The distance between the knots might be arbitrarily chosen so that each knot indicated the latitude of some port or landmark along a particular route, a device similar to the marking of the scale of the quadrant.
Umgama phakathi kweqhina lunga zithandela oluchongiweyo khonukuze iqhina ngalinye elibonisa umphakamo kwenye okanye iphawu lomhlaba ikakhulu kwindlela, isixhobo esiyeleleneyo kuphawu lesikali lwesahlulo.