Scope and Contents From the File:

Papers regarding payments for work done on behalf of the Board, including some miscellaneous receipts.

Scope and Contents Minutes of Board of Longitude meetings regarding, among other matters, discussions on John Harrison's first marine chronometer (H1); the purchase of new instruments for work on the longitude and latitude of the coasts of Britain; improvements to the reflecting telescope; Tobias Mayer's lunar motion tables; the trial of John Harrison's chronometers; errors in the tables of the satellites; Schutz's machine for finding longitude; Chistopher Irwin's marine chair; the use of lunar observations...

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Entries for May include many observations of lunar distance, with mention that Bayly was using sextants by Dollond and Ramsden. Entries for 7-8 May record the ship’s bearings from St Helene [St Helena]. In the entry for 17 May, Bayly records that the log had exceeded the observations, requiring him to adjust his calculations. On 28 May he also recorded the loss of his thermometer, which broke when the bottom fell out having become unstuck.

Scope and Contents From the Sub-file:

With an index of names.

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Concerning the rate of the Board of Longitude's watch; the provision of books; the testing of instruments intended for the observatory; the discovery of damage to a sextant; and his request for an advance of a year's subsistence.

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Concerning a fault in the sextant and requesting a replacement instrument; also concerning his desire to be placed in the land detachment.

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Concerning repairs to a sextant by Mr Ramsden and supplies for the observatory.

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Concerning a replacement sextant and black index glass from Ramsden.

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Concerning supplies of instruments and other preparations.

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Concerning receipt of a new sextant, trials of new instruments and other preparations.

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Concerning supplies of instruments, the rate of Mr Kendall's first timekeeper [K1], and his preparations.

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An undated photostat a letter from Nevil Maskelyne to Sir Joseph Banks, 16 April 1781, sending him a specimen of paper that C. Hutton has suggested for the printing of C. Mason's new lunar tables. He also informs Banks that J. Ramsden has promised the new equatorial instrument will be delivered in a week's time, and comments on W. Herschel's discovery of a comet.

Scope and Contents Tabulated observations for the voyage, including records of the time by the watch or timekeeper, the apparent time, observed altitudes and lunar distances, estimates of latitude and longitude, magnetic variation, barometer and thermometer readings, and additional remarks. Reference is often made to the instruments used (including instruments by John Dollond, Jesse Ramsden, John Bird and Gowan Knight, and timekeepers by Larcum Kendall), and who made the observations (including Cook,...

Scope and Contents Astronomical observations, rough calculations and notes; many pages are inverted. The volume also includes a number of rough sketches [RGO 14/63: 232v; RGO 14/63: 244v; and RGO 14/63: 377r]; a draft letter [to Lieutenant Hergest] written in English but partly using Greek script concerning a dispute about going on shore near Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, and Hergest’s accusations that Gooch ‘stole out of the ship’ without speaking to him first [RGO 14/63: 311r-312r]; translations of Polynesian...

Scope and Contents Various loose papers on the condition of the Royal Observatory.1. Report from the Royal Society committee on the refurbishment of the Observatory, 26 May 1726, including accounts.2. Report from the Royal Society committee on the refurbishment of the Observatory, 26 May 1726, including accounts.3. Letter on the poor condition of the equatorial instruments and the employment of Jesse Ramsden to effect their repair, 5 October 1775, with the autographs of Henry Cavendish...

Scope and Contents Description by Giuseppe Piazzi of the circle made by Jesse Ramsden for the Observatory at Palermo, translated from the Italian by Margaret Maskelyne from Piazzi's, 'Della Specola Astronomica de' Regi Studi di Palermo', Libro II, capo Primo, p. 15 et seq.1. General idea of the instrument.2. Vertical axis.3. The azimuth circle.4. Supports of the vertical axis.5. The iron circles.6. The circle of mahogany. 7. The railing.8....