List of chronometers on HMS Beagle
Encyclopedia
Chronometer
s were formerly used for the accurate determination of longitude
by ships at sea. By measuring the time of local solar noon compared to the time of noon at some reference point the difference in longitude can be directly found. For this system to work, a timepiece showing the time at the reference point must be carried to the measuring point. A timepiece intended to remain accurate while subjected to the motions of a ship at sea and through extreme changes in environment (especially temperature) is called a chronometer. Chronometers were first built in the 18th century and were used extensively by mariners in the 19th century. They continued in use in the 20th century even after the widespread use of radio for time signal
s - the time signal was used to set the chronometer, but the instrument was still necessary to display the time.
HMS Beagle
was an Admiralty
survey ship sent on three major expeditions. The first (1826-1830) was to survey the coast of South America in company with HMS Adventure
. The second expedition
(1831-1836) was to build on the work of the first in South America and then to go on to establish a chain of linked reference points encircling the globe. The third expedition (1837-1843) surveyed the coast of Australia.
A chronometer was first carried on a survey ship by James Cook
on his second voyage in 1772. This was Larcum Kendall's K1, a copy of John Harrison
's H4. From 1818 the Admiralty began issuing chronometers to naval ships. From 1825, this became standard and ships would be issued a second chronometer if the captain personally provided a third. Three chronometers was the minimum necessary to be able to identify one that had become badly inaccurate. By the time of the Beagle voyages, carrying chronometers had become routine and the ship carried a large number - an unprecedented 22 on the second voyage. This had become possible through the steady fall in the price of chronometers as manufacturing stepped up. H4 had cost over £20,000 (inflation adjusted £) to develop. Kendall's K1 cost £500 (now £) and his cheap model, K3, cost £100 (now £) but by the time the Beagle voyages were over the cost of a good chronometer had fallen to under £40 (now £).
Such large numbers were necessary because some would inevitably break down on such a long trip and the chronometers were essential for the mission of the ship. Further, the rates of all chronometers vary with time. Although this can be allowed for by interpolating
between the regular rate checks, there is no guarantee that the changes are linear (and often they are not). Averaging over a large number of chronometers, especially if they are a variety of types, will tend to cancel out such errors.
It was also necessary to take chronometers ashore or up rivers and inlets which were inaccessible to the ship in order to reach the points designated by the Admiralty for longitude measurements to be recorded. This not only put the chronometers at risk, but the disturbance of moving them affected their accuracy. This was another reason for survey ships to carry a large number, the majority of them could be kept permanently in a safe, well cushioned place on board the ship.
, future first head of the Met Office
, was appointed the new commander of Beagle.
Beagle carried only three chronometers on this expedition, the majority of the expeditions chronometers were on board Adventure.
Chronometers by Parkinson and Frodsham
These two chronometers had previously been used on polar voyages before being assigned to Beagle. King describes them as "excellent".
Chronometer by McCabe
Described by King as "excellent".
King both commanded the Adventure and led the expedition. His mission was to chart the coast of South America from the southern shore of the Río de la Plata
to Tierra del Fuego
. King was also ordered to use his chronometers to accurately determine the longitude of several points, mostly Atlantic islands, on the outward journey to South America. These included Madeira
, Tenerife
, the Cape Verde
islands, and Rio de Janeiro
.
Chronometer A
Chronometers A to D were fitted in a box divided into compartments with each chronometer suspended from gimbal
s. Chronometer Z was also included in this box but fitted individually.
Chronometer B
Chronometer C
Chronometer D
Chronometer E
Chronometers E to H were fitted in a box divided into compartments with each chronometer suspended from gimbals.
Chronometer F
Chronometer G
Chronometer H
Chronometers A to H were new and King showed concern that they had not yet properly settled to a steady rate. It was the custom for Navy chronometers to be run for six months or so at the Greenwich Observatory and the rate checked before issuing to a ship. It was well known that new chronometers typically took six months to settle to a steady rate.
Chronometer Z
Chronometer Z, together with the two boxes containing chronometers A to D and E to H respectively were fixed in a chest and secured to the deck as low down as practicable in the centre of the ship. This placed them near to the centre of motion of the ship which minimised movement. Fixing them in one place also ensured that the magnetic influence of the ship on the chronometers remained a fixed quantity and the effect this had on the chronometer's rates would stay a constant. Since the rates were regularly checked and variations allowed for in the calculations, the magnetic effect of the ship was automatically taken into account.
Chronometer by Murray
This chronometer had been on trial at the Greenwich Observatory for several months and had performed well. A welcome addition given King's concern over the French chronometers' newness.
Chronometer by Parkinson and Frodsham
This chronometer was lent to King by the makers for trial during the voyage. However, its manufacture was only completed two days before the Adventure set sail leaving no time to check and settle the rate.
Pocket watch by French
Another loan, this time from French, the maker of the main batch of government chronometers. It was used by King as a journeyman watch, transferring readings to and from the place of measurement. This allowed the principal chronometers to be left undisturbed.
was commanded by Fitz-Roy and lasted from 1831 to 1836. The mission given to Fitz-Roy was two-fold. Firstly, he was to continue the survey work of South America by King on the first voyage and extend it through Tierra del Fuego around to the coast of Chile on the west side of the continent. Secondly, he was to establish a chain of reference points with a known longitude that could be used by future mariners to accurately set their chronometers. This was also the voyage that carried Charles Darwin
. Fitz-Roy was given a detailed list of objectives by the Admiralty Hydrographer's office. The first part of the journey more or less repeated King's, partly to check King's results, but also to break the journey into small hops so that the chronometers could be rated over four days at each stop and changes in temperature between references would not affect them too severely.
Beagle was not allowed to land at Tenerife through fears that they would bring cholera
, but then proceeded to Cape Verde, Fernando de Noronha
and Rio de Janeiro. She then spent some time surveying the coast of South America south from Rio de Janeiro, around Tierra del Fuego, the coast of Chile and as far north as Peru. Fitz-Roy finally detached Beagle from South America in August 1835. The Admiralty had not been so precise in specifying his itinerary across the Pacific since they could not be sure how far north he would be able to survey in the time available, and hence precisely where he would be leaving from, but they did specify he should stop at Tahiti
, a point of previously well-determined longitude, and as the journey across the Atlantic, it should be done in small stages to frequently rate the chronometers. Fitz-Roy chose to go via the Galápagos Islands
. Subsequently Beagle visited Tahiti, New Zealand
, Australia
and Mauritius
.
The Beagle succeeded for the first time in providing by chronometers a chain of longitude distances that completely circled the globe. The sum of the differences in local noon between each location should amount to 24 hours since the Beagle completed a circumnavigation of the globe. The total discrepancy was only but Fitz-Roy considered this too large to be explained by chronometer inaccuracy alone and none of his results were badly in disagreement with other surveys. He suggested that sailing mostly in the same direction relative to the Earth's magnetic field was having a small unexplained effect on the chronometers. Nevertheless, an error equivalent to only on a five year voyage over tens of thousands of miles was a remarkable achievement.
Each of Beagle's chronometers was contained in its own box, suspended on gimbals. These boxes were planted into a thick bed of sawdust laid in partitioned shelves, like open-top boxes, one partition for each chronometer. The whole assembly was placed in a small dedicated cabin low down in the ship as near as possible to the centre of motion. The majority of the chronometers were never moved from this cabin throughout the entire trip. Not all the chronometers were provided by the Government: some were owned personally by Fitz-Roy or his officers. Others were loaned by chronometer makers who were all too keen to gain the prestige of having had instruments aboard major well-publicised expeditions.
No one was allowed in the chronometer cabin except when it was necessary to read them or for maintenance. Fitz-Roy employed an instrument maker, George James Stebbing, to look after the chronometers and ensure they were regularly and properly wound. Fitz-Roy paid Stebbing himself since the Admiralty had declined to do so and Fitz-Roy considered the function essential. The Admiralty did concede that Stebbing could be fed from the ship's stores - a favour not extended to Darwin who paid £500 (inflation adjusted £) for his keep.
Chronometer A
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
Chronometer B
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "bad". It was not used after February 1835.
Chronometer C
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer D
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer E
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer F
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer G
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer H
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer K
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good". It was used as the journeyman chronometer, carried to the place of measurement in its box (despite being a "pocket" chronometer). This was most often the daily determination of the ship's own position at sea. It was compared with the two best chronometers (the standards) immediately before and after each use and always agreed with the standard.
Chronometer L
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer M
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It was later part of a set used to survey the British-US border in North America in 1846. It was reported to have stood up well to the cold conditions.
Chronometer N
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer O
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer P
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "bad". It was not used after September 1835.
Chronometer R
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "very good".
Chronometer S
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer T
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "indifferent".
Chronometer V
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It is currently on display in the National Museum of Australia
, Canberra
, on loan from the British Museum
. It is one of only two surviving chronometers from the 22 carried on Beagle.
Chronometer W
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
Chronometer X
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It is the second of the two survivors from Beagle's 22 chronometers and is on display in the British Museum
. It was featured in the BBC Radio 4
series A History of the World in 100 Objects
as object number 91.
Chronometer Y
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer Z
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
with only eleven still in working order. Four had been left in Peru with Beagle's Master's Assistant, Alexander Burns Usborne, who had been put in charge of a small boat, Constitucion, to continue with the survey of the coast of Peru. The mainspring of chronometer R had broken, and several others had stopped. The eleven still in use were A, B, C, D, G, H, L, N, O, S and Z.
A chronometer was damaged as Beagle was approaching Cape Horn
on 13 January 1833. The ship was hit by three consecutive rollers in quick succession. The first wave slowed the ship sufficiently that the second could turn it broadside to the third. This last wave rolled the ship so far that the bulwark on the opposite side went two or three feet under water.
, began in 1837 with a mission to chart the west coast of Australia between the Fitzroy River
and the Swan River
, and the Bass Strait
(the channel separating mainland Australia from Tasmania
). In 1839 Beagle was taken north to explore the Arafura Sea
where Port Darwin was discovered and named. The voyage is also notable for the watercolours of fish and other wildlife produced by 1st Lt. James Barker Emery. In March 1841 Wickham gave up command due to illness and returned to England. Command was then given to John Lort Stokes
.
Other than mentioning that he carried a pocket chronometer by French which gave good results, Stokes in his account of the voyage does not bother to list the chronometers, or even enumerate how many there were. It may be that chronometers were now so commonplace that it was no longer something of note. However it is quite clear that the chronometers remained a key part of the mission, with frequent stops to check the rates throughout the voyage. On 7 December 1839 Stokes went ashore at Point Pearce near the mouth of Victoria River to make observations. Even though he knew the Indigenous Australians could be dangerous, he left behind his gun in order to more safely carry a chronometer. While separated, Stokes was pursued by a group of Australians, one of whom pierced his chest cavity with a spear throw. Despite being badly wounded and bleeding profusely, Stokes considered the chronometer to be valuable enough to attempt to save and hung on to it while he staggered back to his comrades barely able to walk and still pursued by his attackers.
Chronometer
Chronometer may refer to:* Chronometer watch, a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards* Hydrochronometer, a water clock* Marine chronometer, a timekeeper used for celestial navigation...
s were formerly used for the accurate determination of longitude
Longitude by chronometer
Longitude by chronometer, is an astronomical navigation method of calculating the longitude of an observer's position on Earth. The longitude derived by this method must be combined with the latitude of the observer's position to resolve a "fix" or exact position of the observer on the...
by ships at sea. By measuring the time of local solar noon compared to the time of noon at some reference point the difference in longitude can be directly found. For this system to work, a timepiece showing the time at the reference point must be carried to the measuring point. A timepiece intended to remain accurate while subjected to the motions of a ship at sea and through extreme changes in environment (especially temperature) is called a chronometer. Chronometers were first built in the 18th century and were used extensively by mariners in the 19th century. They continued in use in the 20th century even after the widespread use of radio for time signal
Time signal
A time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or electronic signal used as a reference to determine the time of day.-Audible and visible time signals:...
s - the time signal was used to set the chronometer, but the instrument was still necessary to display the time.
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
was an Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
survey ship sent on three major expeditions. The first (1826-1830) was to survey the coast of South America in company with HMS Adventure
HMS Adventure
Twelve ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Adventure. A thirteenth was planned but never completed: was a 26-gun galley launched in 1594 and broken up 1645. was a 32-gun ship launched in 1646, rebuilt in 1691 and captured by the French in 1709. was a 40-gun fifth rate launched in 1709 and...
. The second expedition
Second voyage of HMS Beagle
The second voyage of HMS Beagle, from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836, was the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy who had taken over command of the ship on its first voyage after her previous captain committed suicide...
(1831-1836) was to build on the work of the first in South America and then to go on to establish a chain of linked reference points encircling the globe. The third expedition (1837-1843) surveyed the coast of Australia.
A chronometer was first carried on a survey ship by James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
on his second voyage in 1772. This was Larcum Kendall's K1, a copy of John Harrison
John Harrison
John Harrison was a self-educated English clockmaker. He invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought device in solving the problem of establishing the East-West position or longitude of a ship at sea, thus revolutionising and extending the possibility of safe long distance sea travel in the Age...
's H4. From 1818 the Admiralty began issuing chronometers to naval ships. From 1825, this became standard and ships would be issued a second chronometer if the captain personally provided a third. Three chronometers was the minimum necessary to be able to identify one that had become badly inaccurate. By the time of the Beagle voyages, carrying chronometers had become routine and the ship carried a large number - an unprecedented 22 on the second voyage. This had become possible through the steady fall in the price of chronometers as manufacturing stepped up. H4 had cost over £20,000 (inflation adjusted £) to develop. Kendall's K1 cost £500 (now £) and his cheap model, K3, cost £100 (now £) but by the time the Beagle voyages were over the cost of a good chronometer had fallen to under £40 (now £).
Such large numbers were necessary because some would inevitably break down on such a long trip and the chronometers were essential for the mission of the ship. Further, the rates of all chronometers vary with time. Although this can be allowed for by interpolating
Interpolation
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points....
between the regular rate checks, there is no guarantee that the changes are linear (and often they are not). Averaging over a large number of chronometers, especially if they are a variety of types, will tend to cancel out such errors.
It was also necessary to take chronometers ashore or up rivers and inlets which were inaccessible to the ship in order to reach the points designated by the Admiralty for longitude measurements to be recorded. This not only put the chronometers at risk, but the disturbance of moving them affected their accuracy. This was another reason for survey ships to carry a large number, the majority of them could be kept permanently in a safe, well cushioned place on board the ship.
Beagle's first voyage
On its first voyage, the Beagle accompanied the Adventure which led the expedition under the command of Phillip Parker King. The Beagle was initially commanded by Pringle Stokes, but Stokes became depressed and shot himself on 1 August 1828 while the expedition was at Port Famine. He died 12 days later. After a brief temporary command by Liutenant Skyring, Robert Fitz-RoyRobert FitzRoy
Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy RN achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality...
, future first head of the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, was appointed the new commander of Beagle.
Beagle carried only three chronometers on this expedition, the majority of the expeditions chronometers were on board Adventure.
Chronometers by Parkinson and Frodsham
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinson and Frodsham | 228 | Government | box | ||
| Parkinson and Frodsham | 254 | Government | box |
These two chronometers had previously been used on polar voyages before being assigned to Beagle. King describes them as "excellent".
Chronometer by McCabe
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCabe | 228 | Government | box |
Described by King as "excellent".
Adventure's chronometers
As the lead ship, the Adventure carried the majority of the expeditions chronometers during the Beagles first expedition. They are included here for completeness.King both commanded the Adventure and led the expedition. His mission was to chart the coast of South America from the southern shore of the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
to Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
. King was also ordered to use his chronometers to accurately determine the longitude of several points, mostly Atlantic islands, on the outward journey to South America. These included Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, the Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
islands, and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
Chronometer A
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3296 | Government | box | two-day |
Chronometers A to D were fitted in a box divided into compartments with each chronometer suspended from gimbal
Gimbal
A gimbal is a pivoted support that allows the rotation of an object about a single axis. A set of two gimbals, one mounted on the other with pivot axes orthogonal, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain immobile regardless of the motion of its support...
s. Chronometer Z was also included in this box but fitted individually.
Chronometer B
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3295 | Government | box | two-day |
Chronometer C
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3271 | Government | box | two-day |
Chronometer D
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3227 | Government | box | two-day |
Chronometer E
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3290 | Government | box | one-day |
Chronometers E to H were fitted in a box divided into compartments with each chronometer suspended from gimbals.
Chronometer F
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3291 | Government | box | one-day |
Chronometer G
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3292 | Government | box | one-day |
Chronometer H
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3293 | Government | box | one-day |
Chronometers A to H were new and King showed concern that they had not yet properly settled to a steady rate. It was the custom for Navy chronometers to be run for six months or so at the Greenwich Observatory and the rate checked before issuing to a ship. It was well known that new chronometers typically took six months to settle to a steady rate.
Chronometer Z
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 3233 | Government | box | eight-day |
Chronometer Z, together with the two boxes containing chronometers A to D and E to H respectively were fixed in a chest and secured to the deck as low down as practicable in the centre of the ship. This placed them near to the centre of motion of the ship which minimised movement. Fixing them in one place also ensured that the magnetic influence of the ship on the chronometers remained a fixed quantity and the effect this had on the chronometer's rates would stay a constant. Since the rates were regularly checked and variations allowed for in the calculations, the magnetic effect of the ship was automatically taken into account.
Chronometer by Murray
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray | 553 |
This chronometer had been on trial at the Greenwich Observatory for several months and had performed well. A welcome addition given King's concern over the French chronometers' newness.
Chronometer by Parkinson and Frodsham
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinson and Frodsham | 1048 | Parkinson and Frodsham |
This chronometer was lent to King by the makers for trial during the voyage. However, its manufacture was only completed two days before the Adventure set sail leaving no time to check and settle the rate.
Pocket watch by French
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | French |
Another loan, this time from French, the maker of the main batch of government chronometers. It was used by King as a journeyman watch, transferring readings to and from the place of measurement. This allowed the principal chronometers to be left undisturbed.
Beagle's second voyage
The second voyage of the BeagleSecond voyage of HMS Beagle
The second voyage of HMS Beagle, from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836, was the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy who had taken over command of the ship on its first voyage after her previous captain committed suicide...
was commanded by Fitz-Roy and lasted from 1831 to 1836. The mission given to Fitz-Roy was two-fold. Firstly, he was to continue the survey work of South America by King on the first voyage and extend it through Tierra del Fuego around to the coast of Chile on the west side of the continent. Secondly, he was to establish a chain of reference points with a known longitude that could be used by future mariners to accurately set their chronometers. This was also the voyage that carried Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
. Fitz-Roy was given a detailed list of objectives by the Admiralty Hydrographer's office. The first part of the journey more or less repeated King's, partly to check King's results, but also to break the journey into small hops so that the chronometers could be rated over four days at each stop and changes in temperature between references would not affect them too severely.
Beagle was not allowed to land at Tenerife through fears that they would bring cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, but then proceeded to Cape Verde, Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, offshore from the Brazilian coast. The main island has an area of and had a population of 3,012 in the year 2010...
and Rio de Janeiro. She then spent some time surveying the coast of South America south from Rio de Janeiro, around Tierra del Fuego, the coast of Chile and as far north as Peru. Fitz-Roy finally detached Beagle from South America in August 1835. The Admiralty had not been so precise in specifying his itinerary across the Pacific since they could not be sure how far north he would be able to survey in the time available, and hence precisely where he would be leaving from, but they did specify he should stop at Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, a point of previously well-determined longitude, and as the journey across the Atlantic, it should be done in small stages to frequently rate the chronometers. Fitz-Roy chose to go via the Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
. Subsequently Beagle visited Tahiti, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
.
The Beagle succeeded for the first time in providing by chronometers a chain of longitude distances that completely circled the globe. The sum of the differences in local noon between each location should amount to 24 hours since the Beagle completed a circumnavigation of the globe. The total discrepancy was only but Fitz-Roy considered this too large to be explained by chronometer inaccuracy alone and none of his results were badly in disagreement with other surveys. He suggested that sailing mostly in the same direction relative to the Earth's magnetic field was having a small unexplained effect on the chronometers. Nevertheless, an error equivalent to only on a five year voyage over tens of thousands of miles was a remarkable achievement.
Each of Beagle's chronometers was contained in its own box, suspended on gimbals. These boxes were planted into a thick bed of sawdust laid in partitioned shelves, like open-top boxes, one partition for each chronometer. The whole assembly was placed in a small dedicated cabin low down in the ship as near as possible to the centre of motion. The majority of the chronometers were never moved from this cabin throughout the entire trip. Not all the chronometers were provided by the Government: some were owned personally by Fitz-Roy or his officers. Others were loaned by chronometer makers who were all too keen to gain the prestige of having had instruments aboard major well-publicised expeditions.
No one was allowed in the chronometer cabin except when it was necessary to read them or for maintenance. Fitz-Roy employed an instrument maker, George James Stebbing, to look after the chronometers and ensure they were regularly and properly wound. Fitz-Roy paid Stebbing himself since the Admiralty had declined to do so and Fitz-Roy considered the function essential. The Admiralty did concede that Stebbing could be fed from the ship's stores - a favour not extended to Darwin who paid £500 (inflation adjusted £) for his keep.
Chronometer A
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molyneux | 1415 | Fitz-Roy | box | eight-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
Chronometer B
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner | 24 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "bad". It was not used after February 1835.
Chronometer C
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molyneux | 1081 | Molyneux | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer D
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray | 542 | Murray | box | eight-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer E
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eiffe | E | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer F
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold & Dent Edward John Dent Edward John Dent was a famous English watchmaker noted for his highly accurate clocks and marine chronometers.He founded the Dent company.- Early years :... |
661 | Arnold & Dent | box | two-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer G
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold & Dent Edward John Dent Edward John Dent was a famous English watchmaker noted for his highly accurate clocks and marine chronometers.He founded the Dent company.- Early years :... |
633 | Fitz-Roy | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer H
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold & Dent Edward John Dent Edward John Dent was a famous English watchmaker noted for his highly accurate clocks and marine chronometers.He founded the Dent company.- Early years :... |
261 | Fitz-Roy | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer K
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinson & Frodsham | 1042 | Government | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good". It was used as the journeyman chronometer, carried to the place of measurement in its box (despite being a "pocket" chronometer). This was most often the daily determination of the ship's own position at sea. It was compared with the two best chronometers (the standards) immediately before and after each use and always agreed with the standard.
Chronometer L
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold John Arnold John Arnold was an English watchmaker and inventor.John Arnold was the first to design a watch that was both practical and accurate, and also brought the term "Chronometer" in to use in its modern sense, meaning a precision timekeeper... |
634 | Fitz-Roy | box | two-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer M
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frodsham Charles Frodsham Charles Frodsham was a renowned English watch and clockmaker. He took over Arnold & Co in 1843 at 84 Strand, London... |
2 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It was later part of a set used to survey the British-US border in North America in 1846. It was reported to have stood up well to the cold conditions.
Chronometer N
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molyneux | 1175 | Fitz-Roy | box | two-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer O
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnshaw Thomas Earnshaw Thomas Earnshaw was an English watchmaker who following John Arnold's earlier work, further simplified the process of marine chronometer production, making them available to the general public... |
705 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer P
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frodsham Charles Frodsham Charles Frodsham was a renowned English watch and clockmaker. He took over Arnold & Co in 1843 at 84 Strand, London... |
1 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "bad". It was not used after September 1835.
Chronometer R
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray | 584 | Murray | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "very good".
Chronometer S
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold John Arnold John Arnold was an English watchmaker and inventor.John Arnold was the first to design a watch that was both practical and accurate, and also brought the term "Chronometer" in to use in its modern sense, meaning a precision timekeeper... |
465 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer T
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molyneux | 1326 | Fitz-Roy | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "indifferent".
Chronometer V
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington | 426 | Ld. Ashburnham | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It is currently on display in the National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia
The National Museum of Australia was formally established by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. The National Museum preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation....
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, on loan from the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. It is one of only two surviving chronometers from the 22 carried on Beagle.
Chronometer W
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molyneux | 971 | Government | box | two-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
Chronometer X
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnshaw Thomas Earnshaw Thomas Earnshaw was an English watchmaker who following John Arnold's earlier work, further simplified the process of marine chronometer production, making them available to the general public... |
509 | Government | box | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good". It is the second of the two survivors from Beagle's 22 chronometers and is on display in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. It was featured in the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
series A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects
A History of the World in 100 Objects was a joint project of BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum, comprising a 100-part radio series written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor...
as object number 91.
Chronometer Y
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrice | 6144 | Government | one-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "rather good".
Chronometer Z
| Maker | No. | Owner | Type | Winding | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | 4214 | Government | box | eight-day |
Fitz-Roy assessed this chronometer as "good".
Attrition
Beagle left with 22 chronometers, but returned to DevonportHMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
with only eleven still in working order. Four had been left in Peru with Beagle's Master's Assistant, Alexander Burns Usborne, who had been put in charge of a small boat, Constitucion, to continue with the survey of the coast of Peru. The mainspring of chronometer R had broken, and several others had stopped. The eleven still in use were A, B, C, D, G, H, L, N, O, S and Z.
A chronometer was damaged as Beagle was approaching Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
on 13 January 1833. The ship was hit by three consecutive rollers in quick succession. The first wave slowed the ship sufficiently that the second could turn it broadside to the third. This last wave rolled the ship so far that the bulwark on the opposite side went two or three feet under water.
Beagle's third voyage
The third voyage of the Beagle, under the command of John Clements WickhamJohn Clements Wickham
John Clements Wickham was a naval officer, magistrate and administrator. He was a Lieutenant on HMS Beagle during her second survey mission from 1831 to 1836, which took the young naturalist Charles Darwin on what became the subject of his book, The Voyage of the Beagle...
, began in 1837 with a mission to chart the west coast of Australia between the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Western Australia)
The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia.-Discovery:The Fitzroy River was discovered by the West in 1837 by George Grey in the H.M.S. Beagle. The river was subsequently named by Lt J L Stokes on 26/2/1838 after Captain Robert FitzRoy R.N...
and the Swan River
Swan River (Western Australia)
The Swan River estuary flows through the city of Perth, in the south west of Western Australia. Its lower reaches are relatively wide and deep, with few constrictions, while the upper reaches are usually quite narrow and shallow....
, and the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
(the channel separating mainland Australia from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
). In 1839 Beagle was taken north to explore the Arafura Sea
Arafura Sea
The Arafura Sea lies west of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea.-Geography:The Arafura Sea is bordered by Torres Strait and through that the Coral Sea to the east, the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south, the Timor Sea to the west and the Banda and Ceram...
where Port Darwin was discovered and named. The voyage is also notable for the watercolours of fish and other wildlife produced by 1st Lt. James Barker Emery. In March 1841 Wickham gave up command due to illness and returned to England. Command was then given to John Lort Stokes
John Lort Stokes
Admiral John Lort Stokes, RN was an officer in the Royal Navy who travelled on HMS Beagle for close to eighteen years.Stokes grew up in Scotchwell near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. He joined the Navy on 20 September 1824...
.
Other than mentioning that he carried a pocket chronometer by French which gave good results, Stokes in his account of the voyage does not bother to list the chronometers, or even enumerate how many there were. It may be that chronometers were now so commonplace that it was no longer something of note. However it is quite clear that the chronometers remained a key part of the mission, with frequent stops to check the rates throughout the voyage. On 7 December 1839 Stokes went ashore at Point Pearce near the mouth of Victoria River to make observations. Even though he knew the Indigenous Australians could be dangerous, he left behind his gun in order to more safely carry a chronometer. While separated, Stokes was pursued by a group of Australians, one of whom pierced his chest cavity with a spear throw. Despite being badly wounded and bleeding profusely, Stokes considered the chronometer to be valuable enough to attempt to save and hung on to it while he staggered back to his comrades barely able to walk and still pursued by his attackers.