The sextant has an ebony frame and limb with a brass index arm and fittings. It also has a wooden handle and an inlaid ivory plate in the crossbar. The tangent screw and clamping screw are positioned on the back of the index arm. All the shades are missing. Index-glass adjustment is made by a screw and on the horizon glass by a square-headed screw, a detached key, a lever, worm gear and a milled clamping screw.

Attached to the sextant is a magnifier on a 90mm swivelling arm. There is also a threaded telescope bracket in two parts, fitted for correcting collimation error. It has perpendicular adjustment made by a rising-piece and a milled knob. The accompanying telescope is missing. The sight-tube is 82 mm in length with a shaded eyepiece, which is missing, a milled adjusting key, and a magnifying glass, which is also missing.

The instrument has an inlaid ivory scale from -2° to 137° by 20 arcminutes, measuring to 118°. The sextant has an ivory vernier measuring to 30 arcseconds, with zero at the right.

The sextant is contained in a keystone polished wooden box, that is badly damaged. In the lid is a trade label, which has been stuck over two others, for W. F. Cannon, 175 High Street, Shadwell, London (circa 1885-1901).