LATE 1700s/EARLY 1800s ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN BOOK OF MATHEMATICS RELATED TO NAVIGATIONAL AND SAILING SCIENCE, BY THE MASTER OF A SHIP GOING BETWEEN ENGLAND AND AMERICA

On offer is a large, fascinating late 1700s/early 1800s book of mathematics and navigational science. The book is quite large at 17” x 10.5” inches and about 70 pages in length. The subject headings include: “Logarithms,” “Division By Logarithms,” “Evolution by Logarithms,” “Rule of Three By Logarithms,” “Compound Interest by Logarithms,” “Geometrical Problems” (13 problems), “Plane Trigonometry,” “Right Angled Trigonometry,” “Oblique Trigonometry,” “Plane Sailing,” “Traverse Sailing,” “Parallel Sailing,”and “Middle Latitude Sailing”. Along with the headings, examples, cases and such, there are also some exceptionally well drawn diagrams of the geometrical and trigonometric problems presented. Roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the book deals with navigational science. However, such mathematical subjects such as logarithms, geometry and trigonometry are necessary for navigation so it is most likely this book was used by the author in pursuit of a life of seamanship. This is mostly confirmed on the very first page of the book. In different sized paper and unbound but in the same handwriting as the rest of the book, there is a piece of paper with the heading, “Abstract of an intended passage from Liverpool towards Portsmouth, NH - kept on board the ship Martha - Thomas Lunt, Master - Saturday, June 1st 1822 at Midnight the Tuskar Light bore North...” There is then a chart underneath with the “date,” “course,” “distance,” “difference in latitude,” “departure,” “Latitude by Dead Reckoning.,” “Latitude by Observation,” “Difference Longitude,”and “Longitude by acceleration”. This chart is filled out for 14 days and dated 1822. The rest of the book may be from a good bit earlier however. Research has discovered that Thomas Lunt was a master of a ship from at least the late 1790s onwards. This book may date from Lunt’s schooling days, possibly in the late 1780s or early 1790s then. Interestingly as well, the paper on which the book is written is from T. Gilpin And Co., one of the first paper mills in America. The paper is from their Brandywine factory, and the watermark on the paper bears the name “T. Gilpin & Co. Brandy Wine”. The paper is of good quality, and was made most probably before 1817, when America's first endless paper machine was introduced, an invention of Thomas Gilpin's based upon English models. Paper quality went down very quickly after, and in only a few decades handmade paper (like the paper in the book) would be a luxury. The Gilpin’s were making paper from 1787 onwards, so a date in the 1790s would be accurate. Altogether, this is a fascinating book, with the added interest of its fantastic hand-made paper. It was also formerly displayed at the Connecticut Science Museum in Hartford before it was sold. About 50 pages of handwritten pages, with about 20 blank pages near the end. The spine is leather and the covers are binders board covered in blue paper. The covers are lightly damp stained, but the binding is still pretty tight and structurally sound. A good bit of the pages display foxing, but the foxing rarely affects the legibility of the content. The handwriting is still clear and legible throughout, in clean and crisp script that is very easy to read. OVERALL: VG; Manuscript; Elephant Folio - over 15" - 23" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, MATHEMATICS, NAVIGATIONAL SCIENCE, 19TH CENTURY NAVIGATION, LOGARITHMS, GEOMETRY, TRIGONOMETRY, SCIENCE IN THE 19TH CENTURY, THOMAS LUNT, SHIP MARTHA, SHIPMASTER, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, T. GILPIN AND CO., THOM