The tapered barrel of this achromatic telescope is covered with whitened canvas, decorated at each end with finely plaited ropework. The telescope has a single draw tube made of silvered brass. The fittings, also of silvered brass, include an objective lens cap, a pivoted eyepiece cover and a sliding sunshade.

This type of telescope was commonly used on the deck of a ship. This example is one of a group of telescopes (with NAV1563, NAV1564, NAV1565) that presumably belonged to one T.H. Hand, whose name is engraved on the eyepiece of this telescope. The maker's name is engraved on the draw tube as ‘Dollond / London’, as is an emblem of an arm with a sword in its hand above the motto 'Dextra me vibrat' ('Brandished in my right hand').

Thomas Henry Herbert Hand (1870-1933) was was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Captain Henry Hand RN and Anna McCheane. In 1888 he was recorded as a lieutenant. He subsequently joined the Royal Indian Marine, qualified as a master in the merchant services in Bombay in 1902 and was promoted to Commander in 1907.