men of invention and industry-第74节

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of　philology　that　I　found　he　had　no　fewer　than　twenty…six

dictionaries；　all　bought　out　of　his　own　earnings。　　〃I　am　fond　of

all　knowledge；〃　he　said〃of　Reuben；　Dan；　and　Issachar；　but　I

have　a　favourite；　a　Benjamin；　and　that　is　Astronomy。　　I　would

sell　all　of　them　into　Egypt；　but　preserve　my　Benjamin。〃　　His

story　is　briefly　as　follows：



〃I　was　born　at　Bryngwyn　Bach；　Anglesey；　in　1818；　and　I　am

sixty…five　years　old。　　I　got　the　little　education　I　have；　when　a

boy。　　Owen　Owen；　who　was　a　cousin　of　my　mother's；　kept　a　school

at　a　chapel　in　the　village　of　Dwyrain；　in　Anglesey。　　It　was　said

of　Owen　that　he　never　had　more　than　a　quarter　of　a　year's

schooling；　so　that　he　could　not　teach　me　much。　　I　went　to　his

school　at　seven；　and　remained　with　him　about　a　year。　　Then　he

left；　and　some　time　afterwards　I　went　for　a　short　period　to　an

old　preacher's　school；　at　Brynsieneyn　chapel。　　There　I　learnt　but

little；　the　teacher　being　negligent。　　He　allowed　the　children　to

play　together　too　much；　and　he　punished　them　for　slight　offences；

making　them　obstinate　and　disheartened。　　But　I　remember　his　once

saying　to　the　other　children；　that　I　ran　through　my　little　lesson

'like　a　coach。'　However；　when　I　was　about　twelve　years　old；　my

father　died；　and　in　losing　him　I　lost　almost　all　the　little　I　had

learnt　during　the　short　periods　I　had　been　at　school。　　Then　I

went　to　work　for　the　farmers。



〃In　this　state　of　ignorance　I　remained　for　years；　until　the　time

came　when　on　Sunday　I　used　to　saddle　the　old　black　mare　for

Cadwalladr　Williams；　the　Calvinist　Methodist　preacher；　at　Pen

Ceint；　Anglesey；　and　after　he　had　ridden　away；　I　used　to　hide　in

his　library　during　the　sermon；　and　there　I　learnt　a　little　that　I

shall　not　soon　forget。　　In　that　way　I　had　many　a　draught　of

knowledge；　as　it　were；　by　stealth。　　Having　a　strong　taste　for

music；　I　was　much　attracted　by　choral　singing；　and　on　Sundays　and

in　the　evenings　I　tried　to　copy　out　airs　from　different　books；

and　accustomed　my　hand　a　little　to　writing。　　This　tendency　was；

however；　choked　within　me　by　too　much　work　with　the　cattle；　and

by　other　farm　labour。　　In　a　word；　I　had　but　little　fair　weather

in　my　search　for　knowledge。　　One　thing　enticed　me　from　another；

to　the　detriment　of　my　plans；　some　fair　Eve　often　standing　with

an　apple　in　hand；　tempting　me　to　taste　of　that。



〃The　old　preacher's　books　at　Pen　Ceint　were　in　Welsh。　　I　had　not

yet　learned　English；　but　tried　to　learn　it　by　comparing　one　line

in　the　English　New　Testament　with　the　same　line　in　the　Welsh。　

This　was　the　Hamiltonian　method；　and　the　way　in　which　I　learnt

most　languages。　　I　first　got　an　idea　of　astronomy　from　reading

'The　Solar　System；'　by　Dr。　Dick；　translated　into　Welsh　by　Eleazar

Roberts　of　Liverpool。　　That　book　I　found　on　Sundays　in　the

preacher's　library；　and　many　a　sublime　thought　it　gave　me。　　It

was　comparatively　easy　to　understand。



〃When　I　was　about　thirty　I　was　taken　very　ill；　and　could　no

longer　work。　　I　then　went　to　Bangor　to　consult　Dr。　Humphrys。　

After　I　got　better　I　found　work　at　the　Port　at　12s。　a　week。　　I

was　employed　in　counting　the　slates；　or　loading　the　ships　in　the

harbour　from　the　railway　trucks。　　I　lodged　in　Fwn　Deg；　near　where

Hugh　Williams；　Gatehouse；　then　kept　a　navigation　school　for　young

sailors。　　I　learnt　navigation；　and　soon　made　considerable

progress。　　I　also　learnt　a　little　arithmetic。　　At　first　nearly

all　the　young　men　were　more　advanced　than　myself；　but　before　I

left　matters　were　different；　and　the　Scripture　words　became

verified　〃the　last　shall　be　first。〃　　I　remained　with　Hugh

Williams　six　months　and　a　half。　　During　that　time　I　went　twice

through　the　'Tutor's　Assistant；'　and　a　month　before　I　left　I　was

taught　mensuration。　　That　is　all　the　education　I　received；　and

the　greater　part　of　it　was　during　my　by…hours。



〃I　got　to　know　English　pretty　well；　though　Welsh　was　the　language

of　those　about　me。　　From　easy　books　I　went　to　those　more

difficult。　　I　was　helped　in　my　pronunciation　of　English　by

comparing　the　words　with　the　phonetic　alphabet；　as　published　by

Thomas　Gee　of　Denbigh；　in　1853。　　With　my　spare　earnings　I　bought

books；　especially　when　my　wages　began　to　rise。　　Mr。　Wyatt；　the

steward；　was　very　kind；　and　raised　my　pay　from　time　to　time　at

his　pleasure。　　I　suppose　I　was　willing；　correct；　and　faithful。　　I

improved　my　knowledge　by　reading　books　on　astronomy。　　I　got；

amongst　others；　'The　Mechanism　of　the　Heavens；'　by　Denison

Olmstead；　an　American；　a　very　understandable　book。　　Learning

English；　which　was　a　foreign　language　to　me；　led　me　to　learn

other　languages。　　I　took　pleasure　in　finding　out　the　roots　or

radixes　of　words；　and　from　time　to　time　I　added　foreign

dictionaries　to　my　little　library。　　But　I　took　most　pleasure　in

astronomy。



〃The　perusal　of　Sir　John　Herschel's　'Outlines　of　Astronomy；'　and

of　his　'Treatise　on　the　Telescope；'　set　my　mind　on　fire。　　I

conceived　the　idea　of　making　a　telescope　of　my　own；　for　I　could

not　buy　one。　　While　reading　the　Mechanics'　Magazine　I　observed

the　accounts　of　men　who　made　telescopes。　　Why　should　not　I　do　the

same？　　Of　course　it　was　a　matter　of　great　difficulty　to　one　who

knew　comparatively　little　of　the　use　of　tools。　　But　I　had　a

willing　mind　and　willing　hands。　　So　I　set　to　work。　　I　think　I

made　my　first　telescope　about　twenty　years　ago。　　It　was

thirty…six　inches　long；　and　the　tube　was　made　of　pasteboard。　　I

got　the　glasses　from　Liverpool　for　4s。　6d。　　Captain　Owens；　of　the

ship　Talacra；　bought　them。　　He　also　bought　for　me；　at　a

bookstall；　the　Greek　Lexicon　and　the　Greek　New　Testament；　for

which　he　paid　7s。　6d。　　With　my　new　telescope　I　could　see

Jupiter's　four　satellites；　the　craters　on　the　moon；　and　some　of

the　double　stars。　　It　was　a　wonderful　pleasure　to　me。



〃But　I　was　not　satisfied　with　the　instrument。　　I　wanted　a　bigger

and　a　more　perfect　one。　　I　sold　it　and　got　new　glasses　from

Solomon　of　London；　who　was　always　ready　to　trust　me。　　I　think　it

was　about　the　year　1868　that　I　began　to　make　a　reflecting

telescope。　　I　got　a　rough　disc　of　glass；　from　St。　Helens；　of　ten

inches　diameter。　　It　took　me　from　nine　to　ten　days　to　grind　and

polish　it　ready　for　parabolising　and　silvering。　　I　did　this　by

hand　labour　with　the　aid　of　emery；　but　without　a　lathe。　　I

finally　used　rouge　instead　of　emery　in　grinding　down　the　glass；

until　I　could　see　my　face　in　the　mirror　quite　plain。　　I　then　sent

the　8　3/16　inch　disc　to　Mr。　George　Calver；　of　Chelmsford；　to　turn

my　spherical　curve　to　a　parabolic　curve；　and　to　silver　the

mirror；　for　which　I　paid　him　5L。　　I　mounted　this　in　my　timber

tube；　the　focus　was　ten　feet。　　When　everything　was　complete　I

tried　my　instrument　on　the　sky；　and　found　it　to　have　good

defining　power。　　The　diameter　of　the　other　glass　I　have　made　is　a

little　under　six　inches。



〃You　ask　me　if　their　performance　satisfies　me？　　Well；　I　have

compared　my　six…inch　reflector　with　a　4　1/4　inch　refractor；

through　my　window；　with　a　power　of　100　and　140。　　I　can't　say

which　was　the　best。　　But　if　out　on　a　clear　night　I　think　my

reflector　would　take　more　power　than　the　refractor。　　However　that

may　be；　I　saw　the　snowcap　on　the　planet　Mars　quite　plain；　and　it

is　satisfactory　to　me　so　far。　　With　respect　to　the　8　3/16　inch

glass；　I　am　not　quite　satisfied　with　it　yet；　but　I　am　making

improvements；　and　I　believe　it　will　reward　my　labour　in　the　end。〃



Besides　these　instruments　John　Jones　has　an　equatorial　which　is

mounted　on　a　tripod　stand；　made　by　himself。　　It　contains　the

right　ascension；　declination；　and　azimuth　index；　all　neatly

carved　upon　slate。　　In　his　spectroscope　he　makes　his　prisms　out

of　the　skylights　used　in　vessels。　　These　he　grinds　down　to　suit

his　purpose。　　I　have　not　been　able　to　go　into　the　complete　detail

of　the　manner　in　which　he　effects　the　grinding　of　his　glasses。　

It　is　perhaps　too　technical　to　be　illustrated　in　words；　which　are

full　of　focuses；　parabolas；　and　convexities。　　But　enough　may　be

gathered　from　the　above　account　to　give　an　idea　of　the　wonderful

tenacity　of　this　aged　student；　who　counts　his　slates　into　the

ships　by　day；　and　devotes　his　evenings　to　the　perfecting　of　his

astronomical　instruments。　　But　not　only　is　he　an　astronomer　and　a

philologist；　he　is　also　a　bard；　and　his　poetry　is　much　admired　in

the　district。　　He　writes　in　Welsh；　not　in　English；　and　signs

himself　〃Ioan；　of　Bryngwyn　Bach；〃　the　place　where　he　was　born。　

Indeed；　he　is　still　at　a　loss　for　words　when　he　speaks　in

English。　　He　usually　interlards　his　conversation　with　passages　in

Welsh；　which　is　his　mother…tongue。　　A　friend　has；　however；　done

me　the　favour　to　translate　two　of　John　Jones's　poems　into

English。　　The　first　is　'The　Telescope'：



〃To　Heaven　it　points；　where　rules　the　Sun　

In　golden　gall'ries　bright；　

And　the　pale　Moon　in　silver　rays　

Makes　dalliance　in　the　night。



〃It　sweeps　with　eagle　glances　

The　sky；　its　myriad　throng；　

That　myriad　throng　to　marshal