Nautical Remarks Apr 5, 1789 Home Logbook Remarks Matavai and Oparre Apr 5, 1789
Revised Jun 30 2021
285)
The Time Peice of Mr. Kendals which I have from the Board of Longitude has performed very well upon the whole, but it has been by no means steady in its rate of going. When I left the Cape of Good Hope its mean rate of going I found to be 3 seconds losing pr. 24 Hours, and 3′..33″,2 too slow for Mean Time at Greenwich.
In Adventure Bay New Holland I found its rate to be 0″,83 losing pr. 24 Hours and 2′..50″,9 slow for Mean Time at Greenwich.
In November at Otaheite I found its rate to be 3″,18 losing pr. 24 Hours and its error from Mean Time at Greenwich 5′..39″,1 too slow.
In January 1789 at Otaheite I found its rate to be 1″,7 losing pr. 24 Hours and 7′..29″,2 too slow for Mean Time at Greenwich.
In March also at this place I determined its mean Rate of going to 2″,29 pr. 24 Hours gaining and its error from Mean Time at Greenwich 10′..11″,6 too Slow and which is the Rate and Error I sail with.
But it is to be observed that on the 22nd. January having been kept from the Ship all night by tempestuous weather in search of Deserters the Time Keeper went down at 10h..5′..36″. I therefore had no alternative on my return in the morning, but to set it a going again by a common watch corrected by observations which I had time to make for that purpose. In all probability I should have done this very exact, had the Time Keeper gone as soon as wound up, but from being very anxious I was tedious in setting it in motion with my hand which these Time peices require, and therefore lost setting it near its former error from Mean Time.
It was the 10th March owing to Constant bad weather before I could have an opportunity to find again its Error and rate of going.
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| On the 22nd. Jany Its error from Mean Time I found to be | 14h..9′..40″,8 |
| On the 13th March according to its rate of going last found 1″,7 pr. 24 Hours losing, it would have lost | 1..25 |
| The Time Keeper therefore if it had not been let down would have been slow for Mean Time on the 13th March | 14..11.. 5,8 |
| But on the 13th by observations I found it slow | 14..12..58,1 |
| Therefore the error of my setting it a going may be presumed to be have been too late by | 1..52,3 |
From the above it appears that the error of my setting the Time Keeper a going was 1′..52″,3 too late which taken from 10′.11″,6 its real error on my sailing, leaves 8′..19″,3 its error that would have been if the accident of letting it down had not happened.
How far the Time Keeper being let down may have changed its rate from losing to gaining I cannot determine, but it is observable that its rate was losing before that happened, an accident I could not forsee and might not have been the case, had I not a parcel of neglectful people about me.
Nautical Remarks Apr 5, 1789 Home Logbook Remarks Matavai and Oparre Apr 5, 1789