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[Page 33]
Feb. 1773 - Leysendam
by ropes passing through sheaves fixd in the upper part of the gate as in the figure upon the whole it seemd to be a very bad contrivance by no means equal to ours of opening them by Levy leaves.
At six we arrivd at Leyden [also spelt Leiden] & went immediately to Professor Allemands Lodgings where we suppd here we met Captn. May a gentleman of English origin now an officer in the dutch navy he brought with him a Compass which he had newly invented it was perfectly much like Smeatons that is a card hung by a point affixd to its center in a cup or dish suspended in a circle as ball in socket which dish is kept steady by a weight hung under it the point on which the card is suspended screwing so that it may be lengthned [lengthened] or shortned [shortened] by this means. Center of gravity may certainly be brought as near the center of motion as possible & upon this principle alone the merit of the instrument depends. He had affixd to it also a sight which fasned [fastened] to a pin on the outside of paralel to the instrument in order to observe more easily the variation
[See image for drawing on right hand side of page.]