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Hordern House Rare Books Pty 77 vICTORIA STREET • POTTS POINT • SyDNEy NSw 2011 • AUSTRAlia • TElephONE (02) 9356 4411 • fAx (02) 9357 3635 HORDERN HOUSE RARE BOOKS PTY. LTD. A.B.N. 94 193 459 772 E-MAIL: [email protected] INTERNET: www.hordern.com DIRECTORS: ANNE McCORMICK • DEREK McDONNELL HORDERN HOUSE RARE BOOKS • MANUSCRIPTS • PAINTINGS • PRINTS • RARE BOOKS • MANUSCRIPTS • PAINTINGS • PRINTS • RARE BOOKS • MANUSCRIPTS • PAINTINGS Acquisitions • October 2015 Important Works on Longitude 2. [BOARD OF LONGITUDE]. The 3. [BUREAU DES LONGITUDES]. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Connaissance des tems, a l’usage des Ephemeris, for the Year 1818. Astronomes et des Navigateurs pour l’an X… Octavo, very good in original polished calf, faithfully rebacked. London, John Octavo, folding world map and two Murray 1815. folding tables; an attractive copy in contemporary marbled calf, gilt, red Rare copy of the Nautical Almanac for spine label. Paris, l’Imprimerie de la 1818, a fundamental inclusion in the République, Fructidor, An VII, that is shipboard library of any Admiralty- circa August 1799. sponsored voyage. The Almanac was used for reckoning the longitude at sea A handsome copy of this rare work by the lunar method, and was closely by the French Bureau des Longitudes, studied by officers of the Royal Navy. for use by naval officers for the year The continued publication of such 1802 and 1803. The volume includes a almanacs is further proof that the handsome map of the world showing invention of the chronometer, (whilst the track of a solar eclipse that revolutionary), did not completely occurred in August of that year. Much supersede the necessity for other fail- like the British equivalent, these tables 1. ARNOLD, Thomas. The American safes. The slim survival rate is ample were published far in advance of the Practical Lunarian, and Seaman’s Guide… testament of the hard use to which the year under review, in anticipation almanacs were put. of their use on long voyages of $885 Thick octavo, 15 plates (some folding), exploration (in this instance the 1800- many tables and text illustrations, 1804 Baudin voyage to Australia and original calf binding. Philadelphia, the Pacific). Robert Desilver, August 1822. $925 First and only edition: a remarkable compendium of naval information for the ready use of mariners, including lunar tables for reckoning the longitude at sea. The author, Thomas Arnold, was the proprietor of a Nautical Academy located on the Philadelphia river-front, and was an authority of navigation at sea. Curiously, it also includes the earliest published map based on the Freycinet voyage, being an engraved sketch-map of French Bay in the Falkland Islands where the Uranie ran aground. $5500 2 3 - Please note that all our catalogue prices are in Australian dollars - 4 4. [HALLEY, Edmund]. MOUNTAIN, 5. [HARRISON, John]. KEILL, John. An 6. [HUTCHINSON, John]. Article on William and James DODSON. A Introduction to the True Astronomy… John Hutchinson’s longitude clock… Correct Chart of the Terraqueous Globe… Octavo, with 25 folding plates in series Octavo, 48 pp., disbound. London, D. and two finely engraved folding lunar Henry, November 1775. Large oblong map measuring 555 x charts, in the original contemporary 1470 mm., in two sections, laid-down; a calf binding. London, J. Buckland and Complete issue of the Gentleman’s most attractive copy. London, Laurie & others, 1760. Magazine for November 1775 Whittle 1794. containing an interesting biographical article on John Hutchinson (1674- Splendid late-eighteenth-century 1737), a natural scientist who in world chart showing variations of A wonderful survival: an important 1712 invented and built a novel the compass with ‘isogonic lines’, eighteenth-century handbook of chronometer for ascertaining an innovation introduced almost astronomy from the library of the great longitude. This issue also includes a a century earlier by renowned watchmaker John Harrison, inventor succinct notice of Atkyn’s 1735 voyage astronomer Edmund Halley following of the marine chronometer that to Guinea, wherein a serious effort to his command of the first British voyage revolutionised the study of longitude determine longitude with timekeepers of scientific discovery. As the engraved and which was prized by Captain was attempted. caption indicates, it was believed that Cook and his compatriots. The book $375 eventually compass variation could bears Harrison’s armorial bookplate be used to calculate longitude at sea. and ownership inscription ‘E Libris 7. [PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN]. Although unsuitable for practical use, Jn. Harrison July 23d 1766’ above An Act for Providing a Publick this method remained a tantalising the initials ‘JH’ to the title-page in Reward… possibility at the close of the eighteenth Harrison’s distinctive hand. It contains century when this map was printed, three separate discussions of longitude Folio, with 4 pp. as marine chronometers remained showing widely accepted approaches to table; bound inordinately expensive and beyond the the problem. with 22 other means of most mariners. parliamentary Perry & Prescott p. 75. $7500 acts for the $8500 session in contemporary plain calf with shelf label. London, John Baskett, 1714. The first publication of the Longitude Act, a pivotal 5 document in maritime history: ‘nothing is so much wanted and 7 desired at Sea, as the Discovery of 10. [PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN]. 12. ROSSEL, Paul-Édouard. Autograph the Longitude’. The act – more often An Act for… making Experiments of letter signed, concerning the lunar seen in disbound form – is here in its Proposals made for discovering the method for calculating longitude. appropriate context in the full printing Longitude. of the twenty-three Acts of the first Manuscript letter, 231 x 186 mm., on session of parliament in 1714. Other Folio, title, pp. 271-274; disbound yet a bifolium sheet, letter comprising first acts in the session are of some interest: fine. London, Mark Baskett, 1765. page with three blank pages, dated and for example one act removes the “ad signed by Rossel. [Paris?], 15 June 1819. valorem” tax on imported books and This Act clarifies the process of prints, another is for “Encouraging the paying out prize monies, stipulating Rossel, astronomer of the Tobacco-Trade”. that the Commissioners of the Board d’Entrecasteaux expedition in search Horblit, 42a; Norman, 2. of Longitude are to pass on the of La Pérouse, writes to Louis Marie $14,500 particulars of any individual deemed Bajot, inspector-general of the library worthy to the Commissioners of the of the Ministry of the Marine and an Navy (who in due course instruct editor of some standing. Bajot had 8. [PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN]. the Naval treasurer to issue a bill of previously asked Rossel to review some An Act for explaining and rendering payment). This process is limited articles on the lunar method, however more effectual Two Acts… for to the disbursement of sums up to he reports the method is unsatisfactory discovering the Longitude… £2000: greater amounts required and should be abandoned since the parliamentary approval. difficulty of accurately measuring the Folio, title page, pp. 367-374, fine. $1200 height of the moon is too great and London, Mark Baskett, January 1765. An important Longitude Act, bringing John Harrison closer to reward but insisting the secret workings of his chronometers be revealed. Having outlined the successful sea trials during voyages to Jamaica and Barbados, this Act formalises the demand for Harrison to deliver the prototype H-4 and two identical operational copies of the chronometer (complete with diagrams) within a space of six months to be considered for the reward. The Act also rewards two German professors, Euler and Mayer, for their contribution to the lunar method – accordingly it directs that £300 to be 11 paid to Euler and £3000 to the widow of Tobias Mayer. liable to “grandes erreurs”.The letter $2250 reflects Rossel’s considerable practical 11. [PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN]. experience in reconciling the dual 9. [PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN]. Ten Acts of Parliament discussing the sciences of astronomy and navigation, An Act for… making Experiments of reward for discovering the longitude and the high regard accorded by his Proposals made for discovering the at sea. peers. Longitude. $2400 Ten individual acts, folio, housed in Folio, title, pp. 675-678; disbound yet an attractive red quarter morocco fine. London, Mark Baskett, 1762. bookform box. London, various printers for Parliament, 1762- 1818. This Act empowers the Commissioners of Longitude power to expend sums A substantial collection, including three up to £2,000 on experimental projects. pivotal Acts regarding prize payments As such, it significantly expands the to John Harrison with stipulations for scope of the Board to rigorously test provision of prototype chronometers. plausible proposals from a wide range Other Acts in this collection concern the of applicants. This large experimental publication of lunar tables, and detail budget accommodated the Jamaica the distribution of prize monies to those trial of Harrison’s chronometer while advancing the lunar method for reckoning providing widespread impetus to other the longitude. contenders. A full collation is available on request. $1200 $18,500 12 13. SCRIVEN, E. (engraver). [Nevil] 14. WALES, William and William Maskelyne. From the original Picture BAYLY. The Original Astronomical by Vanderburgh in the possession of Observations made in the course of a the Royal Society. Voyage towards the South Pole… Stipple engraving measuring 130 x 105 Quarto, with a double-page plate, mm., beautifully preserved within ample two folding plates and a folding map; margins with engraved description. attractively bound in full calf, spine London, Charles Knight, circa 1830. ornately gilt to a period design. London, printed by Strahan for Nourse, Mount A finely engraved portrait of the and Page, 1777. Astronomer Royal, Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811). A pre-eminent figure in eighteenth-century English science, Maskelyne was deeply involved in solving the riddle of calculating longitude at sea.
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