The octant has an ebony frame and limb with a brass index arm, fittings, and a brass stop for the index arm. It also has inlaid ivory plates in the crossbar and on the back of the frame. The tangent screw, which is slightly bent, is positioned on the front of the index arm and the clamping screw is on the back. The octant has three socket shades, two in red and one in green. Index-glass adjustment is made by a screw. On the horizon glass it is made by a lever, worm gear and a milled clamping screw and on the back horizon glass by a lever, wing nut and a milled clamping screw. The sight vane has two pinholes and a swivelling shutter, whereas the back sight vane has one pinhole. A pencil or screwdriver is missing from the crossbar. The octant is contained in an oak keystone stepped box, with a trade label in the lid for Newmarch Lee, 166 High Street, Hull, ship chandler and late foreman to Mrs Fletcher.

The instrument has an inlaid ivory scale from -2° to 99° by 20 arcminutes, measuring to 92°. The octant has an ivory vernier measuring to 1 arcminute, with zero at the right.

Fairey had the scale of this octant divided by Spencer Browning and Rust.