men of invention and industry-第24章

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recompense　for　the　time　spent　by　him　for　the　general　good　of

mankind。〃　　This　grateful　attention　was　all　the　more　praiseworthy；

as　Sardinia　could　not　in　any　way　be　regarded　as　a　great　maritime

power。



Harrison　was　now　becoming　old　and　feeble。　　He　had　attained　the

age　of　seventy…four。　　He　had　spent　forty　long　years　in　working

out　his　invention。　　He　was　losing　his　eyesight；　and　could　not

afford　to　wait　much　longer。　　Still　he　had　to　wait。



〃Full　little　knowest　thou；　who　hast　not　tried；　

What　hell　it　is　in　suing　long　to　bide；　

To　lose　good　days；　that　might　be　better　spent；　

To　waste　long　nights　in　pensive　discontent；　

To　spend　to…day；　to　be　put　back　to…morrow；　

To　feed　on　hope；　to　pine　with　fear　and　sorrow。〃



But　Harrison　had　not　lost　his　spirit。　　On　May　30th；　1765；　he

addressed　another　remonstrance　to　the　Board；　containing　much

stronger　language　than　he　had　yet　used。　　〃I　cannot　help

thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　am　extremely　ill…used　by　gentlemen

from　whom　I　might　have　expected　a　different　treatment；　for；　if

the　Act　of　the　l2th　of　Queen　Anne　be　deficient；　why　have　I　so

long　been　encouraged　under　it；　in　order　to　bring　my　invention　to

perfection？　　And；　after　the　completion；　why　was　my　son　sent　twice

to　the　West　Indies？　　Had　it　been　said　to　my　son；　when　he　received

the　last　instruction；　'There　will；　in　case　you　succeed；　be　a　new

Act　on　your　return；　in　order　to　lay　you　under　new　restrictions；

which　were　not　thought　of　in　the　Act　of　the　l2th　of　Queen　Anne；'

I　say；　had　this　been　the　case；　I　might　have　expected　some　such

treatment　as　that　I　now　meet　with。



〃It　must　be　owned　that　my　case　is　very　hard；　but　I　hope　I　am　the

first；　and　for　my　country's　sake　I　hope　I　shall　be　the　last；　to

suffer　by　pinning　my　faith　upon　an　English　Act　of　Parliament。　

Had　I　received　my　just　rewardfor　certainly　it　may　be　so　called

after　forty　years'　close　application　of　the　talent　which　it　has

pleased　God　to　give　methen　my　invention　would　have　taken　the

course　which　all　improvements　in　this　world　do；　that　is；　I　must

have　instructed　workmen　in　its　principles　and　execution；　which　I

should　have　been　glad　of　an　opportunity　of　doing。　　But　how　widely

different　this　is　from　what　is　now　proposed；　viz。；　for　me　to

instruct　people　that　I　know　nothing　of；　and　such　as　may　know

nothing　of　mechanics；　and；　if　I　do　not　make　them　understand　to

their　satisfaction；　I　may　then　have　nothing！



〃Hard　fate　indeed　to　me；　but　still　harder　to　the　world；　which　may

be　deprived　of　this　my　invention；　which　must　be　the　case；　except

by　my　open　and　free　manner　in　describing　all　the　principles　of　it

to　gentlemen　and　noblemen　who　almost　at　all　times　have　had　free

recourse　to　my　instruments。　　And　if　any　of　these　workmen　have

been　so　ingenious　as　to　have　got　my　invention；　how　far　you　may

please　to　reward　them　for　their　piracy　must　be　left　for　you　to

determine；　and　I　must　set　myself　down　in　old　age；　and　thank　God　I

can　be　more　easy　in　that　I　have　the　conquest；　and　though　I　have

no　reward；　than　if　I　had　come　short　of　the　matter　and　by　some

delusion　had　the　reward！〃



The　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Egmont　was　in　the　chair　of　the

Board　of　Longitude　on　the　day　when　this　letter　was　readJune　13；

1765。　　The　Commissioners　were　somewhat　startled　by　the　tone　which

the　inventor　had　taken。　　Indeed；　they　were　rather　angry。　　Mr。

Harrison；　who　was　in　waiting；　was　called　in。　　After　some　rather

hot　speaking；　and　after　a　proposal　was　made　to　Harrison　which　he

said　he　would　decline　to　accede　to　〃so　long　as　a　drop　of　English

blood　remained　in　his　body；〃　he　left　the　room。　　Matters　were　at

length　arranged。　　The　Act　of　Parliament　（5　Geo。　III。　cap。　20）

awarded　him；　upon　a　full　discovery　of　the　principles　of　his

time…keeper；　the　payment　of　such　a　sum；　as　with　the　2500L。　he　had

already　received；　would　make　one　half　of　the　reward；　and　the

remaining　half　was　to　be　paid　when　other　chronometers　had　been

made　after　his　design；　and　their　capabilities　fully　proved。　　He

was　also　required　to　assign　his　four　chronometersone　of　which

was　styled　a　watchto　the　use　of　the　public。



Harrison　at　once　proceeded　to　give　full　explanations　of　the

principles　of　his　chronometer　to　Dr。　Maskelyne；　and　six　other

gentlemen；　who　had　been　appointed　to　receive　them。　　He　took　his

timekeeper　to　pieces　in　their　presence；　and　deposited　in　their

hands　correct　drawings　of　the　same；　with　the　parts；　so　that　other

skilful　makers　might　construct　similar　chronometers　on　the　same

principles。　　Indeed；　there　was　no　difficulty　in　making　them；

after　his　explanations　and　drawings　had　been　published。　　An　exact

copy　of　his　last　watch　was　made　by　the　ingenious　Mr。　Kendal；　and

was　used　by　Captain　Cook　in　his　three　years'　circumnavigation　of

the　world；　to　his　perfect　satisfaction。



England　had　already　inaugurated　that　series　of　scientific

expeditions　which　were　to　prove　so　fruitful　of　results；　and　to

raise　her　naval　reputation　to　so　great　a　height。　　In　these

expeditions；　the　officers；　the　sailors；　and　the　scientific　men；

were　constantly　brought　face　to　face　with　unforeseen　difficulties

and　dangers；　which　brought　forth　their　highest　qualities　as　men。　

There　was；　however；　some　intermixture　of　narrowness　in　the　minds

of　those　who　sent　them　forth。　　For　instance；　while　Dr。　Priestley

was　at　Leeds；　he　was　asked　by　Sir　Joseph　Banks　to　join　Captain

Cook's　second　expedition　to　the　Southern　Seas；　as　an　astronomer。　

Priestley　gave　his　assent；　and　made　arrangements　to　set　out。　　But

some　weeks　later；　Banks　informed　him　that　his　appointment　had

been　cancelled；　as　the　Board　of　Longitude　objected　to　his

theology。　　Priestley's　otherwise　gentle　nature　was　roused。　　〃What

I　am；　and　what　they　are；　in　respect　of　religion；〃　he　wrote　to

Banks；　in　December；　1771；　〃might　easily　have　been　known　before

the　thing　was　proposed　to　me　at　all。　　Besides；　I　thought　that

this　had　been　a　business　of　philosophy；　and　not　of　divinity。　　If；

however；　this　be　the　case；　I　shall　hold　the　Board　of　Longitude　in

extreme　contempt。〃



Captain　Cook　was　appointed　to　the　command　of　the　Resolution；　and

Captain　Wallis　to　the　command　of　the　Adventure；　in　November；

1771。　　They　proceeded　to　equip　the　ships；　and　amongst　the　other

instruments　taken　on　board　Captain　Cook's　ship；　were　two

timekeepers；　one　made　by　Mr。　Larcum　Kendal；　on　Mr。　Harrison's

principles；　and　the　other　by　Mr。　John　Arnold；　on　his　own。　　The

expedition　left　Deptford　in　April；　1772；　and　shortly　afterwards

sailed　for　the　South　Seas。　　〃Mr。　Kendal's　watch〃　is　the　subject

of　frequent　notices　in　Captain　Cook's　account。　　At　the　Cape　of

Good　Hope；　it　is　said　to　have　〃answered　beyond　all　expectation。〃

Further　south；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Cape　Circumcision；　he

says；　〃the　use　of　the　telescope　is　found　difficult　at　first；　but

a　little　practice　will　make　it　familiar。　　By　the　assistance　of

the　watch　we　shall　be　able　to　discover　the　greatest　error　this

method　of　observing　the　longitude　at　sea　is　liable　to。〃　　It　was

found　that　Harrison's　watch　was　more　correct　than　Arnold's；　and

when　near　Cape　Palliser　in　New　Zealand；　Cook　says；　〃this　day　at

noon；　when　we　attended　the　winding…up　of　the　watches；　the　fusee

of　Mr。　Arnold's　would　not　turn　round；　so　that　after　several

unsuccessful　trials　we　were　obliged　to　let　it　go　down。〃　　From

this　time；　complete　reliance　was　placed　upon　Harrison's

chronometer。　　Some　time　later；　Cook　says；　〃I　must　here　take

notice　that　our　longitude　can　never　be　erroneous　while　we　have　so

good　a　guide　as　Mr。　Kendal's　watch。〃　　It　may　be　observed；　that　at

the　beginning　of　the　voyage；　observations　were　made　by　the　lunar

tables；　but　these；　being　found　unreliable；　were　eventually

discontinued。



To　return　to　Harrison。　　He　continued　to　be　worried　by　official

opposition。　　His　claims　were　still　unsatisfied。　　His　watch　at

home　underwent　many　more　trials。　　Dr。　Maskelyne；　the　Royal

Astronomer；　was　charged　with　being　unfavourable　to　the　success　of

chronometers；　being　deeply　inte