men of invention and industry-第75章

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From　Belfast　to　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　is　an　easy　route　by

steamers　and　railways。　　While　at　Birnam；　near　Dunkeld；　I　was

reminded　of　some　remarkable　characters　in　the　neighbourhood。　

After　the　publication　of　the　'Scotch　Naturalist'　and　'Robert

Dick；'　I　received　numerous　letters　informing　me　of　many

self…taught　botanists　and　students　of　nature；　quite　as

interesting　as　the　subjects　of　my　memoirs。　　Among　others；　there

was　John　Duncan；　the　botanist　weaver　of　Aberdeen；　whose

interesting　life　has　since　been　done　justice　to　by　Mr。　Jolly；　and

John　Sim　of　Perth；　first　a　shepherd　boy；　then　a　soldier；　and

towards　the　close　of　his　life　a　poet　and　a　botanist；　whose　life；

I　was　told；　was　〃as　interesting　as　a　romance。〃



There　was　also　Alexander　Croall；　Custodian　of　the　Smith　Institute

at　Stirling；　an　admirable　naturalist　and　botanist。　　He　was

originally　a　hard…working　parish　schoolmaster；　near　Montrose。　

During　his　holiday　wanderings　he　collected　plants　for　his

extensive　herbarium。　　His　accomplishments　having　come　under　the

notice　of　the　late　Sir　William　Hooker；　he　was　selected　by　that

gentleman　to　prepare　sets　of　the　Plants　of　Braemar　for　the　Queen

and　Prince　Albert；　which　he　did　to　their　entire　satisfaction。　　He

gave　up　his　school…mastership　for　an　ill…paid　but　more　congenial

occupation；　that　of　Librarian　to　the　Derby　Museum　and　Herbarium。　

Some　years　ago；　he　was　appointed　to　his　present　position　of

Custodian　to　the　Smith　Instituteperhaps　the　best　provincial

museum　and　art　gallery　in　Scotland。



I　could　not；　however；　enter　into　the　history　of　these　remarkable

persons；　though　I　understand　there　is　a　probability　of　Mr。　Croall

giving　his　scientific　recollections　to　the　world。　　He　has　already

brought　out　a　beautiful　work；　in　four　volumes；　'British　Seaweeds；

Nature…printed；'　and　anything　connected　with　his　biography　will

be　looked　forward　to　with　interest。



Among　the　other　persons　brought　to　my　notice；　years　ago；　were

Astronomers　in　humble　life。　　For　instance；　I　received　a　letter

from　John　Grierson；　keeper　of　the　Girdleness　Lighthouse；　near

Aberdeen；　mentioning　one　of　these　persons　as　〃an　extraordinary

character。〃　　〃William　Ballingall；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　weaver　in　the

town　of　Lower　Largo；　Fifeshire；　and　from　his　early　days　he　has

made　astronomy　the　subject　of　passionate　study。　　I　used　to　spend

my　school　vacation　at　Largo；　and　have　frequently　heard　him

expound　upon　his　favourite　subject。　　I　believe　that　very　high

opinions　have　been　expressed　by　scientific　gentlemen　regarding

Ballingall's　attainments。　　They　were　no　doubt　surprised　that　an　

individual　with　but　a　very　limited　amount　of　education；　and　whose

hours　of　labour　were　from　five　in　the　morning　until　ten　or　eleven

at　night；　should　be　able　to　acquire　so　much　knowledge　on　so

profound　a　subject。　　Had　he　possessed　a　fair　amount　of　education；

and　an　assortment　of　scientific　instruments　and　books；　the　world

would　have　heard　more　about　him。　　Should　you　ever　find　yourself；〃

my　correspondent　concludes；　〃in　his　neighbourhood；　and　have　a　few

hours　to　spare；　you　would　have　no　reason　to　regret　the　time　spent

in　his　company。〃　I　could　not；　however；　arrange　to　pay　the

proposed　visit　to　Largo；　but　I　found　that　I　could；　without

inconvenience；　visit　another　astronomer　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Dunkeld。



In　January　1879　I　received　a　letter　from　Sheriff　Barclay；　of

Perth；　to　the　following　effect：　　〃Knowing　the　deep　interest　you

take　in　genius　and　merit　in　humble　ranks；　I　beg　to　state　to　you

an　extraordinary　case。　　John　Robertson　is　a　railway　porter　at

Coupar　Angus　station。　　From　early　youth　he　has　made　the　heavens

his　study。　　Night　after　night　he　looks　above；　and　from　his　small

earnings　he　has　provided　himself　with　a　telescope　which　cost　him

about　30L。　　He　sends　notices　of　his　observations　to　the

scientific　journals；　under　the　modest　initials　of　'J。R。'　He　is　a

great　favourite　with　the　public；　and　it　is　said　that　he　has　made

some　observations　in　celestial　phenomena　not　before　noticed。　　It

does　occur　to　me　that　he　should　have　a　wider　field　for　his

favourite　study。　　In　connection　with　an　observatory；　his　services

would　be　invaluable。〃



Nearly　five　years　had　elapsed　since　the　receipt　of　this　letter；

and　I　had　done　nothing　to　put　myself　in　communication　with　the

Coupar　Angus　astronomer。　　Strange　to　say；　his　existence　was　again

recalled　to　my　notice　by　Professor　Grainger　Stewart；　of

Edinburgh。　　He　said　that　if　I　was　in　the　neighbourhood　I　ought　to

call　upon　him；　and　that　he　would　receive　me　kindly。　　His　duty；　he

said；　was　to　act　as　porter　at　the　station；　and　to　shout　the　name

of　the　place　as　the　trains　passed。　　I　wrote　to　John　Robertson

accordingly；　and　received　a　reply　stating　that　he　would　be　glad

to　see　me；　and　inclosing　a　photograph；　in　which　I　recognised　a

good；　honest；　sensible　face；　with　his　person　inclosed　in　the

usual　station　porter's　garb；　〃C。R。　1446。〃



I　started　from　Dunkeld；　and　reached　Coupar　Angus　in　due　time。　　As

I　approached　the　station；　I　heard　the　porter　calling　out；　〃Coupar

Angus！　change　here　for　Blairgowrie！〃＇1＇　　It　was　the　voice　of　John

Robertson。



I　descended　from　the　train；　and　addressed　him　at　once：　　after　the

photograph　there　could　be　no　mistaking　him。　　An　arrangement　for　a

meeting　was　made；　and　he　called　upon　me　in　the　evening。　　I

invited　him　to　such　hospitality　as　the　inn　afforded；　but　he　would

have　nothing。　　〃I　am　much　obliged　to　you；〃　he　said；　〃but　it

always　does　me　harm。〃　　I　knew　at　once　what　the　〃it〃　meant。　　Then

he　invited　me　to　his　house　in　Causewayend　Street。　　I　found　his

cottage　clean　and　comfortable；　presided　over　by　an　evidently

clever　wife。　　He　took　me　into　his　sitting…room；　where　I　inspected

his　drawings　of　the　sun…spots；　made　in　colour　on　a　large　scale。　

In　all　his　statements　he　was　perfectly　modest　and　unpretending。　

The　following　is　his　story；　so　far　as　I　can　recollect；　in　his　own

words：



〃Yes；　I　certainly　take　a　great　interest　in　astronomy；　but　I　have

done　nothing　in　it　worthy　of　notice。　　I　am　scarcely　worthy　to　be

called　a　day　labourer　in　the　science。　　I　am　very　well　known

hereabouts；　especially　to　the　travelling　public；　but　I　must　say

that　they　think　a　great　deal　more　of　me　than　I　deserve。



〃What　made　me　first　devote　my　attention　to　the　subject　of

astronomy？　　Well；　if　I　can　trace　it　to　one　thing　more　than

another；　it　was　to　some　evening　lectures　delivered　by　the　late

Dr。　Dick；　of　Broughty　Ferry；　to　the　men　employed　at　the　Craigs'

Bleachfield　Works；　near　Montrose；　where　I　then　worked；　about　the

year　l848。　　Dr。　Dick　was　an　excellent　lecturer；　and　I　listened　to

him　with　attention。　　His　instructions　were　fully　impressed　upon

our　minds　by　Mr。　Cooper；　the　teacher　of　the　evening　school；　which

I　attended。　　After　giving　the　young　lads　employed　at　the　works

their　lessons　in　arithmetic；　he　would　come　out　with　us　into　the

nightand　it　was　generally　late　when　we　separatedand　show　us

the　principal　constellations；　and　the　planets　above　the　horizon。　

It　was　a　wonderful　sight；　yet　we　were　told　that　these　hundreds

upon　hundreds　of　stars；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　were　but　a

mere　vestige　of　the　creation　amidst　which　we　lived。　　I　got　to

know　the　names　of　some　of　the　constellations　the　Greater　Bear；

with　'the　pointers'　which　pointed　to　the　Pole　Star；　Orion　with

his　belt；　the　Twins；　the　Pleiades；　and　other　prominent　objects　in

the　heavens。　　It　was　a　source　of　constant　wonder　and　surprise。



〃When　I　left　the　Bleachfield　Works；　I　went　to　Inverury；　to　the

North　of　Scotland　Railway；　which　was　then　in　course　of　formation；

and　for　many　years；　being　immersed　in　work；　I　thought

comparatively　little　of　astronomy。　　It　remained；　however；　a

pleasant　memory。　　It　was　only　after　coming　to　this　neighbourhood

in　1854；　when　the　railway　to　Blairgowrie　was　under　construction；

that　I　began　to　read　up　a　little；　during　my　leisure　hours；　on　the

subject　of　astronomy。　　I　got　married　the　year　after；　since　which

time　I　have