men of invention and industry-第25章

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Astronomer；　was　charged　with　being　unfavourable　to　the　success　of

chronometers；　being　deeply　interested　in　finding　the　longitude　by

lunar　tables；　although　this　method　is　now　almost　entirely

superseded　by　the　chronometer。　　Harrison　accordingly　could　not

get　the　certificate　of　what　was　due　to　him　under　the　Act　of

Parliament。　　Years　passed　before　he　could　obtain　the　remaining

amount　of　his　reward。　　It　was　not　until　the　year　1773；　or

forty…five　years　after　the　commencement　of　his　experiments；　that

he　succeeded　in　obtaining　it。　　The　following　is　an　entry　in　the

list　of　supplies　granted　by　Parliament　in　that　year：　〃June　14。　

To　John　Harrison；　as　a　further　reward　and　encouragement　over　and

above　the　sums　already　received　by　him；　for　his　invention　of　a

timekeeper　for　ascertaining　the　longitude　at　sea；　and　his

discovery　of　the　principles　upon　which　the　same　was　constructed；

8570　pounds　0s。　0d。



John　Harrison　did　not　long　survive　the　settlement　of　his　claims；

for　he　died　on　the　24th　of　March；　1776；　at　the　age　of

eighty…three。　　He　was　buried　at　the　south…west　corner　of

Hampstead　parish　churchyard；　where　a　tombstone　was　erected　to　his

memory；　and　an　inscription　placed　upon　it　commemorating　his

services。　　His　wife　survived　him　only　a　year；　she　died　at

seventy…two；　and　was　buried　in　the　same　tomb。　　His　son；　William

Harrison；　F。R。S。；　a　deputy…lientenant　of　the　counties　of　Monmouth

and　Middlesex；　died　in　1815；　at　the　ripe　age　of　eighty…eight；　and

was　also　interred　there。　　The　tomb　having　stood　for　more　than　a

century；　became　somewhat　dilapidated；　when　the　Clock…makers'

Company　of　the　City　of　London　took　steps　in　1879　to　reconstruct

it；　and　recut　the　inscriptions。　　An　appropriate　ceremony　took

place　at　the　final　uncovering　of　the　tomb。



But　perhaps　the　most　interesting　works　connected　with　John

Harrison　and　the　great　labour　of　his　life；　are　the　wooden　clock

at　the　South　Kensington　Museum；　and　the　four　chronometers　made　by

him　for　the　Government；　which　are　still　preserved　at　the　Royal

Observatory；　Greenwich。　　The　three　early　ones　are　of　great

weight；　and　can　scarcely　be　moved　without　some　bodily　labour。　

But　the　fourth；　the　marine　chronometer　or　watch；　is　of　small

dimensions；　and　is　easily　handled。　　It　still　possesses　the　power

of　going　accurately；　as　does　〃Mr。　Kendal's　watch；〃　which　was　made

exactly　after　it。　　These　will　always　prove　the　best　memorials　of

this　distinguished　workman。



Before　concluding　this　brief　notice　of　the　life　and　labours　of

John　Harrison；　it　becomes　me　to　thank　most　cordially　Mr。

Christie；　Astronomer…Royal；　for　his　kindness　in　exhibiting　the

various　chronometers　deposited　at　the　Greenwich　Observatory；　and

for　his　permission　to　inspect　the　minutes　of　the　Board　of

Longitude；　where　the　various　interviews　between　the　inventor　and

the　commissioners；　extending　over　many　years；　are　faithfully　but

too　procrastinatingly　recorded。　　It　may　be　finally　said　of　John

Harrison；　that　by　his　invention　of　the　chronometerthe

ever…sleepless　and　ever…trusty　friend　of　the　mariner　he

conferred　an　incalculable　benefit　on　science　and　navigation；　and

established　his　claim　to　be　regarded　as　one　of　the　greatest

benefactors　of　mankind。



POstscript。In　addition　to　the　information　contained　in　this

chapter；　I　have　been　recently　informed　by　the　Rev。　Mr。　Sankey；

vicar　of　Wragby；　that　the　family　is　quite　extinct　in　the　parish；

except　the　wife　of　a　plumber；　who　claims　relationship　with

Harrison。　　The　representative　of　the　Winn　family　was　created　Lord

St。　Oswald　in　1885。　　Harrison　is　not　quite　forgotten　at　Foulby。　

The　house　in　which　he　was　born　was　a　low　thatched　cottage；　with

two　rooms；　one　used　as　a　living　room；　and　the　other　as　a　sleeping

room。　　The　house　was　pulled　down　about　forty　years　ago；　but　the

entrance　door；　being　of　strong；　hard　wood；　is　still　preserved。　

The　vicar　adds　that　young　Harrison　would　lie　out　on　the　grass　all

night　in　summer　time；　studying　the　details　of　his　wooden　clock。





Footnotes　to　Chapter　III。



＇1＇　Originally　published　in　Longmam's　Magazine；　but　now　rewritten

and　enlarged。



＇2＇　Popular　Astronomy。　　By　Simon　Newcomb；　LL。D。；　Professor　U。S。

Naval　Observatory。



＇3＇　Biographia　Britannica；　vol。　vi。　part　2；　p。　4375。　　This　volume

was　published　in　1766；　before　the　final　reward　had　been　granted

to　Harrison。



＇4＇　This　clock　is　in　the　possession　of　Abraham　Riley；　of　Bromley；

near　Leeds。　　He　informs　us　that　the　clock　is　made　of　wood

throughout；　excepting　the　escapement　and　the　dial；　which　are　made

of　brass。　　It　bears　the　mark　of　〃John　Harrison；　1713。〃



＇5＇　Harrison's　compensation　pendulum　was　afterwards　improved　by

Arnold；　Earnshaw；　and　other　English　makers。　　Dent's　prismatic

balance　is　now　considered　the　best。



＇6＇　See　Mr。　Folkes's　speech　to　the　Royal　Soc。；　30th　Nov。；　1749。



＇7＇　No　trustworthy　lunar　tables　existed　at　that　time。　　It　was　not

until　the　year　1753　that　Tobias　Mayer；　a　German；　published　the

first　lunar　tables　which　could　be　relied　upon。　　For　this；　the

British　Government　afterwards　awarded　to　Mayer's　widow　the　sum　of

5000L。



＇8＇　Sir　Isaac　Newton　gave　his　design　to　Edmund　Halley；　then

Astronomer…Royal。　　Halley　laid　it　on　one　side；　and　it　was　found

among　his　papers　after　his　death　in　1742；　twenty…five　years　after

the　death　of　Newton。　　A　similar　omission　was　made　by　Sir　G。　B。

Airy；　which　led　to　the　discovery　of　Neptune　being　attributed　to

Leverrier　instead　of　to　Adams。





CHAPTER　IV。



JOHN　LOMBE：　INTRODUCER　OF　THE　SILK　INDUSTRY　INTO　ENGLAND。



〃By　Commerce　are　acquired　the　two　things　which　wise　men　accompt

of　all　others　the　most　necessary　to　the　well…being　of　a

Commonwealth：　That　is　to　say；　a　general　Industry　of　Mind　and

Hardiness　of　Body；　which　never　fail　to　be　accompanyed　with　Honour

and　Plenty。　　So　that；　questionless；　when　Commerce　does　not

flourish；　as　well　as　other　Professions；　and　when　Particular

Persons　out　of　a　habit　of　Laziness　neglect　at　once　the　noblest

way　of　employing　their　time　and　the　fairest　occasion　for

advancing　their　fortunes；　that　Kingdom；　though　otherwise　never　so

glorious；　wants　something　of　being　compleatly　happy。〃A　Treatise

touching　the　East　India　Trade　（1695）。



Industry　puts　an　entirely　new　face　upon　the　productions　of

nature。　　By　labour　man　has　subjugated　the　world；　reduced　it　to

his　dominion；　and　clothed　the　earth　with　a　new　garment。　　The

first　rude　plough　that　man　thrust　into　the　soil；　the　first　rude

axe　of　stone　with　which　he　felled　the　pine；　the　first　rude　canoe

scooped　by　him　from　its　trunk　to　cross　the　river　and　reach　the

greener　fields　beyond；　were　each　the　outcome　of　a　human　faculty

which　brought　within　his　reach　some　physical　comfort　he　had　never

enjoyed　before。



Material　things　became　subject　to　the　influence　of　labour。　　From

the　clay　of　the　ground；　man　manufactured　the　vessels　which　were

to　contain　his　food。　　Out　of　the　fleecy　covering　of　sheep；　he

made　clothes　for　himself　of　many　kinds；　from　the　flax　plant　he

drew　its　fibres；　and　made　linen　and　cambric；　from　the　hemp　plant

he　made　ropes　and　fishing　nets；　from　the　cotton　pod　he　fabricated

fustians；　dimities；　and　calicoes。　　From　the　rags　of　these；　or

from　weed　and　the　shavings　of　wood；　he　made　paper　on　which　books

and　newspapers　were　printed。　　Lead　was　formed　by　him　into

printer's　type；　for　the　communication　of　knowledge　without　end。



But　the　most　extraordinary　changes　of　all　were　made　in　a　heavy

stone　containing　metal；　dug　out　of　the　ground。　　With　this；　when

smelted　by　wood　or　coal；　and　manipulated　by　experienced　skill；

iron　was　produced。　　From　this　extraordinary　metal；　the　soul　of

every　manufacture；　and　the　mainspring　perhaps　of　civilised

societyarms；　hammers；　and　axes　were　made；　then　knives；

scissors；　and　needles；　then　machinery　to　hold　and　control　the

prodigious　force　of　steam；　and　eventually　railroads　and

locomotives；　ironclads　propelled　by　the　screw；　and　iron　and　steel

bridges　miles　in　length。