It says that for ease of timing it up. With the marks facing each other, it is timed up on #6, not #1. All manuals show to time on #6 so you can have the marks right there together and make it easier. Once you get it aligned in that position, rotate the crankshaft once and you will now be in the #1 firing position and you can drop the distributor in. This is why when you bring the engine to #1 compression stroke with the rotor pointing to #1, the timing marks are both at about the 10 O'clock position. Your engine is timed correctly.
