The octant has an ebony frame and limb with a black-lacquered brass index arm and fittings. It has inlaid ivory plates on the crossbar and the back of the frame, which is missing. The tangent screw and clamping screw are positioned on the back of the index arm. The octant has three socket shades, two red and one green, and three horizon shades, in red, green, and the third one is missing. Index-glass adjustment is made by a screw, however the mount is incomplete. The horizon glass, with the glass missing, is adjusted by a milled screw, a lever, worm gear and clamping screw, the latter of which is missing. The sight vane, two feet of the frame, and a pencil or screwdriver from the crossbar are all missing. The octant has no box.

The instrument's inlaid ivory scale is missing. The octant has an ivory vernier, which is broken, measuring to 1 arcminute, with zero at the right.