...said "that's North". and pointed - South. The Pole Star
was behind him. He had not thought to look for it.

Well, if he had gone off in that direction he would have been quite correct (provided that he went about eighteen thousand miles)!

It's not hard to read the wrong end of a compass needle. Pity they can't make only half of a bar magnet - the North end - to avoid all that confusion. You know: just cut off the South part! [straight-face-e]