[ ”4 J 
confiftcd of two Pieces of Steel Wire, each of which 
was bent in the middle, fo as to make an obtufe 
Angle; and the Ends of thefe Wires applied toge- 
ther, forming an acute one, the whole appear’d in 
the Shape of a Lozenge, in the Centre of which 
was placed the brafs Cap whereon the Card turned. 
And fo far was it from being made with any tole- 
rable Degree ot Exaclnefs, that there was not the 
Ieafl Care taken cither to bend the Wires in the 
middle, or to fix the Cap exa&ly in the Centre of 
the Lozenge : For, upon trying it with a Pair of 
CompafTes, I found its greateft Eccentricity to be 
full ~ of an Inch. The Pin, upon which it turned 
was made of a Slip of Plate-Brafs fharpened to a Point. 
Befides the Particulars already communicated to 
the Society, the Captain informed me, that he was 
obliged to fail above 300 Leagues, after this Accident 
happen’d, without a Compafs, till he arrived at 
Cowes in the IJle of Wight ; where being provided 
with one, he placed it in the Binacle, but was much 
l'urprized to find that it varied from the Dire&ion 
it flood at when out of the Binacle nearly 2 Points. 
He removed the Binacle to different Parts of the Deck, 
but found that it always made the Needle to vary 
after the fame manner when placed in it. He re- 
peated the fame Experiment lately in the River, 
with the like Succefs * only that he obferved, that 
the Variation of the Needle, when placed in the 
Binacle, was rather lefs than at firft. It was natural 
to inquire if there was any Iron about the Binacle j 
but 1 was furprized when the Captain informed me, 
he had given ftridt Charge to the Maker; not to 
put fo much as a fingle Nail in it s and that he firmly 
believed 
5 
