Telescope from the ship Africaine
Telescope inscribed 'John Finlay Duff LONDON, Africaine'.
Captain John Finlay Duff was captain of the Africaine, one of the first nine ships to bring migrants to South Australia in 1836. The telescope was given to Mary Draper by her grandfather Stuart Duncan Duff (captain Duff's youngest child) in 1940. Captain Duff was recognised by his peers as a highly competent sailor and navigator who handled the often trying conditions of the Africaine's long voyage to South Australia with skill, good sense and generally sound judgement. A telescope was an essential crucial for surveying coasts and seas, identifying landmarks and passing vessels. It was an essential navigational instrument along with a sextant, compass and chronometer.
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