Bowditch's American Practical Navigator
Bowditch's American Practical Navigator was written by Nathaniel Bowditch and published in 1802 and has remained the textbook of American sailors. It has played the important part of guiding the navigator in every American adventure on the sea. One edition followed another, bringing up-to-date methods to the mariner. In 1866 the copyright and plates were bought by the Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy. It is not only a notable book but is considered one of America's nautical institutions.
As a U.S. Government publication, it is available for free online.
See also
References
- Dictionary of American History by James Truslow Adams, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940.