Matthew Fountaine Maury (1806-1873)

The American Matthew F. Maury, who was born in 1806, joined the U.S. Navy in 1825 where he soon developed an interest for hydrography. As a result of this interest wrote a report entitled On the Navigation of Cape Horn which was published In 1834.

Maury was appointed superintendent of the U.S. Navy's Hydrographical Office in Washington after having injured a leg in 1839 and two years later of the Naval Obeservatory.

His analysis of thousands of log books and reports enabled him to publish recommendations for the most effective sea route to take advantage of winds and currents.

Published works:

• On the Navigation of Cape Horn, 1834.
• A New Theoretical and Practical Treatise on Navigation: ...
  Key and Biddle, Philadelphia, 1836. 21,5 cm, viii, 216, 174 pp, 9 plates.
• An elementary, practical and theoretical treatise on navigation: with a new and easy plan for finding diff. lat., dep., course, and distance by projection.
  E. C. Biddle, Philadelphia, 1843 (2d ed., rev. and corr.). 22cm, fold front. viii, 174 p., tables, diagrs. First edition issued under title: New theoretical and practical treatise on navigation.
• Paper on the Gulf Stream and currents of the sea.
  B.B. Minor, Richmond, 1844. 25 cm, 16 pp. Read before the National Institute at its annual meeting, April 2nd, 1844 [by M.F. Maury].
  Southern Literary Messenger ; vol. X, no. VII, July, 1844.
• Explanations and Sailing Directions to Accompany the Wind and Current Charts.
  1847. 2 vols.
  C. Alexander, Printer, Washington, 1851 (3d ed., improved and enl.). 29×24 cm, 315, [2] pp, ill., XII pl. (incl. charts).
  C. Alexander, Printer, Washington, 1852 (4th ed.). 29×23 cm, 413, [2] pp, ill., 19 plates (incl. charts).
  1858 (5th). 2 vols, 874 pp & plates.
  C. Alexander, Printer, Washington, 1853 (5th enl. and imp.). 29×23 cm, 492 [xxx] pp, ill., charts, plates..
  E.C. and J. Biddle, Philadelphia, 1854 (6th enl. and imp.). 28×23 cm, 772 pp, XVII plates (incl. charts).
  W. A. Harris, printer, Washington, 1858-59 (8th ed.--enl. and imp.). 29×23 cm, 2 v. illus., plates (part col.) charts (part col., part double).
• Abstract log. For the use of American navigators. Prepared under the direction of Commodore Lewis Warrington, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, by authority of Hon. John Y. Mason, Secretary of the Navy.
  C. Alexander, printer, Washington, 1848. 28 cm, 10, [24] pp.
  "The object of the Abstract Log, is to obtain from Navigators the tracks of vessels, showing the winds and currents encountered ... in all parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans ...": p.[4]
  Includes [24] p. of blank abstract sheets at end.
• Letter concerning lanes for the steamers crossing the Atlantic.
  Pub. by the Board of Underwriters, New York, 1855. 28 cm, 12 pp, 1 fold., col. chart, map.
• The Physical Geography of the Sea, and its Meteorology.
  Harper & Brothers, New York, 1855 (1st). 8vo, xxiv, 274 pp, ill., 8 engraved plates.
  Harper & Brothers, New York, [1860] (8th). 23 cm, xxxii, 474 pp, ill., 9 plates.
  London, 1860.
  Facsimile reprint 1963 of the 1855 edition.
• Maury's wind and current charts. Gales in the Atlantic.
  Observatory, Washington, 1857. 30×23 cm, [3] pp, [24] col. maps.
• The winds at sea; their mean direction and annual average duration from each of the four quarters.
  [Washington, 1859]. 30×23 cm, 8 pp, iv plates (3 col., 2 double). Nautical monographs. no. 1.
• The barometer at sea.
  [Washington] 1861. 30×24 cm, 20 pp, plates.. Maury's nautical monographs. no. 2. "How to foretell weather": pp 3-9.
• The southeast trade-winds of the Atlantic.
  Observatory, [Washington], 1861. 30 x 24 cm, 20 pp. Maury's nautical monographs. no. 3. Letter from Admiral O. de Chabannes to Captain Maury, pp 2-7.
• Steam-lanes across the Atlantic.
  Govt. Print. Off., Washington, 1873. 23 cm, 19 pp, 3 fold. charts. U.S. Hydrographic Office - Bureau of Navigation. [Publication] no. 40. Published also in 1872. Appeared originally in Explanations and sailing directions to accompany Wind and current charts, by M. F. Maury. 7th ed. Philadelphia, 1855.

Updated 1998-02-08 by Lars Bruzelius

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