The octant has an ebony frame and limb with a black-lacquered brass index arm and fittings. It also has inlaid ivory plates on the crossbar and on the back of the frame. The tangent screw and clamping screw, which is broken and possibly a replacement, are on the back of the index arm. The octant has three index shades, two red, and one green. One of the red shades has the glass broken. Index-glass adjustment is made by a screw and on the horizon glass by a milled screw, a lever and a clamping screw. The sight vane and one foot of the frame are missing. The instrument is in a poor condition. The octant has no box.

The instrument has an inlaid ivory scale from -2° to 100° by 20 arcminutes, measuring to 92°. The octant has an ivory vernier measuring to 1 arcminute, with zero at the right.