an autobiography-第70节

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d　me　very　much。　　I　was　quite　full　of　the　Moon。　　The　words　came　almost　unsought；　and　I　believe　the　lecture　went　off　very　well；　and　terminated　with　〃great　applause。〃　And　thus　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　at　Edinburgh　came　to　an　end。

This；　however；　was　not　the　end　of　our　visit　to　Scotland。　I　was　strongly　urged　by　the　Duke　of　Argyll　to　pay　him　a　visit　at　his　castle　at　Inverary。　　I　had　frequently　before　had　the　happiness　of　meeting　the　Duke　and　Duchess　at　the　Earl　of　Ellesmere's　mansion　at　Worsley　Hall　He　had　made　us　promise　that　if　we　ever　came　to　Scotland　we　were　not　to　fail　to　pay　him　a　visit。　　It　was　accordingly　arranged　at　Edinburgh　that　we　should　carry　out　our　promise；　and　spend　some　days　with　him　at　Inverary　before　our　return　home。　　We　were　most　cordially　welcomed　at　the　castle；　and　enjoyed　our　visit　exceedingly。　　We　had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　splendid　scenery　of　the　Western　Highlands　the　mountains　round　the　head　of　Loch　Fyne；　Loch　Awe；　and　the　magnificent　hoary…headed　Ben　Cruachan；　requiring　a　base　of　more　than　twenty　miles　to　support　him；besides　the　beautiful　and　majestic　scenery　of　the　neighbourhood。

But　my　chief　interest　was　in　the　specimens　of　high　geological　interest　which　the　Duke　showed　me。　　He　had　discovered　them　in　the　Island　of　Mull；　in　a　bed　of　clay　shale；　under　a　volcanic　basaltic　cliff　over　eighty　feet　high；　facing　the　Atlantic　Ocean。　　He　found　in　this　bed　many　beautifully　perfect　impressions　of　forest　tree　leaves；　chiefly　of　the　plane…tree　class。　　They　appeared　to　have　been　enveloped　in　the　muddy　bottom　of　a　lake；　which　had　been　sealed　up　by　the　belching　forth　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth　of　molten　volcanic　basaltic　lava；　and　which　indeed　formed　the　chief　material　of　the　Island　of　Mull。　　This　basaltic　cliff　now　fronts　the　Atlantic；　and　resists　its　waves　like　a　rock　of　iron。　　To　see　all　the　delicate　veins　and　stalklets；　and　exact　forms　of　what　had　once　been　the　green　fresh　foliage　of　a　remotely　primeval　forest；　thus　brought　to　light　again；　as　preserved　in　their　clay　envelope；　after　they　had　lain　for　ages　and　ages　under　what　must　have　been　the　molten　outburst　of　some　tremendous　volcanic　discharge；　and　which　now　formed　the　rock…bound　coast　of　Mull；　filled　one's　mind　with　an　idea　of　the　inconceivable　length　of　time　that　must　have　passed　since　the　production　of　these　Wonderful　geological　phenomena。

I　felt　all　the　more　special　interest　in　these　specimens；　as　I　had　many　years　before；　on　my　return　visit　from　Londonderry；　availed　myself　of　the　nearness　of　the　Giant's　Causeway　to　make　a　careful　examination　of　the　marvellous　volcanic　columns　in　that　neighbourhood。　Having　scrambled　up　to　a　great　height；　I　found　a　thick　band　of　hematitic　clay　underneath　the　upper　bed　of　basalt；　which　was　about　sixty　feet　thick。　　In　this　clay　I　detected　a　rich　deposit　of　completely　charred　branches　of　what　had　once　been　a　forest　tree。　　The　bed　had　been　burst　through　by　the　outburst　of　molten　basalt；　and　converted　the　branches　into　charcoal。　I　dug　out　some　of　the　specimens；　and　afterwards　distributed　them　amongst　my　geological　friends。　　The　Duke　was　interested　by　my　account；　which　so　clearly　confirmed　his　own　discovery。　　On　a　subsequent　occasion　I　revisited　the　Giant's　Causeway　in　company　with　my　dear　wife。　I　again　scrambled　up　to　the　hematitic　bed　of　clay　under　the　basaltic　cliff；　and　dug　out　a　sufficient　quantity　of　the　charred　branches；　which　I　sent　to　the　Duke；　in　confirmation　of　his　theory　as　to　the　origin　of　the　leaf…beds　at　Mull。*　　＇footnote。。。

I　received　the　following　reply　from　the　Duke　of　Argyll　dated　〃Inverary；　Nov。　19；　1850〃：　

〃MY　DEAR　SIRAm　I　right　in　concluding；　from　the　description　which；　you　were　so　kind　as　to　send　to　me；　that　the　lignite　bed；　with　its　superincumbent　basalts；　lies　above　those　particular　columnar　basalts　which　form　the　far…famed　Giant's　Causeway？　　I　see　from　your　sketch　that　basalts　of　great　thickness；　and　in　some　views　beautifully　columnar；　do　underlie　the　lignite　bed；　but　I　am　not　quite　sure　that　these　columnar　basalts　are　those　precisely　which　are　called　the　Causeway。　I　had　never　heard　before　that　the　Giant's　Causeway　rested　on　chalk；　which　all　the　basalts　in　your　sketch　do。

＇Image＇　The　Astrologers　TowerA　Day　Dream。　　By　James　Nasmyth。　　　　　　　　　（Facsimile。）

〃I　have　been　showing　your　drawing　of　'Udolpho　Castle'　and　'The　Astrologer's　Tower'　to　the　Duchess　of　Sutherland；　who　is　enchanted　with　the　beauty　of　the　architectural　details；　and　wishes　she　had　seen　them　before　Dunrobin　was　finished；　for　hints　might　　have　been　taken　from　bits　of　your　work。　Very　truly　yours；

ARGYLL。〃　　。。。＇

In　the　year　following　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　at　Edinburgh；　the　great　Exhibition　of　all　nations　at　London　took　place。　The　Commissioners　appointed　for　carrying　out　this　noble　enterprise　had　made　special　visits　to　Manchester　and　the　surrounding　manufacturing　districts　for　the　purpose　of　organising　local　committees；　so　that　the　machinery　and　productions　of　each　might　be　adequately　represented　in　the　World's　Great　Industrial　Exhibition。　　The　Commissioners　were　met　with　enthusiasm；　and　nearly　every　manufacturer　was　found　ready　to　display　the　results　of　his　industry。　　The　local　engineers　and　tool…makers　were　put　upon　their　mettle；　and　each　endeavoured　to　do　his　best。　　Like　others；　our　firm　contributed　specimens　of　our　special　machine　tools；　and　a　fair　average　specimen　of　the　steam　hammer；　with　a　30　cwt。　hammer…block。

I　also　sent　one　of　my　very　simple　and　compact　steam…engines；　in　the　design　of　which　I　had　embodied　the　form　of　my　steam　hammerplacing　the　crank　where　the　anvil　of　the　hammer　usually　stands。　　The　simplicity　and　grace　of　this　arrangement　of　the　steam…engine　were　much　admired。　Its　merits　were　acknowledged　in　a　way　most　gratifying　to　me；　by　its　rapid　adoption　by　engineers　of　every　class；　especially　by　marine　engineers。　　It　has　been　adopted　for　driving　the　shafts　of　screw…propelled　steamships　of　the　largest　kind。　　The　comparatively　small　space　it　occupies；　its　compactness；　its　get…at…ability　of　parts；　and　the　action　of　gravity　on　the　piston；　which；　working　vertically；　and　having　no　undue　action　in　causing　wearing　of　the　cylinder　on　one　side　（which　was　the　case　with　horizontal　engines）；　has　now　brought　my　Steam　Hammer　Engine　into　almost　universal　use*　　＇footnote。。。　Sir　John　Anderson；　in　his　Report　on　the　machine　tools；　textile；　and　other　machinery　exhibited　at　Vienna　in　1873；　makes　the　following　observations：　〃Perhaps　the　finest　pair　of　marine　engines　yet　produced　by　France；　or　any　other　country；　were　those　exhibited　by　Schneider　and　Company；　the　leading　firm　in　France。　　These　engines　were　not　large；　but　were　perfect　in　many　respects；　yet　comparatively　few　of　those　who　were　struck　with　admiration　seemed　to　know　that　the　original　of　this　style　of　construction　came　from　the　same　mind　as　the　Steam　Hammer。　Nasmyth's　Infant　Hercules　was　the　forerunner　of　all　the　steam　hammer　engines　that　have　yet　been　made　from　that　type；　which　is　now　being　so　extensively　employed　for　working　the　screw　propeller　of　steam　vessels。〃　　。。。＇

The　Commissioners；　acting　on　the　special　recommendation　of　the　jury；　awarded　me　a　medal　for　the　construction　of　this　form　of　steam…engine*　　＇footnote。。。　The　Council　of　the　Exhibition　thus　describe　the　engine　in　the　awards：　　〃Nasmyth；　J。；　Patricroft；　Manchester；　a　small　portable　direct…acting　steam…engine。　　The　cylinder　is　fixed；　vertical　and　inverted；　the　crank　being　placed　beneath　it；　and　the　piston　working　downwards。　The　sides　of　the　frame　which　support　the　cylinder　serve　as　guides；　and　the　bearings　of　the　crank…shaft　and　fly…wheel　are　firmly　fixed　in　the　bed…plate　of　the　engine。　　The　arrangement　is　compact　and　economical；　and　the　workmanship　practically　good　and　durable。〃　（See　illustration　of　the　design；　page　424。）　　。。。＇　as　it　was　merely　a　judicious　arrangement　of　the　parts；　and　not；　in　any　correct　sense　of　the　term；　an　invention；　I　took　out　no　patent　for　it；　and　left　it　free　to　work　its　own　way　into　general　adoption。　It　has　since　been　used　for　high　as　well　as　low…pressure　steam　an　arrangement　which　has　come　into　much　favour　on　account　of　the　great　economy　of　fuel　which　results　from　using　it。

A　Council　Medal　was　also　awarded　to　me　for　the　Steam　Hammer。　But　perhaps　what　pleased　me　most　was　the　Prize　Medal　which　I　received　for　my　special　hobbythe　drawings　of　the　Moon's　surface。　　I　sent　a　collection　of　these；　with　a　map；　to　the　Exhibition。　　They　attracted　considerable　attention；　not　only　because　of　their　novelty；　but　because　of　the　accurate　and　artistic　style　of　their　execution。　　The　Jurors；　in　making　the　award；　gave　the　following　description　of　them：　　〃Mr。　Nasmyth　exhibits　a　well…delineated　map　of　the　Moon　on　a　large　scale；　which　is　drawn　with　great　accuracy；　the　irregularities　upon　the　surface　being　shown　with　much　force　and　spirit；　also　separate　and　enlarged　representations　of　certain　portions　of　the　Moon　as　seen　through　a　powerful　telescope：　　they　are　all　good　in　detail；　and　very　effective。〃

My　drawings　of　the　Moon　attracted　the　special　notice　of　the　Prince　Consort。　　Shortly　after　the　closing　of　the　Exhibition；　in　October　1851；　the　Queen　and　the　Prince　made　a　visit　to　Manchester　and　Liverpool；　during　which　time　they　were　the　guests　of　the　Earl　of　Ellesmere　at　Worsley