Part 12 (1/2)

Incomplete, and maker not known. The second of the instruments described in _The Journal of Andrew Ellicott_ as an acromatic telescope. Used for taking signals, with sliding tubes, which draw out to about 15 in. It was considered to be remarkably good for its length, and showed the satellites of Jupiter very distinctly.

Gift of Andrew Ellicott Dougla.s.s of Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1931. USNM 152085.

_Transit and Equal Alt.i.tude Instrument_, made entirely of bra.s.s, with original lens now broken. The instrument is described by Ellicott in the following extract from _The Journal of Andrew Ellicott_:

Preparatory to beginning the ten mile square [of Was.h.i.+ngton] a Meridian was traced at Jones' Point on the West of the Potomac.

From this Meridian an angle of 45 degrees was laid off North Westerly and a straight line continued in that direction ten miles.... From the termination of this second line a third making a right angle with it was carried South-Easterly ten miles: and from the beginning on Jones' Point a fourth was carried ten miles to the termination of the third. These lines were measured with a chain which was examined and corrected daily, and plumbed whenever the ground was uneven, and traced with a transit and equal alt.i.tude instrument which I constructed and executed in 1789 and used in running the Western boundary of the State of New York. This instrument was similar to that described by Le Monnier in his preface to the French ”Histoire Celeste.” ... All the lines in this city in which I have been concerned were traced with the same instrument which I used on the lines of the ten mile square but as the Northern part was not finished when I left that place, I cannot pretend to say what method has since been pursued.

Deposit of Andrew Ellicott Dougla.s.s of Flagstaff, Ariz., in 1931. USNM 152080. FIGURE 10.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 73.--Telescope used by Andrew Ellicott for his survey of the boundary between the United States and the Spanish territory of Florida. The instrument is signed ”W. & S. Jones, 135 Holborn, London.” USNM 152082.]

ELLIS, ORANGE WARNER (18th century). _Theodolite_, about 1780, bra.s.s; horizontal circle 5 in., vertical circle 5 in., telescope 7-1/2 in., compa.s.s 3 in.; spirit level set into compa.s.s card; spirit level attached to telescope; fixed vertical circle; unsigned. Used by Orange Warner Ellis about 1780 in the surveying of the boundary between the United States and Canada, the area which is now Vermont.

Acquired from Miss Mary N. Ellis of Chicago, Ill., in 1929. USNM 309596.

FIGURE 74.

FRYE, JOSEPH (fl. 1762-1783), Fryeburg, Maine. _Ma.n.u.script Booklet_ of ”Tables Useful in Surveying Land, made and presented by Joseph Frye to his son, Joseph Frye, Jr., November 18, A. D. 1783.” Size 6-1/4 in. by 3-7/8 in., 16 pages, paper covers, marked ”Fryeburg Joseph Frye AD MDCCLx.x.xIII.”

Loan from Laurits C. Eichner of Clifton, New Jersey, in 1957. USNM 315062. FIGURE 45.

(See Greenough, Thomas, for surveying compa.s.s used by Joseph Frye.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 74.--Theodolite used by Orange Warner Ellis about 1780 for surveying boundary between the United States and Canada in the area which is now Vermont. USNM 309596.]

GREENOUGH, THOMAS (1710-1785), Boston, Ma.s.s. _Surveying Compa.s.s_, made of hickory with engraved paper compa.s.s card. Over-all length 11 ft.; dial 5-1/2 in. in diameter. Central medallion on card depicts man along sh.o.r.eline using a Davis quadrant with a schooner offsh.o.r.e, with touches of red. Inscribed in gilt in band around central medallion: ”Made and Sold by THOMAS GREENOUGH, Boston, New Eng.” Used by Joseph Frye in 1762 for surveying his land grant in what is now Fryeburg, Maine. Loan from Laurits C. Eichner, Clifton, N.J., in 1957. USNM 315001. FIGURE 44.

(See also, Frye, Joseph, ma.n.u.script booklet of ”Tables Useful for Surveying Land ...”)

HAGGER, WILLIAM GUYSE, (C. 1748?-1830?), Newport, R.I. _Backstaff_, or _Davis Quadrant_, about 1760-1770, made of dark wood with scales and sights of boxwood, 25 in. long, 14 in. wide at large arc and 5 in. wide at small arc. Inscribed as follows: ”W^m G. Hagger Newp^t R. Island/For M^r----.” The name of the original owner has been blocked out by the insertion of a piece of ivory. This quadrant was acquired from Mrs.

Carola Paine of Bethel, Conn., in 1961. USNM 319029. FIGURE 59.

Davis quadrants signed by Hagger are in the Comstock Memorial Collection of the Rhode Island Historical Society (dated 1776); in the Shepley Library in Providence, R.I. (dated 1768); and in the Peabody Museum at Salem, Ma.s.s. (dated 1775).

Also in the U.S. National Museum is an unsigned quadrant (USNM 178975) that is almost identical in detail to the one signed by Hagger. It is the gift of A. R. Crittenden, Middletown, Conn. Another almost identical instrument, in the collection of the Franklin Inst.i.tute, is signed ”C.

Elliott, New London, 1764”; it differs from the other two only in that a lens is combined in the middle sight.

HOLBECHER, JOHN, (fl. 1738). _Backstaff_, or _Davis Quadrant_, of dark wood with boxwood scales and vanes. Length 25-1/2 in.; large arc 15 in.

Inscribed ”Made by John Holbecher/ For Capt. Joseph Swan--1738.”

Holbecher is not listed as an English or American instrument maker, but it is believed that the instrument is American.

Acquired from Bern C. Ritchie & Co., Chicago, Ill., in 1960. USNM 318439.

JOHNSON, JOHN, Surveyor, 1818. (See Rittenhouse & Evans, surveying compa.s.s.)

JONES, W. & S., 135 Holborn, London. (See Ellicott, Andrew, telescope.)

PIERCE, ABNER, (c. 1790). _Surveying Compa.s.s_ with Jacob's staff. Made of bra.s.s; 12 in. long; 5 in. in diameter; with needle lift. Jacob's staff 4 ft. high and with wood shaft about 1-1/2 in.; bra.s.s head.