Dr. Bowditch, President of the American Academy. v 
The early education of Dr. Bowditch was extremely limited ; he 
had no other advantages of instruction, than such as could be 
found in the common schools, whether public or private, of that 
day; which were inadequate to the proper developement and 
discipline of the mind, and in which the inefficiency of the instruc- 
ters was equalled only by the scarcely discernible acquisitions of the 
pupils. 
After leaving school, which was at the very early age of ten years, 
he passed some time in the workshop of his father, who, at the close 
of the Revolutionary war, had been compelled by the circumstances 
of that trying period to resume his original occupation, which was 
that of a cooper. At the age of twelve or thirteen years, he was 
placed as an apprentice, or clerk, in a ship-chandler’s shop in his 
native town. While in that situation, he used to devote his leisure 
moments to study, particularly in his favorite science of mathematics ; 
and sometimes employed himself in little philosophical and mechani- 
cal experiments, which were interesting to himself and the boys of 
his acquaintance. It is also stated, that at the age of fifteen he 
made an almanac, complete in all its parts.* 
He remained as an apprentice until he became of age; when it 
was decided that he should prepare himself for a nautical life ; which 
he entered upon in his twenty-second year, in the capacity of cap- 
tain’s clerk, though nominally as second mate of the ship. He made 
five voyages (four of them to the East Indies), which occupied nine 
years of his life; and on some of them he went as master, though 
without pretending to be practically familiar with seamanship. 
During these voyages, numerous occasions occurred of making 
known, in foreign countries, his extraordinary mathematical powers ; 
to the astonishment of all who were witnesses of the rapidity of his 
calculations and the accuracy of his results. 
* Judge White’s Eulogy, p. 16, 
