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Lot Essay
This compass was one of the items in a small brown suitcase stamped with the initials 'P.S.' and labelled 'SCOTT/Personal Relics' consigned to a bank vault for safe-keeping by Sir Peter Scott in the 1940s. The suitcase contained Scott's effects from the Terra Nova expedition, returned to his widow from Cape Evans in 1913. The contents, including this compass, sold on behalf of a family trust, to benefit the descendants of Scott, at Christie's in September 1999 ('The Scott Relics').
One of the variety of scientific instruments carried by the southern party in their instrument box, Scott found difficulties with compasses in the trying conditions of the Antarctic. Readings could be variable: '[13 Nov. 1902] I took a round of bearings with the prismatic compass, and then asked Barne to do the same; he got different readings, and on trying again myself, I got a third result. The observations only differed by a few degrees, but it shows that these compasses are not to be relied upon where the directive force is so small... After this I depended for all bearings on the compass attached to our small theodolite, which possessed a simple light needle and seemed to give greater accuracy. I record this fact, because it was important that we should obtain accurate observations on our extended sledge journeys, and it would be well that this point should be more carefully considered in future expeditions.' (R.F. Scott, The Voyage of the "Discovery", London, 1905, II, p.21).
Bernard Day made additional sun compasses for the sledging party navigators on the Terra Nova expedition (Scott's is preserved at SPRI, and see Christie's London, 22 Sept. 2010, lot 128 for Silas Wright's).
One of the variety of scientific instruments carried by the southern party in their instrument box, Scott found difficulties with compasses in the trying conditions of the Antarctic. Readings could be variable: '[13 Nov. 1902] I took a round of bearings with the prismatic compass, and then asked Barne to do the same; he got different readings, and on trying again myself, I got a third result. The observations only differed by a few degrees, but it shows that these compasses are not to be relied upon where the directive force is so small... After this I depended for all bearings on the compass attached to our small theodolite, which possessed a simple light needle and seemed to give greater accuracy. I record this fact, because it was important that we should obtain accurate observations on our extended sledge journeys, and it would be well that this point should be more carefully considered in future expeditions.' (R.F. Scott, The Voyage of the "Discovery", London, 1905, II, p.21).
Bernard Day made additional sun compasses for the sledging party navigators on the Terra Nova expedition (Scott's is preserved at SPRI, and see Christie's London, 22 Sept. 2010, lot 128 for Silas Wright's).