From the 17th century onwards people had made many attempts to devise a mechanical log which would automatically record the ships distance done. Edward Massey invented a mechanical log in 1802 with four blades which was used by the Admiralty from 1807-1815. When dragged behind the ship the log vins rotates and the revolutions were transformed in miles on the dials, to be read after the log was brought in. The design of Massey was further refined by Thomas Walker and Son, who took out a patent for the A1 Harpoon Log in 1861. Heath & Co., instrumentmakers in London from 1845-1910, made only a few harpoonlogs based on Walkers patent of 1861, also with stabilizer.

On this Massey log there are three dials, the first registers miles up to 100, the second registers the units up to 10 mile, the third registyers quarters of a mile. With original rope.
The sliding cuff is inscibed with: Lord Burghley M.P. – R.V.Y.C. Ryde, Isle of Wight. The still existing Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The case is possible from a later date. In the case there is a short biography of Lord Burghley born in 1825 at Brookfield House.

Catalog: NM.2-45
Date: ca. 1810
LD: 49,5x14cm (19,5×5,6 in)
L overall: 58 cm (22.5 in)
Signed:

Number: 374
Origin: England
Condition: good and complete