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Paper, 'Observations of the varyation of the needle in sayling from the coast of Brasile by the Cape of Good Hope to Bantam, extracted out of the journalls of Captaine John Davis, and Captaine Wm [William] Mynors' by Henry Phillippes

Reference number: CLP/9ii/2

Date: 1666

Description

Observations of the variation of the magnetic needle when sailing from the coast of Brazil by the Cape of Good Hope to Bantam [Banten, Java, Indonesia] in both 1607 and 1641. Captain Davis collected his data in 1607, Captain Mynors in 1641. Includes short account of the magnetic variation as well as data on variation based on longitude and a map recording the location of each data point.

Subject: Magnetism / Navigation

Read to the Royal Society on 16 May 1666.

Reference number
CLP/9ii/2
Earliest possible date
1666
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
2 pages
Format
Manuscript

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Citation

Paper, 'Observations of the varyation of the needle in sayling from the coast of Brasile by the Cape of Good Hope to Bantam, extracted out of the journalls of Captaine John Davis, and Captaine Wm [William] Mynors' by Henry Phillippes, 1666, CLP/9ii/2, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/clp_9ii_2/paper-observations-of-the-varyation-of-the-needle-in-sayling-from-the-coast-of-brasile-by-the-cape-of-good-hope-to-bantam-extracted-out-of-the-journalls-of-captaine-john-davis-and-captaine-wm-william-mynors-by-henry-phillippes, accessed on 18 August 2026

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    The 'Classified Papers' of the Royal Society are papers from British and international natural philosophers and scholars categorised according to subject areas.

    Dates: 1592 - 1741

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