| 1 | Author: | Alexander, William, 1726-1783 | Requires cookie* | | Title: | Variation of the compass, 1773
| | | Dates: | 1773 | | | Abstract: | This slender volume is an essay by William Alexander, a prominent figure in New Jersey politics and business. Alexander wrote this essay with the hope that it would spur the American Philosophical Society to support the study of variations in compasses. Alexander's interest in this subject likely had to do with his background as a merchant. He realized compass variations created inefficiencies and risks for captains and the merchants that relied on them. Alexander appeals specifically to the APS's mission by stating that such a study would be "useful to mankind." Alexander's essays shows that he is conversant in many of the current theories about variations. He also proposed a plan for the APS to facilitate a systematic study of compass variations that he believed would produce a clear general law for variations in compasses.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.522.76.Al2 | | | Extent: | 1 item(s) | | | Topics: | Science and technology | Surveying and Maps | Trade | | | Genre: | Scientific Correspondence | Scientific Data | | | Subjects: | Astronomy -- 18th century | Compass. | Learned institutions and societies. | |
2 | Author: | Billings, William, 1746-1800 | Requires cookie* | | Title: | Journals of the Ship Apollo, 1789-1791
| | | Dates: | 1789-1791 | | | Abstract: | These journals (three volumes) chronicle the voyages of Apollo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1789-1791. William Billings was the captain of this Philadelphia-based ship. The destinations were Oporto and Corunna, and trade was the purpose for the voyages. Nonetheless, the ship's captain, William Billings, used the opportunity to study the Gulf Stream. He made numerous observations about the ocean temperature and weather with the apparent intention of submitting his findings to the American Philosophical Society. He paid particular attention to marking and studying the Gulf Stream. The journals were partially published in with a note in Transactions of the American Philosophical Society shortly after they were received in 1793. The originals are much longer than those published and include additional observations not published and graphs that could not be replicated.
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| | | Call #: | Mss.656.B49 | | | Extent: | 2 volume(s) | | | Topics: | Business and Skilled Trades | International Travel | Trade | | | Genre: | Meteorological Data | Scientific Data | | | Subjects: | Meteorology -- Observations. | Voyages and travels. | |
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