The New Practical Navigator; Being an Epitome of Navigation. The First American from the Thirteenth English Edition. Revised and Corrected by a Skilful Mathematician and Navigator.

Moore, John Hamilton.

Published by Edmund M. Blunt, Newburyport, 1799

About this Item

Newburyport: Edmund M. Blunt, 1799. This is a rare book, much scarcer than the 1802 "New American Practical Navigator," which is collected as being the first Bowditch. Campbell calls it Extremely rare. See Campbell 1. Nathaniel Bowditch was the skilful mathematician and navigator who made the corrections to Moores book, which had first been published in 1754. This volume is the first appearance of Bowditchs work, in a book that within two years would carry his name as author. In it, Bowditch corrected errors and added several tables and his important new method for working a lunar observation. It was Blunt, the publisher, who got Bowditch to cooperate on this project, and this edition bears his imprint. Bound in original sheep, rebacked to match, with old spine label laid down. It bears the inscriptions of three early 19th century mariners who bought the book from one another - Silas Wilcox of Connecticut sold it to Joel Fordham of New York in 1801 who then sold it to Israel Pelton in North Carolina in 1803. Scattered foxing and toning, some of the plates are rather soiled. Overall, a good copy of a rare book, despite a clumsy rebind, and an important contribution to American Navigation. 21 cm. xii-574, (4 - copyright notice and publisher's ads) pp. b/w plates. This is a rare book, much scarcer than the 1802.

Seller Inventory # 48482

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The New Practical Navigator; Being an Epitome of Navigation. The First American from the Thirteenth English Edition. Revised and Corrected by a Skilful Mathematician and Navigator.
• Publisher: Edmund M. Blunt, Newburyport
• Publication Date: 1799
• Seller catalogs:
  • Maritime