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Nathaniel Bowditch. The New American Practical Navigator; being an Epitome of Navigation; containing all the tables nece...
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Description
Nathaniel Bowditch. The New American Practical Navigator; being an Epitome of Navigation; containing all the tables necessary to be used with the Nautical Almanac, in determining the Latitude; and the Longitude by Lunar Observations; and keeping a complete reckoning at sea...the whole exemplified in a Journal, kept from Boston to Madeira...First Edition. Newburyport, (Mass.): Printed...by Edmund M. Blunt, (Proprietor) for Brown & Stansbury, New York, 1802. First edition. Thick octavo (8.75 x 5.25 inches; 222 x 133 mm.). xvi, [17]-246, [286, unnumbered tables], [533]-589, [1, errata], [2, "A list of Errors in Hutton's Logarithms"] pages. Folding engraved frontispiece map ("Chart of the Atlantic Ocean"), seven engraved plates, and numerous diagrams and tables in the text. Modern polished calf. Smooth spine ruled in gilt retaining the original red morocco label lettered in gilt. This copy is soiled and worn and was obviously well used; some browning and occasional dampstaining; dark ink stain or burn to outer edges of frontispiece, title, and following two leaves; two-and-one-half-inch tear into text on Pp4 (pages 579/580); a few additional marginal tears. Frontispiece map backed and repaired at folds; plate facing page 136 mounted on stub and repaired on verso. A good copy."Nathaniel Bowditch, a mathematical prodigy who combined extraordinary industry and erudition, left school when 10, and at the age of 12 was apprenticed to a firm of ship chandlers. He continued his studies by night, and went to sea at the age of 22 early in 1795, as clerk, mate, and in 1803 as master. On his voyage in 1800, he discovered that the English 'navigators' then used had been calculated on the erroneous assumption that 1800 was a leap year, so that his ship was 23 miles off its course. On going into the matter he found over 8000 other errors, and decided that it was easier to write a new book on his own system than to make revisions in an existing work. The result was this, the best book of its kind in English because of his 'practical knowledge of this subject, and his gift of clear exposition, accuracy in computation, and thoroughness'; this he proved on his last voyage by teaching every member of the crew to navigate the ship with its aid. 'Bowditch' was the first complete epitome of practical navigation for the common man, and was at once acclaimed by the maritime world" (Grolier Club, 100 American, 25).
Auction Info
2019 September 5 Rare Books Signature Auction Featuring The Otto Penzler Collection of Mystery Fiction, Part II #6212 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2019
5th
Thursday
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