It is reasonable to assume that this compass would have belonged to one of the junior officers who served on board the Flagship and who carved on the compass as a souvenir of his service on this most famous of French vessels. It was normal practice in the French and British navies of the day for officers to provide their own instruments, and although telescopes and octants were more usual, a small compass such as this could supplement a personal collection. The violence of L'Orient's destruction four years later has meant that artefacts may be considered very rare.