Notebook on logarithms, ca. 1714-1718, 1747

This notebook is missing at least one page, as it begins in the midst of a problem. It contains extensive notes on logarithms and various related examples, problems, and calculations. Prince made notes on the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of logarithms, as well as some notes on navigation. The last two pages of this notebook contain a draft of a letter from Prince to an unnamed gentleman in London, thanking him for his financial support. This is believed to have been written in June 1747, when Prince arrived in Portsmouth, England "without one six pence in [his] pocket & without Hat, Coat, Breeches, Shirts, Stockings or shoes fit to come up to London with." In the letter, he thanks this donor for his support and describes in detail his situation and the challenges facing him in leaving the Navy and beginning missionary work. He refers several times to Dr. Philip Bearcroft, the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, who was responsible for his approval as a Missionary to the Moskito tribe.

Mathematics notebook, ca. 1714-1718

This heavily illustrated notebook contains extensive notes on spheric triangles and spheric angles. These include rules and examples with their solutions.

Mathematics notebook, ca. 1714-1718, with chronology of the reign of Augustus

The first two pages of this notebook contain a comparative chronology of the reign of Augustus, outlined in two columns. One column outlines the chronology according to ecclesiastical scholar Laurence Echard, and the other column outlines the chronology according to William Cave. The rest of the notebook contains extensive entries on the following subjects, with related rules, problems, and illustrations: fractions, decimals, arithmetical progression, geometrical progression, "disjunct proportion, or ye Golden Rule," signs and symbols, integers, geometrical definitions, and Euclidian geometry.

Notebook on geometry, geography, astronomy, and navigation, ca. 1714-1718

This heavily illustrated notebook contains entries on the following topics: geometrical definitions and axioms, geographical and astronomical definitions, compasses, plain sailing, parallel sailing, and Mercator's sailing. It also contains pages designated for notes on "Currents, Lee Way, & Variation," but these pages have been left blank. The back cover contains calculations which appear to relate to charting a course from Jamaica to "Lizzard."

Notebook on geography, navigation, mensuration, and other subjects, ca. 1723-1743

This heavily illustrated notebook contains entries on the following topics, among others: geography; mensuration; navigation and the history of navigation; "the use of Gunter's Scale in plain sailing;" compasses; quadrants and their use; "the refraction of the stars observed by the famous Tycho Brahe;" the latitude and longitude of coasts in America, Europe, and Africa; oceans and islands; mountains and "burning mountains" (volcanoes); rivers and lakes; forests and deserts; maps and sea charts; and the uses of geometry and other measurements by carpenters, joiners, painters, glaziers, masons, and bricklayers. Many pages contain navigational problems and their detailed solutions, as well as chronologies of global exploration and lists of all known rivers, mountains, and other geographic features across the world, many with vivid descriptions. The last pages of the notebook contain entries made in December of 1743 regarding celestial measurements Prince took in Stratford, Connecticut, where he was staying with his brother.

A Chaldee grammar, founded upon the writings of Daniel and Ezra, ca. 1776

This manuscript grammar notebook, written in Chaldean Aramaic and English, appears to have originally belonged to William Bentley (Harvard A.B. 1777); Bentley's name and a date, "December 1776," appear on the volume but have been struck through, and the handwriting appears to be his. The names of Elisha Parmele and Polly Parmele are also on the volume; presumably it was given to Elisha by Bentley, and upon Elisha's death in 1784 it was passed to Polly.

Chaldee verb notebooks, ca. 1778

These three small volumes, written in Chaldean Aramaic and English, are in Parmele's hand.

A Syriac Oration: copy of Paul's oration to the Athenians, Acts 17th, ca. 1778

Edward Everett Hale has speculated that Parmele prepared this document, written primarily in Syriac, for an event at Harvard. It is unknown whether or not it was delivered.

Notes/Observations on the Trinity by William Jones, ca. 1784

These appear to be Parmele's notes on a work by the scholar William Jones (1726-1800) regarding the Catholic doctrine of the Trinity.

Letter to Moody Noyes from unknown author, ca. 1802

This letter is a memoir about John Henry Tudor, written after his death in 1802. It is addressed to Moody Noyes, who asked the author to record his sentiments and memories of Tudor. The author graduated from Harvard in the class behind Tudor, in 1801, and writes of him with great affection.

A Poetical essay delivered at Commencement H. College, July 18th AD 1781, by Mr. Jno Davis (manuscript copy), ca. 1780s

Paper-notebook copy lacking covers with a copy of John Davis's 1781 Commencement poem. The Harvard College Library stamp is on the front page.

[Lines from The Adulateur, ca. 1772]

One leaf containing a handwritten set of lines for Cassius from The Adulateur: A Tragedy, as it is now acted in Upper Servia written by Mercy Otis Warren in 1772.

A Poetical Essay delivered at Commencement July ye 18th 1781 (manuscript copy), ca. 1780s

Paper notebook lacking covers with an unattributed copy of John Davis's 1781 Commencement poem. There are sums calculated on the back cover verso.

[Figures related to the University of Cambridge, ca. 1800]

Four pieces of paper containing notes and figures related to colleges in the University of Cambridge including calculations of the number of fellows, scholars, and masters. The verso of one leaf contains a February 21, 1800 request for the creation of a pamphlet with eulogies for George Washington.