Bayly begins his observations with a note on setting up his instruments on shore, in which he records the loss or theft of some of his equipment. His observations include comparisons of Watch No. 1 with the astronomical clock at the Cape of Good Hope; meridian zenith distances of the sun and stars; observations on the dipping needle; observations on the tides; distances of the sun, moon and stars; and azimuths taken with a compass of constructed by Dr Knight.