Scientific Instruments
All of these were not used on any particular survey or expedition; they are only representative of the variety of instruments used. (*Instruments mentioned in letter or report--there may be some duplication.) Vouchers
1838-39: 1 chronometer
chain Repair of
sextant Chronometer
box Repair of
barometer Repair of
microscope Repair of magnetic
compass 2 mountain
barometers 2 cases for
same 6 pocket
thermometers 6 dark glasses 3
magnifiers 1 Troughton's
reflecting circle and stand 1 English nautical
almanac 1839 1 American nautical
almanac 1839 1 English nautical
almanac 1840 1 Variation
chart 8 Pocket
thermometers 2 of same 1 compass in
gimbals 5 lb quicksilver
[for artificial horizon] Logarithm
tables, Callet 1 case for
telescope 1 sextant cleaned
and varnished 1 magnifying glass
and movement 2 barometers filled
and new tubes 1 brass frame to
magnifying glass 1 maqnifying Glass
with Wood frame 1 artificial
horizon repaired cleaning vertical
circle cleaning
telescope magnifying glass and tube
to small sextant 2 leather cases for
barometers 1 leather case for
sextant cleaning and repairing one
patent gold duplex watch 3 common [watch]
keys 1 [watch] guard
chain 2 watch glasses cleaning and repairing
silver watch Vouchers
1841: 1 dipping needle
apparatus, stand and case 1 magnetic needle [for
compass] 1 double
magnifier repairing mountain
barometer repairing barometer in
tripod 1 1/2 lbs mercury
[for artificial horizon] 1
thermometer 1
compass for making 1 box to serve
as case for mercurial horizon cleaning and repairing
chronometer 1 leather cover for
sextant for a new detant spring,
new ruby pellet [pallet], adjusting and
cleaninq a silver pocket
chronometer 1 Buquet's
chronometer * 150 power
telescope [astronomical] Vouchers
1842: 1
sextant 1 circle 1 mountain
barometer repaired 1 ditto 1 ditto 1 thermometer (at
least one was remarked to be calibrated in 1/5
degrees for determining the boiling point of
water--it was broken in the Wind River
area) 1 ditto 2 leather cases for
barometer repairing sextant,
3 shades, eyepiece, &c case for dipping
needle 1 hydrometer,
Beaume repairing sextant,
regulating, &c repairing horizon
box Troughton sextant
and case Refitting the hook inside
the mainspring, resetting and brazing anew the cock
diamond, polishing pivots, poising the balance,
cleaning, reducing, and ascertaining the rate of
the chronometer by Brockdank No.
739 1 Massey's patent
log repairing and cleaning a
sextant additions to a camera
lucida 20 spiral springs for
chronometer box 1 case for
spyglass 1 English nautical
almanac 1 new balance staff and
cleaninq chronometer mirror for camera
obscura [for sketching landscape
scenes] 1 first class 2-day London
chronometer by French, No. 7810 1 land-carriage outside
box, with extra pillows, cushion, &c. [for
transporting the above to avoid
shock] 1 mountain
barometer in leather case 4 best thermometers in
mahogany case, graduated to order 2 lbs. best refined
quicksilver, box and bottle [for
artificial horizon] 1 mountain
barometer leather case for
same 1 boat
compass 1 best quality French
pocket compass 1 German pocket
compass 1 common pocket
compass 1 best quality
thermometer 1 magnifying
glass 1 pair forceps 1 magnet 1 set Daguerreotype
apparatus 25 polished Daguerreotype
plates 1 pocket
microscope 1
barometer *
sextant *
theodolite * 2 surveyor's
compasses Vouchers
1843: American and English
Nautical Almanacs *1
Reflecting
circle by Gambey *2 Reflecting
sextants by Troughton *1 Pocket
chronometer by Goffe *1 Pocket
chronometer by Brockbank * 1 Syphon
barometer by Bunten * 1 Cistern
barometer by Freye & Shaw * 6
thermometers 1 Daguerreotype
apparatus 1 Daguerreotype
apparatus 1 telescope
[astronomical] by
Frauenhofer * 1
spyglass 2 artificial
horizons 2 pocket
compasses 1
barometer; 5
thermometers repair of
chronometer 1 silver 2-day pocket
chronometer 2 pocket
compasses 1 ivory
scale Preuss, June 16,
1842: "Our big chronometer
cannot stand up under transport by wagon; it
will probably have become useless for finer
observations." Cf. Major W. H. Emory,
October 14, 1846: We parted with our wagons,
which were sent back under charge of Lieutenant
Ingalls, and. in doing so, every man seemed greatly
relieved. With me it was far otherwise. My
chronometers and barometer, which before rode so
safely, were now in constant danger. The trip of a
mule might destroy the whole. The chronometers,
too, were of the largest size [cased and
gimbaled], unsuited to carry time on foot or
horseback. All my endeavors, in the 24 hours
allowed me in Washington to procure a pocket
chronometer had failed. I saw then, and I now feel,
the superiority of pocket over large chronometers
for expeditions on foot or horseback. Preuss, July 25,
1942: We left the large
chronometer in Laramie; Fremont succeeded in
making it run again, and he was jubilant when he
heard again the ticking and tick-tocking. In
comparing it we found, however, that every 24 hours
it went wrong by about one hour. Oh, you American
blockheads! Preuss, July 25,
1942: "A barometer, not the
best one though, has gone wrong. The bad road
between here and Laramie killed it. Frémont, August
10, 1842: "As soon as the camp was
formed, I set about endeavering to repair my
barometer. As I have already said, this was a
standard cistern barometer of Troughton's
construction. The glass cistern had been broken
about midway; but as the instrument had been kept
in a proper position, no air had found its way into
the tube, the end of which had always remained
covered.I had with me a number of vials of
tolerably thick glass, some of which were of the
same diameter as the cistern, and I spent the day
it slowly working on these, endeavoring to cut them
to the requisite length; but, as my instrument was
a very rough file, I ivariably broke them. A groove
was cut in one of the trees, were the barometer was
placed during the night, to be out of the way of
any possible danger, and in the morning I commenced
again. Among the powder horns in the camp, I found
one which was very transparent, so that its
contents could be almost as plainly seen the as
through glass. This I boiled and stretched on a
piece of wood to the requisite diameter, and a
scraped it very thin, in order to increase to the
utmost it's transparency. I then secured it firmly
in its place on the instrument, with strong glue
made from a Buffalo, and filled it with mercury,
properly heeded. A piece of skin, which had covered
one of the vials, furnished a good pocket, which
was well secured with a strong thread and glue, and
then the brass cover was screwed to its place.
The instrument was left some time to dry; and
when I reversed it, a few hours after, I had the
satisfaction to find it in perfect order; it's
indications being about the same as on the other
side of the lake before it had been
broken." Frémont,
November 21, 1843: "Mr. Perkins walked with
Mr. Preuss and myself to the heights, about nine
miles distant, on the opposite side of the river
[Columbia], whence, in fine weather, an
extensive view may be had over the mountains,
including seven great peaks of the Cascade range;
but clouds, on this occasion, destroyed the
anticipated pleasure, and we obtained bearings only
to three that were visable: Mount
Reguier[sic] , St. Helens, and Mt. Hood. On
the heights, about one mile south of the mission, a
very fine view may be had of Mount Hood and St.
Helens. In order to determine their position
with as much accuracy as possible, the angular
distances of the peaks were measured with the
sextant, at different fixed points from which
they could be seen." Cf. Major W. H. Emory,
Santa Fe, September 14, 1846: To Lieutenant J. W.
Abert: Preuss,
0ctober
10,
1943: "Half-passed ten in the evening. I am sitting
alone by the fire to watch till twelve o'clock,
when an immersion of satellites will occur.
To tell the truth, I wish the dear Lord had not
attached any satellites to Jupiter. One can loose
one's mind over it. These immersions occur so often
that one forgets how to sleep." CLICK the image for more
information. Theodore Talbot, Bent's Fort, July 3,
1845. "...the Captain [Frémont] is very
kind to me. I shall be with him in making time and
notes etc. fo his observations I Hope. Theodore Talbot, Bent's Fort, August 16,
1845. "Capt. F. has been much occupied with his
transit Insmt. at which Mr. King assists him, &
in other astronomical & meteorological obsnvs.
in which I assist him. We are waiting here now for
a moon culmination to determine the longitude of
this place with the Transit Instrument." Charles Preuss,
October 22, 1843 "One can almost kill pheasants with a stick. If
I could have a rifle on my back instead of the
barometer, I could shoot the most magnificent
dinner." Joseph Nicollet, 1837 "I carried my sextant on my back, in a leather
case, thrown over me as a knapsack; then my
barometer slung over my left shoulder; my cloak,
thrown over the same shoulder, confined the
barometer closely against the sextant; a portfolio
under my left arm; a basket in the hand, which
contained my thermometer, chronometer, pocket
compass, artificial horizon, tape line and so
forth. On the right side, a spy-glass, powder
flask, and shot bag; and in my hand, a gun or an
umbrella, according to the circumstances."
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This
list compiled from The Expeditions of John Charles
Frémont, Vol. 1, edited by Donald Jackson and
Mary Lee Spence, University of Ilinois Press,
1970.
