Captain Cook's Accuracy

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

IN NATURE, vol. xix. p. 408, there is an article entitled ``Captain Cook's Accuracy,'' which I think reflects unjustly upon the late Admiral Wilkes, U.S.N. As a specimen of Wilkes's inaccuracy the writer of the article cites first the discrepancy in the position of Turtle Island, the south-easternmost of the Fiji group, Cook and Wilkes differing more than 30' of longitude. The narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition was written on board ship during the progress of the work, and was placed by Wilkes in the hands of the printer immediately upon his return, in order that the general results might be known without delay. The astronomical positions were given as they were recorded at the time, and were not corrected for final chronometric errors and rates, which were carefully ascertained while the charts were being prepared for publication. A comparison of the narrative with the atlas, published subsequently, will exhibit differences of longitude almost throughout.

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