South of the equator the 'Sunken Ship' is easier to see because it is higher up in the sky. Modern man in the north, however, has demolished Argo Navis into Sail (Vela), Keel (Carina), Stern (Puppis), and Compass (Pyxis): 
It can be seen that the Milky
Way is not broad but instead
narrow at this place - it is no
'thicket' but its opposite.
Another such narrow place is in
Perseus, far up in the northern
sky.
The thickest part of the Milky
Way is clearly at the Scorpion,
in the picture below exaggerated
because of the projection:
 It seems reasonable to assume Metoro could have seen a way across the Milky Way where it was narrow, and possibly this route began with Naos:
But his mai (in hakapekaga mai) instead should rather mean the path across was beginning in right ascension day 125 (= 5 * 5 * 5). Mai can mean 'from' or 'before', in both cases looking ahead:
The narrowest path across is not beginning in Puppis but in Vela, and judging from the maps I think the path should go from δ to λ (where no line is drawn):
In Hevelius' picture I have drawn no red line from λ at the top of the 'pyramid' - the outline of which I can imagine - down to the nearest corner which is δ (although I have not added this letter). When looking at a pyramid in this perspective - with Sun blazing above - it will be difficult to perceive more than the 4 lines where there is contrast against the background. Furthermore, Vela and Carina are leaving a channel between them, with a corner defined by δ and ε. Carina is mostly on one side of the Milky Way (the same side as Orion) while Vela is mostly on the other side (the same side as Gemini). In my star list I have λ Velorum as Alsuhail, but this is my only star in Vela. I have to update my list with those stars in Argo Navis which are missing. And we need to determine the position of δ Velorum - which in rongorongo times possibly was in July 24. "And they [α,β, and γ Arietis] formed one of the several Athāfiyy, Trivets or Tripods; this Arabic word indicating the rude arrangement of three stones on which the nomad placed his kettle, or pot, in his open-air kitchen; others being in our Draco, Orion [the Heka triad], Musca, and Lynx." (Allen) My 'pyramid' in Vela is not a true pyramid (with a square base), but a tetraeder (with 4 equal sides). Perhaps there was a Athāfiyy also in Vela (with λ as the top of the tripod). Hevelius has a shield with the face of Sun where the 'fire' should be. |
