1800 Edition of The New Practical Navigator: An Epitome of Navigation, Containing the Different Methods of Working the Lunar Observations...
Newburyport, MA: E. & G.W Blumt, 1800. 2nd Edition. Octavo. Good. Item #18404
1800 edition of the predecessor of what Howes calls the "First accurate navigator's guide' and an institution in Nautical writing, possibly the most important navigator in American history."
Newburyport editions are very scarce as many were burned in the Great Newburyport Fire of 1811, after which printing was moved to New York City.
Moore's 1800 edition of the Navigator was his last before Nathaniel Bowditch would begin publishing the Navigator under his own name. Though Moore gets credit here, Bowditch's revisions are already in full swing.
Widely regarded as the most influential work in the history of navigation. Bowditch published his first revision of the navigator by J.H. Moore in 1799. Discovering more than 8000 errors, in the work of Moore, Bowditch decided to publish his own work, "The New American Practical Navigator", in 1802 and it quickly became the preeminent and most used work on celestial and maritime navigation. Bowditch's work has been updated and published every year since and is still published today.
Contemporary full calf binding with red title label to spine. Titling and ruling in gilt. Illustrated with several copper plate engravings, as well as in text charts and illustrations. Clean interior save for contemporary 19th-century notations to endpapers and a contemporary signature to top of title page. Sporadic foxing, more so toward outer pages. Binding with rubbing and edge wear. Boards have some separation at outer joints but holding. 570pp + ads.
Campbell, 2; Howes, B657
Overall an uncommon and early Newburyport edition of this classic and important nautical work.
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