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Andres Ruiz wrote-

XVIII century was an age of the explorers, navigators and cartographers like 
Cook, La P�rouse, Malaspina and later Flinders.



Under a royal commission, he undertook a scientific expedition around the 
world in 1789, and explored the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of Spain's 
North American possessions.

In honor of James Cook�s ships; Resolution & Discovery, Malaspina baptised 
his own ships Atrevida y Descubierta

A pair of big octants used in the voyage are at the Naval Musem in Madrid



For those who are interested a book in PDF format is available: 
http://web.mala.bc.ca/black/amrc/index.htm?Biographies/biography.htm&2 


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There's a full translation of the journal of the Malaspina expedition, 
1789-1794, edited by Andrew David et al, in 3 volumes, published by the 
Hakluyt Society 2001 to 2004, with a lot of knowledgeable footnotes and 
appendices.

It was a remarkably lavishly equipped expedition, with the latest and the 
best instruments that could be got. I was particularly interested in the 
quintant, by Gabriel Wright of London, which must be about the first 
quintant ever. Its increased angular range (144 degrees) over the sextant 
(120) was really intended for taking widely-spaced Sun lunars and for 
horizontal angle surveying, but I doubt if it was used that way. Its use was 
recorded in taking Sun altitudes when the horizon under the Sun was obscured 
by a nearby coastline, and the quintant came in useful for measuring 
altitudes up from the opposite horizon, with angles well over 90 degrees.

There's a photo of a Ramsden astronomical quadrant, in what looks like 
superb condition, on display in the Museo Naval, Madrid.

The Malaspina expedition had a disappointing lack of impact, occurring as it 
did when Spain's maritime power was on the wane.

George.

contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com
or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.



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