men of invention and industry-第76章

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

time　I　have　lived　in　this　house。



〃I　became　a　member　of　a　reading…room　club；　and　read　all　the　works

of　Dr。　Dick　that　the　library　contained：　　his　'Treatise　on　the

Solar　System；'　his　'Practical　Astronomer；'　and　other　works。　

There　were　also　some　very　good　　popular　works　to　which　I　was

indebted　for　amusement　as　well　as　instruction：　　Chambers's

'Information　for　the　People；'　Cassell's　'　Popular　Educator；'　and

a　very　interesting　series　of　articles　in　the　'Leisure　Hour；'　by

Edwin　Dunkin　of　the　Royal　Observatory；　Greenwich。　　These　last

papers　were　accompanied　by　maps　of　the　chief　constellations；　so

that　I　had　a　renewed　opportunity　of　becoming　a　little　better

acquainted　with　the　geography　of　the　heavens。



〃I　began　to　have　a　wish　for　a　telescope；　by　means　of　which　I

might　be　able　to　see　a　little　more　than　with　my　naked　eyes。　　But

I　found　that　I　could　not　get　anything　of　much　use；　short　of　20L。　

I　could　not　for　a　long　time　feel　justified　in　spending　so　much

money　for　my　own　personal　enjoyment。　　My　children　were　then　young

and　dependent　upon　me。　　They　required　to　attend　schoolfor

education　is　a　thing　that　parents　must　not　neglect；　with　a　view

to　the　future。　　However；　about　the　year　1875；　my　attention　was

called　to　a　cheap　instrument　advertised　by　Solomonwhat　he

called　his　'5L。　telescope。'　I　purchased　one；　and　it　tantalised

me；　for　the　power　of　the　instrument　was　such　as　to　teach　me

nothing　of　the　surface　of　the　planets。　　After　using　it　for　about

two　years；　I　sold　it　to　a　student；　and　then　found　that　I　had

accumulated　enough　savings　to　enable　me　to　buy　my　present

instrument。　　Will　you　come　into　the　next　room　and　look　at　it？〃



I　went　accordingly　into　the　adjoining　room；　and　looked　at　the　new

telescope。　　It　was　taken　from　its　case；　put　upon　its　tripod；　and

looked　in　beautiful　condition。　　It　is　a　refractor；　made　by　Cooke

and　Sons　of　York。　　The　object　glass　is　three　inches；　the　focal

length　forty…three　inches；　and　the　telescope；　when　drawn　out；

with　the　pancratic　eyepiece　attached；　is　about　four　feet。　　It　was

made　after　Mr。　Robertson's　directions；　and　is　a　sort　of

combination　of　instruments。



〃Even　that　instrument；〃　he　proceeded；　〃good　as　it　is　for　the

money；　tantalises　me　yet。　　A　look　through　a　fixed　equatorial；

such　as　every　large　observatory　is　furnished　with　is　a　glorious

view。　　I　shall　never　forget　the　sight　that　I　got　when　at　Dunecht

Observatory；　to　which　I　was　invited　through　the　kindness　of　Dr。

Copeland；　the　Earl　of　Crawford　and　Balcarres'　principal

astronomer。



〃You　ask　me　what　I　have　done　in　astronomical　research？　　I　am

sorry　to　say　I　have　been　able　to　do　little　except　to　gratify　my

own　curiosity；　and　even　then；　as　I　say；　I　have　been　much

tantalised。　　I　have　watched　the　spots　on　the　sun　from　day　to　day

through　obscured　glasses；　since　the　year　1878；　and　made　many

drawings　of　them。　　Mr。　Rand　Capron；　the　astronomer；　of　Guildown；

Guildford；　desired　to　see　these　drawings；　and　after　expressing

his　satisfaction　with　them；　he　sent　them　to　Mr。　Christie；

Astronomer　Royal；　Greenwich。　　Although　photographs　of　the　solar

surface　were　preferred；　Mr。　Capron　thought　that　my　sketches　might

supply　gaps　in　the　partially　cloudy　days；　as　well　as　details

which　might　not　appear　on　the　photographic　plates。　　I　received　a

very　kind　letter　from　Mr。　Christie；　in　which　he　said　that　it

would　be　very　difficult　to　make　the　results　obtained　from

drawings；　however　accurate；　at　all　comparable　with　those　derived

from　photographs；　especially　as　regards　the　accurate　size　of　the

spots　as　compared　with　the　diameter　of　the　sun。　　And　no　doubt　he

is　right。



〃What；　do　I　suppose；　is　the　cause　of　these　spots　in　the　sun？　

Well；　that　is　a　very　difficult　question　to　answer。　　Changes　are

constantly　going　on　at　the　sun's　surface；　or；　I　may　rather　say；

in　the　sun's　interior；　and　making　themselves　apparent　at　the

surface。　　Sometimes　they　go　on　with　enormous　activity；　at　other

times　they　are　more　quiet。　　They　recur　alternately　in　periods　of

seven　or　eight　weeks；　while　these　again　are　also　subject　to　a

period　of　about　eleven　yearsthat　is；　the　short　recurring

outbursts　go　on　for　some　years；　when　they　attain　a　maximum；　from

which　they　go　on　decreasing。　　I　may　say　that　we　are　now　（August

1883）　at；　or　very　near；　a　maximum　epoch。　　There　is　no　doubt　that

this　period　has　an　intimate　connection　with　our　auroral　displays；

but　I　don't　think　that　the　influence　sun…spots　have　on　light　or

heat　is　perceptible。　　Whatever　influence　they　possess　would　be

felt　alike　on　the　whole　terrestrial　globe。　　We　have　wet；　dry；

cold；　and　warm　years；　but　they　are　never　general。　　The　kind　of

season　which　prevails　in　one　country　is　often　quite　reversed　in

another　perhaps　in　the　adjacent　one。　　Not　so　with　our　auroral

displays。　　They　are　universal　on　both　sides　of　the　globe；　and

from　pole　to　pole　the　magnetic　needle　trembles　during　their

continuance。　　Some　authorities　are　of　opinion　that　these

eleven…year　cycles　are　subject　to　a　larger　cycle；　but　sun…spot

observations　have　not　existed　long　enough　to　determine　this

point。　　For　myself；　I　have　a　great　difficulty　in　forming　an

opinion。　　I　have　very　little　doubt　that　the　spots　are　depressions

on　the　surface　of　the　sun。　　This　is　more　apparent　when　the　spot

is　on　the　limb。　　I　have　often　seen　the　edge　very　rugged　and

uneven　when　groups　of　large　spots　were　about　to　come　round　on　the

east　side。　　I　have　communicated　some　of　my　observations　to　'The

Observatory；'　the　monthly　review　of　astronomy；　edited　by　Mr。

Christie；　now　Astronomer　Royal；＇2＇　as　well　as　to　The　Scotsmam；

and　some　of　our　local　papers。＇3＇



〃I　have　also　taken　up　the　observation　of　variable　stars　in　a

limited　portion　of　the　heavens。　　That；　and　'hunting　for　comets'

is　about　all　the　real　astronomical　work　that　an　amateur　can　do

nowadays　in　our　climate；　with　a　three…inch　telescope。　　I　am

greatly　indebted　to　the　Earl　of　Crawford　and　Balcarres；　who

regularly　sends　me　circulars　of　all　astronomical　discoveries；

both　in　this　and　foreign　countries。　　I　will　give　an　instance　of

the　usefulness　of　these　circulars。　　On　the　morning　of　the　4th　of

October；　1880；　a　comet　was　discovered　by　Hartwig；　of　Strasburg；

in　the　constellation　of　Corona。　　He　telegraphed　it　to　Dunecht

Observatory；　fifteen　miles　from　Aberdeen。　　The　circulars

announcing　the　discovery　were　printed　and　despatched　by　post　to

various　astronomers。　　My　circular　reached　me　by　7　P。M。；　and；　the

night　being　favourable；　I　directed　my　telescope　upon　the　part　of

the　heavens　indicated；　and　found　the　comet　almost　at　oncethat

is；　within　fifteen　hours　of　the　date　of　its　discovery　at

Strasburg。



〃In　April；　1878；　a　large　meteor　was　observed　in　broad　daylight；

passing　from　south　to　north；　and　falling　it　was　supposed；　about

twenty　miles　south　of　Ballater。　　Mr。　A。　S。　Herschel；　Professor　of

Physics　in　the　College　of　Science；　'Newcastle…on…Tyne；　published

a　letter　in　The　Scotsmam；　intimating　his　desire　to　be　informed　of

the　particulars　of　the　meteor's　flight　by　those　who　had　seen　it。　

As　I　was　one　of　those　who　had　observed　the　splendid　meteor　flash

northwards　almost　under　the　face　of　the　bright　sun　（at　10。25

A。M）；　I　sent　the　Professor　a　full　account　of　what　I　had　seen；　for

which　he　professed　his　strong　obligations。　　This　led　to　a　very

pleasant　correspondence　with　Professor　Herschel。　　After　this；　I

devoted　considerable　attention　to　meteors；　and　sent　many

contributions　to　'The　Observatory'　on　the　subject。＇4＇



〃You　ask　me　what　are　the　hours　at　which　I　make　my　observations？　

I　am　due　at　the　railway　station　at　six　in　the　morning；　and　I

leave　at　six　in　the　evening；　but　I　have　two　hours　during　the　day

for　meals　and　rest。　　Sometimes　I　get　a　glance　at　the　heavens　in

the　winter　mornings　when　the　sky　is　clear；　hunting　for　comets。　

My　observations　on　the　sun　are　usually　made　twice　a　day　during　my

meal　hours；　or　in　the　early　morning　or　late　at