28’
19 32 12 Diphda 8.0 7.8 12° 37’ 11° 40’ - 57’
19 33 23 Adhara 10.6 9.95 16° 05’ 16° 41’ + 36’
19 34 52 Diphda 7.7 7.5 12° 07’ 11° 13’ - 54’
19 36 13 Adhara 10.9 10.25 16° 34’ 16° 58’ + 24’
19 37 16 Diphda 7.1 6.95 11° 11’ 10° 49’ - 22’
19 40 57 Diphda 6.7 6.45 10° 26’ 10° 12’ - 14
19 41 56 Adhara 11.0 10.6 17° 08’ 17° 32’ + 24’
19 44 06 Diphda 6.3 6.1 9° 52’ 9° 40’ - 12’
19 47 07 Diphda 6.2 6.0 9° 42 9° 10’ - 32’
16th February 2003; 37° 03’N, 8° 09’E
18 55 29 Diphda 11.1 10.65 17° 13’ 16° 56’ - 17’
18 56 53 Diphda 11.0 10.55 17° 17’ 16° 47’ -30’
19 03 19 Adhara 9.4 9.0 14° 33’ 13° 49’ - 44
19 04 29 Diphda 10.0 9.6 15° 30’ 15° 31’ + 1’
19 06 06 Adhara 9.6 9.05 14° 38’ 14° 08’ - 30
19 08 36 Diphda 10.2 9.8 15° 50’ 14° 52’ - 58’
19 09 37 Adhara 10.2 9.8 15° 50’ 14° 33’ - 77’
19 10 46 Diphda 10.0 9.6 15° 30 14° 31’ - 59’
19 12 42 Diphda 9.5 8.95 ´14° 28’ 14° 13’ - 15’
19 13 31 Adhara 10.0 9.6 15° 30’ 14° 59’ - 31
19 16 29 Diphda 8.7 8.2 13° 15’ 13° 36’ + 21’
19 17 25 Diphda 8.7 8.2 13° 15’ 13° 27’ + 12’
19 23 41 Diphda 8.4 8.0 13° 06’ 12° 26’ - 30’
19 24 41 Adhara 11.0 10.55 17° 17’ 16° 11’ - 66’

V – 29
 Plate 2

30
Two views of the same two instruments, being one for observation in the vertical position and the other on the horizontal position.
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

The observations made in two consecutive nights are registered on

the table above. The heights of the stars are in isba and tenths, estimated
by eye. Each reading is converted in degrees and minutes making each
isba to 97’ (1° 37’). The correct value for the altitude of the star was
obtained from Starry night, introducing on the computer the coordinates
of the place, height of the observer and time of the observation.
When I was studying all the collected data I found that almost all the
observations were uniformly too high, which corresponded apparently to
any systematic error. After some thinking about this problem I recognized
that as I was holding the string in my mouth to make the observation and
the graduation was calculated for the eye of the observer so the readings
should only be correct if these two distances were equal. Fig. 15 exem-
plifies this problem.

Fig. 14 – The Kamal and its use at sea. A need for correction when the rope is held by
the teeth.

In fact they were not, and I found a difference of around 15 millime-

tres between the two(45). I found that I was observing the star nearer then
the reality and so I had to apply a correction to all the observations. The
result of that is shown on the appropriate column having myself made all
the corrections graphically.
The errors found are very scattered in absolute value, but except for
two values of more than one degree (77’ and 66’) the other ones are

(45) It is necessary to note that the image in the eye is formed on the retina, which is
the anterior part of the visual organ, so the correction can probably be higher than 15 mil-
limetres. About this problem and when dealing with observations at sea with the cross staff,

V – 31
acceptable and within the range of the errors I found with the cross staff
in my previous experiences.
But it is necessary to note that it was the first time I used the instrument
and I am convinced that with some training the errors will be much lower.
Besides that, there is an important handicap for old people, which is long
sight. In fact I had difficulty on focusing at the same time the Kamal, which
was some centimetres away, and at the same time, the star and the horizon.
So, a young person will have much better results and I have checked
that with my son and the results were much better although the conditions
of observation were worst.
It is also important to mention that the rope has to be very rigid to
maintain its length after being stretched. The material in which the
string was made has to be better investigated because although I was
using pre-stretched therylene line, it stretched a little bit, which is not
good for accuracy.
The fact that the error of using the teeth for reference instead of
the eye was variable according to the anatomy of the person, indicates
that the kamal was gradated for a definite user and could not be used
by others.
So, those are some of the interesting conclusions that resulted of a
practical use of the instrument.

The practical use of the stellar compass

My interpretation of the stellar compass’s practical use, based in the

reading of some of the known books of the ancient Indian Ocean naviga-
tors, also the experimental voyages of David Lewis, the idea briefly stated
by de Saussure and my personal experience, is materialized with this sim-
ple instrument. See fig. 15.
It is a disc of wood with one handle, the stellar compass being bonded
to its surface. Two small pínulas will allow the sighting of the Pole Star.
After that simple operation, the course previously wanted relative to
the north will be found. Any star in the bow or the stern will be used to
maintain the course wanted during long periods.
The instrument can be mounted on the rail and used when necessary.

para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, 1994, pp. 165-192. See also, José
Manuel Malhão Pereira, «Norte dos Pilotos, Guia dos Curiosos», de Manuel dos Santos
Rapos, Um Livro de Marinharia do Século XVIII. Estudo Crítico. Tese de Mestrado, Lis-
boa, 2001, pp. 201-220. And also from the same author, Experiências com Instrumentos e
Métodos Antigos de Navegação, Lisboa, Academia de Marinha, 2000, pp. 11-18.

32
 THE STELLAR COMPASS AND THE KAMAL

Plate 3
Observing with the Kamal.

The attitudes of the observer. Note that it is apparent from the photographs that the distance
between the teeth and the board is less than the distance between the eye and the board.

The registration table with the instruments, the chart and the computer.

V – 33
 Fig. 15 – Two views of the same replica of the stellar compass.

If clouds cover the Pole Star other stars will be available for finding direc-
tion, although they were not the ones used in the compass. The stars of the
compass were mainly used as the winds of the magnetic compass; that is
they will only have the purpose of defining a course with a known angle
relative to the real direction finder, the Pole Star.
The correct course by day will be maintained having as a reference
the sun, the swell and the wind. Everyone knows, for example, that nowa-
days cruising sailors use the wind vane that maintains a course relative to
the wind. In fact, as the wind in the high seas maintains its direction for
long periods even electronic auto pilots are utilized maintaining the
course relative to the magnetic compass.
With these simple but efficient techniques, the Indian Ocean has been
sailed for many hundreds of years before the introduction of European
techniques. I am deeply convinced that not only Arab or Persian sailors
has been involved on that, but also Indian, besides Malay and Chinese.
So, a lot of research has to be made and I can suggest to you, dear
archeologists and sailors, that to call the attention of the sponsors of your
activities, we can sail, in a comfortable modern sailing boat from Cochim
to Socotra using only these two simple instruments.
I can almost assure you that we will find the island if we have an
young pilot with good eyes to guide us.
A last word to the Portuguese Embassy in Delhi and to Dr. Luís
Moura Rodrigues who struggled to transport me here.
And also to our great Indian friend Dr. Lotika Varadaraja who, in my
humble opinion is contributing very much to be better known the rich
maritime Indian tradition.

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