Early 19th-century Dutch manuscript on the art of navigation, based on Klaas de Vries, Schat-kamer ofte konst der stuurlieden ... (1702). De Vries taught mathematics in Amsterdam, his work proved very popular and appeared in numerous editions between 1702 and 1818. The present manuscript, written in 1814 by Sietse Dauwes from Lemmer (Friesland, the Netherlands) follows De Vries' work; it is not an exact copy of that work, but rather an elaboration of a great number of the mathematical problems by an interested - and skilled - amateur.
Sietse Dauwes has used the 1812-edition of De Vries' work, published in Amsterdam. It was edited by S. Hollander, after the earlier enlarged edition by Evert Floryn. Dauwes only used the first 8 out of 10 chapters of the first part of that work (the second part of the printed work explains, clarifies, and elaborates on the mathematical problems of the first part). The manuscript deals with several subjects regarding navigation, including many different calculations for calendars (for example the golden number), the tides and determining the time at night. Furthermore, theories and examples of correcting compass declination and determining the time of sunrise and sunset from the declination of the sun in combination with the pole star, map reading and course calculation.
The boards and spine show clear signs of wear, without affecting the integrity of the binding, a few leaves are very slightly frayed, but otherwise internally fine and clean. Overall in very good condition. An interesting, very neatly written and legible manuscript, providing a nice insight into the way 18th- and 19th-century skippers were taught, or taught themselves, the difficult art of navigation. For De Vries' work: Cat. Ned. Scheepvaart Museum II, 672; Crone library 374 (1702 ed.).