186 Mr. T. T. WilkiDSon on Mathematics and Mathematicians : 



pages of our mathematical periodical s^ and are well known to 

 mathematicians as being the best dissertations on their respective 

 subjects at that time extant. Among his separate publications, 

 the Restoration of the Treatise of Apollonius on Inclinations is 

 acknowledged to be a most elegant and able work, and furnishes 

 a remarkable contrast to the attempt of Dr. Horsley on the same 

 subject ; whilst his Theory of Projectiles in the same tract is no 

 less distinguished for elegance and originality. It does not 

 appear, however, that his superiority in geometry in any way 

 enabled him to subdue his natural irritability, for at various 

 periods of his career he had differences with almost every person 

 of eminence with whom he came in contact. He was one of 

 those " whose special education was in advance of his general ) " and 

 hence, as Mr. Swale remarks, although " his heart was good, his 

 habits had been formed by casualty and the necessity of the 

 moment rather than by design and the prudent hand of a master.^^ 

 His antipathy to Dr. Hutton makes its appearance in various 

 portions of his journals, and also in his Diary ; — he differed in 

 opinion from Dr. Maskelyne respecting the mode of conducting 

 the observations at Schiehallien, and left his service about the 

 close of the survey ; and a curious chapter of his correspondence 

 with the Board of Ordnance and the Duke of Richmond respect- 

 ing additional pay for '^ making a survey of the Essex and Sussex 

 coasts in the year \777 '' may be seen by a reference to pp. 324- 

 329, vol. Iv. of the Mechanics' Magazine. 



Since the preparation of that paper by " Senex,'' several of 

 Mr. Burrow's private journals have fallen into my possession. 

 They contain many curious entries relative to his outfit, passage, 

 and residence in India, with occasionally a slight sketch of some 

 mathematician or mathematical inquiry ; and as there can scarcely 

 exist a doubt respecting their authenticity and general correct- 

 ness, I have thought it would not be uninteresting to the lovers of 

 mathematical history if a portion of the most important of these 

 were selected for preservation in the pages of this Magazine, 

 accompanied by such remarks as may serve to render the extracts 

 intelligible. 



The first journal is endorsed "Reuben Burrow, No. 11, New 

 Square in the Minories, London, 1775," and commences on 

 Saturday, August 5, with a reference to a former volume, which, 

 however, is not now known to exist. 



"Sunday, August 6, 1775. I heard two or three days ago 

 that Heath had been at law about an estate of i;50 per annum 



and had got it Lloyd told me that Mr. Benjamin 



Robins was a middle-sized man very much marked with the 

 small-pox.'' 



Most probably the person here alluded to was the so-called 



