Scope and Contents Minutes of Board of Longitude meetings regarding, among other matters, the rates of various chronometers; Charles Hutton's tables of products, powers and roots of natural numbers; the voyages of HMS 'Resolution' and HMS 'Discovery' and the examination of their log books; John Arnold's improvements to his watches; a suitable site for the Board of Longitude's instruments after the burning of the cupola of the Greenwich Hospital where they had been kept; improvements to reflecting telescopes;...

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Thanking him for his assistance regarding his son, William Dawes and assuring him that the books and instruments would be brought back from Sydney on HMS Gorgon, which had just departed from Spithead with supplies. Dawes also discusses the shortage of food and clothing at the settlement, and recounts William's list of rations at the settlement, noting how they were cut after the loss of the Sirius.

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Reporting on his work at the observatory in Sydney. He refers to the loss of HMS Sirius and states that the timekeeper [K1] was moved to HMS Supply undamaged. The letter also includes a description of his observatory.

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Sent from HMS Sirius, concerning a timekeeper [K1] received from William Bayly.

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Reporting on the timekeeper [K1], and on his observations during the passage to Tenerife (en route to New South Wales).

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Concerning the rate of the Board of Longitude's watch and the provision of books and instruments.

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Requesting the advance of a year's subsistence and his request to be appointed to the land service at Botany Bay; also enclosing a copy of a letter from Lord Howe about his appointment.

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Concerning supplies of instruments and other preparations.

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Concerning observations taken (including observations for the rate of the timekeeper, K1).

Scope and Contents From the File:

Papers regarding the loan and return of instruments belonging to the Board of Longitude and concerning persons entitled to receive Board publications.

Scope and Contents From the File:

Papers regarding the loan and return of instruments belonging to the Board of Longitude and concerning persons entitled to receive Board publications.

Scope and Contents Twenty six letters sent by William Dawes to Nevil Maskelyne, covering his initial preparations for departure, his passage via Rio de Janeiro, the establishment of the observatory at Port Jackson, his work there, and his eventual return on HMS Gorgon six years later. The letters include detailed accounts of setting up the observatory in Sydney where he hoped to observe a comet, and of the difficulties encountered there (particularly shortages of supplies and Dawes' own disagreements with...