Sailors Scrimshaw Carved Whalebone Navigational Dividers / Compasses

An Unusual Pair of Sailors Scrimshaw Carved Whalebone Navigational Dividers / Compasses
The ends joined with a brass pin
Late 18th – early 19th Century
Size: 28cm high – 11 inch high
52.5cm wide (span) max – 20¾ ins wide (span) max
All of the whaling vessels kept detailed logs or journals and on each day of the voyage an entry would be written by the captain giving the longitude and latitude for the position at sea of the ship, as well as describing the weather and the events of the day.
On Tuesday 4th July 1820, William Scoresby of Whitby wrote in his log ‘Lat.72.56. Long 11ºW Therm 38.37 Calm SSW to SE. Calm until 8am with thick fog: a light breeze of wind springing up, we stood to the W into a thick patch of ice and fell in with two fish: one of them we struck and were successful in killing. Made fast to a small floe to flens....’

Sailors Scrimshaw Carved Whalebone Navigational Dividers / Compasses

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ENQUIRIES

+44 (0)7768 236921
+44 (0)7836 684133

enquiries@finch-and-co.co.uk