NavList:

I have done some more research into the twenty longitude observations provided by Frank. Searching through various editons of Bowditch I haven't found one with a really good fit, either they are out in declination or in equation of time. In order to fit, the December observations must have been made in a year before a leap year, and thus the January observations in a leap year. A further search through various American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanacs has got me back to December 1855 and January 1856. Checking all observations against these years makes a very good match, all declination values are spot on except one, which is 1 minute of arc off. Of the EoT-values I have found 6 to be off, but no more than 1 second, or in same cases rather half a second. The others are spot on. So my opinion is (today at least ...) that the voyage was made during the winter 1855-1856, and that an American NA was carried on board.

To be honest, I have not checked possible years before 1855, or after 1899.

Frank, you wrote: "There is ... another sheet of scrap paper, probably from the same voyage, with about sixty more time sights. Would anyone like to see those?"

Yes, that would be interesting!

Lars
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