Requesting compensation for his invention of a sounding instrument, and originally enclosing testimonials in its favour. Burt emphasises the reasons why his sounding instrument was superior to others in use, and particularly to that invented by Edward Massey. He states that in the past two years only one of his machines in use by the Royal Navy had required repairs, whereas their sounding machines by Massey had required repairs costing nearly one thousand pounds in just the previous year alone.