industrial biography-第66部分

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clever　brass　founder　continued　at　his　turning…lathe；　from　which　he

speedily　rose　to　still　higher　employment。



Notwithstanding　the　losses　and　suffering　occasioned　by　strikes；　Mr。

Nasmyth　holds　the　opinion　that　they　have　on　the　whole　produced　much

more　good　than　evil。　　They　have　served　to　stimulate　invention　in　an

extraordinary　degree。　　Some　of　the　most　important　labour…saving

processes　now　in　common　use　are　directly　traceable　to　them。　　In　the

case　of　many　of　our　most　potent　self…acting　tools　and　machines；

manufacturers　could　not　be　induced　to　adopt　them　until　compelled　to

do　so　by　strikes。　　This　was　the　ease　with　the　self…acting　mule；　the

wool…combing　machine；　the　planing　machine；　the　slotting　machine；

Nasmyth's　steam　arm；　and　many　others。　　Thus；　even　in　the　mechanical

world；　there　may　be　〃a　soul　of　goodness　in　things　evil。〃



Mr。　Nasmyth　retired　from　business　in　December；　1856。　　He　had　the　moral

courage　to　come　out　of　the　groove　which　he　had　so　laboriously　made

for　himself；　and　to　leave　a　large　and　prosperous　business；　saying；　〃I

have　now　enough　of　this　world's　goods；　let　younger　men　have　their

chance。〃　　He　settled　down　at　his　rural　retreat　in　Kent；　but　not　to

lead　a　life　of　idle　ease。　　Industry　had　become　his　habit；　and　active

occupation　was　necessary　to　his　happiness。　　He　fell　back　upon　the

cultivation　of　those　artistic　tastes　which　are　the　heritage　of　his

family。　　When　a　boy　at　the　High　School　of　Edinburgh；　he　was　so　skilful

in　making　pen　and　ink　illustrations　on　the　margins　of　the　classics；

that　he　thus　often　purchased　from　his　monitors　exemption　from　the

lessons　of　the　day。　　Nor　had　he　ceased　to　cultivate　the　art　during　his

residence　at　Patricroft；　but　was　accustomed　to　fall　back　upon　it　for

relaxation　and　enjoyment　amid　the　pursuits　of　trade。　　That　he

possesses　remarkable　fertility　of　imagination；　and　great　skill　in

architectural　and　landscape　drawing；　as　well　as　in　the　much　more

difficult　art　of　delineating　the　human　figure；　will　be　obvious　to　any

one　who　has　seen　his　works；more　particularly　his　〃City　of　St。

Ann's；〃　〃The　Fairies；〃　and　〃Everybody　for　ever！〃　　which　last　was

exhibited　in　Pall　Mail；　among　the　recent　collection　of　works　of　Art

by　amateurs　and　others；　for　relief　of　the　Lancashire　distress。　　He　has

also　brought　his　common　sense　to　bear　on　such　unlikely　subject's　as

the　origin　of　the　cuneiform　character。　　The　possession　of　a　brick　from

Babylon　set　him　a　thinking。　　How　had　it　been　manufactured？　Its　under

side　was　clearly　marked　by　the　sedges　of　the　Euphrates　upon　which　it

had　been　laid　to　dry　and　bake　in　the　sun。　　But　how　about　those　curious

cuneiform　characters？　How　had　writing　assumed　so　remarkable　a　form？

His　surmise　was　this：　　that　the　brickmakers；　in　telling　their　tale　of

bricks；　used　the　triangular　corner　of　another　brick；　and　by　pressing

it　down　upon　the　soft　clay；　left　behind　it　the　triangular　mark　which

the　cuneiform　character　exhibits。　　Such　marks　repeated；　and　placed　in

different　relations　to　each　other；　would　readily　represent　any

number。　　From　the　use　of　the　corner　of　a　brick　in　writing；　the

transition　was　easy　to　a　pointed　stick　with　a　triangular　end；　by　the

use　of　which　all　the　cuneiform　characters　can　readily　be　produced

upon　the　soft　clay。　　This　curious　question　formed　the　subject　of　an

interesting　paper　read　by　Mr。　Nasmyth　before　the　British　Association

at　Cheltenham。



But　the　most　engrossing　of　Mr。　Nasmyth's　later　pursuits　has　been　the

science　of　astronomy；　in　which；　by　bringing　a　fresh；　original　mind　to

the　observation　of　celestial　phenomena；　he　has　succeeded　in　making

some　of　the　most　remarkable　discoveries　of　our　time。　　Astronomy　was

one　of　his　favourite　pursuits　at　Patricroft；　and　on　his　retirement

became　his　serious　study。　　By　repeated　observations　with　a　powerful

reflecting　telescope　of　his　own　construction；　he　succeeded　in　making

a　very　careful　and　minute　painting　of　the　craters；　cracks；　mountains；

and　valleys　in　the　moon's　surface；　for　which　a　Council　Medal　was

awarded　him　at　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851。　　But　the　most　striking

discovery　which　he　has　made　by　means　of　big　telescopethe　result

of　patient；　continuous；　and　energetic　observationhas　been　that　of

the　nature　of　the　sun's　surface；　and　the　character　of　the

extraordinary　light…giving　bodies；　apparently　possessed　of　voluntary

motion；　moving　across　it；　sometimes　forming　spots　or　hollows　of　more

than　a　hundred　thousand　miles　in　diameter。



The　results　of　these　observations　were　of　so　novel　a　character　that

astronomers　for　some　time　hesitated　to　receive　them　as　facts。*

　＇footnote。。。

See　Memoirs　of　the　Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester；

3rd　series；　vol。1。　　407。

　。。。＇

Yet　so　eminent　an　astronomer　as　Sir　John　Herschel　does　not　hesitate

now　to　describe　them　as　〃a　most　wonderful　discovery。〃　　〃According　to

Mr。　Nasmyth's　observations；〃　says　he；　〃made　with　a　very　fine

telescope　of　his　own　making；　the　bright　surface　of　the　sun　consists

of　separate；　insulated；　individual　objects　or　things；　all　nearly　or

exactly　of　one　certain　definite　size　and　shape；　which　is　more　like

that　of　a　willow　leaf；　as　he　describes　them；　than　anything　else。

These　leaves　or　scales　are　not　arranged　in　any　order　（as　those　on　a

butterfly's　wing　are）；　but　lie　crossing　one　another　in　all

directions；　like　what　are　called　spills　in　the　game　of　spillikins；

except　at　the　borders　of　a　spot；　where　they　point　for　the　most　part

inwards　towards　the　middle　of　the　spot；*

　＇footnote。。。

Sir　John　Herschel　adds；　〃Spots　of　not　very　irregular；　and　what　may　be

called　compact　form；　covering　an　area　of　between　seven　and　eight

hundred　millions　of　square　miles；　are　by　no　means　uncommon。　　One　spot

which　I　measured　in　the　year　1837　occupied　no　less　than　three

thousand　seven　hundred　and　eighty　millions；　taking　in　all　the

irregularities　of　its　form；　and　the　black　space　or　nucleus　in　the

middle　of　one　very　nearly　round　one　would　have　allowed　the　earth　to

drop　through　it；　leaving　a　thousand　clear　miles　on　either　side；　and

many　instances　of　much　larger　spots　than　these　are　on　record。〃

　。。。＇

presenting　much　the　sort　of　appearance　that　the　small　leaves　of　some

water…plants　or　sea…weeds　do　at　the　edge　of　a　deep　hole　of　clear

water。　　The　exceedingly　definite　shape　of　these　objects；　their　exact

similarity　one　to　another；　and　the　way　in　which　they　lie　across　and

athwart　each　other　（except　where　they　form　a　sort　of　bridge　across　a

spot；　in　which　case　they　seem　to　affect　a　common　direction；　that；

namely；　of　the　bridge　itself）；all　these　characters　seem　quite

repugnant　to　the　notion　of　their　being　of　a　vaporous；　a　cloudy；　or　a

fluid　nature。　　Nothing　remains　but　to　consider　them　as　separate　and

independent　sheets；　flakes；　or　scales；　having　some　sort　of　solidity。

And　these　flakes；　be　they　what　they　may；　and　whatever　may　be　said

about　the　dashing　of　meteoric　stones　into　the　sun's　atmosphere；　&c。；

are　evidently　THE　IMMEDIATE　SOURCES　OF　THE　SOLAR　LIGHT　AND　HEAT；　by

whatever　mechanism　or　whatever　processes　they　may　be　enabled　to

develope　and；　as　it　were；　elaborate　these　elements　from　the　bosom　of

the　non…luminous　fluid　in　which　they　appear　to　float。　　Looked　at　in

this　point　of　view；　we　cannot　refuse　to　regard　them　as　organisms　of

some　peculiar　and　amazing　kind；　and　though　it　would　be　too　daring　to

speak　of　such　organization　as　partaking　of　the　nature　of　life；　yet　we

do　know　that　vital　action　is　competent　to　develop　heat　and　light；　as

well　as　electricity。　　These　wonderful　objects　have　been　seen　by　others

as　well　as　Mr。　Nasmyth；　so　that　them　is　no　room　to　doubt　of　their

reality。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

SIR　JOHN　HERSCHEL　in　Good　Words　for　April；　1863。

　。。。＇



Such　is　the　marvellous　discovery　made　by　the　inventor　of　the

steam…hammer；　as　described　by　the　most　distinguished　astronomer　of

the　age。　　A　writer　in　the　Edinburgh　Review；　referring　to　the　subject

in　a　recent　number；　says　it　shows　him　〃to　possess　an　intellect　as

profound　as　it　is　expert。〃　　Doubtless　his　training　as　a　mechanic；　his

habits　of　close　observation　and　his　ready　inventiveness；　which

conferred　so　much　power　on　him　as　an　engineer；　proved　of　equal

advantage　to　him　when　labouring　in　the　domain　of　physical　science。

Bringing　a　fresh　mind；　of　keen　perception；　to　his　new　studies；　and

uninfluenced　by　preconceived　opinions；　he　saw　them　in　new　and

original　lights；　and　hence　the　extraordinary　discovery　above

described　by　Sir　John　Herschel。



Some　two　hundred　years　since；　a　member　of　the　Nasmyth　family；　Jean

Nasmyth　of　Hamilton；　was　burnt　for　a　witchone　of　the　last　martyrs

to　ignorance　and　superstition　in　Scotlandbecause　she　read　her

Bible　with　two　pairs　of　spectacles。　　Had　Mr。　Nasmyth　himself　lived

then；　he　might；　with　his　two　telescopes　of　his　own　making；　which

bring　the　sun　and　moon　into　his　chamber　for　him　to　examine　and　paint；

have　been　taken　for　a　sorcerer。　　But　fortunately　for　him；　and　still

more　so　for　us；　Mr。　Nasmyth　stands　before　the　public　of　this　age　as

not　only　one　of　its　ablest　mechanics；　but　as　one　of　the　most

accomplished　and　original　of　scientific　observers。





CHAPTER　XVI。



WILLIAM　FAIRBAIRN。



〃In　science　there　is　work　for　all　hands；　more　or　less　skilled；　and　he

is　usually　the　most　fit　to　occupy　the　higher　posts　who　has　risen　from

the　ranks；　and　has　experimentally　acquainted　himself　with　the　nature

of　the　work　to　be　done　in　each　and　every；　even　the　humblest

department。〃　　J。　D。　Forbes。





The　development　of　the　mechanical　industry　of　England　has　been　so

rapid；　especially　as　regards　the　wonders　achieved　by　the

machine…tools　above　referred　to；　that　it　may　almost　be　said　to　have

been　accomplished　within　the　life　of　the　present　generation。　　〃When　I

first　entered　this　city；　said　Mr。Fairbairn；　in　his　inaugural　address

as　President　of　the　British　Association　at　Manchester　in　1861；　〃the

whole　of　the　machinery　was　executed　by　hand。　　There　were　neither

planing；　slotting；　nor