Dr. Bowditch, President of the American Academy. xi 
landmarks (which, however, Dr. Bowditch did not know to be 
such) were in fact laid down with such perfect accuracy in his 
survey, that the different ranges and bearings on the chart corre- 
sponded, with the utmost exactness, to those of the natural objects 
themselves. 
At an early age the attention of Dr. Bowditch was directed to 
the Principia of his great master, Newton. But, as that work was 
published in the Latin language, which he had not then learned, 
he was obliged to begin the reading of it by asking the assistance 
of some college students of his acquaintance; who, during their 
vacations, used to render him such aid as they were able, in occa- 
sionally translating for him. He soon found, however, that the 
acquaintance, which those young persons had with the classical 
Latin of Cicero and Virgil, was of little comparative value in en- 
abling them to comprehend the modern and technical Latin of 
Newton’s work ; and that his own knowledge of the subjects dis- 
cussed by Newton, with the aid of the mathematical processes 
and diagrams on the pages of the Principia, would, with a little 
study of the language, qualify him to read that and other scientific 
works written in Latin, without the assistance of his youthful 
and inexperienced interpreters. He accordingly began to study 
that language himself, just before he entered upon the seventeenth 
year of his age. It is stated, that the first Latin book which he 
undertook to read was Euclid’s Geometry ; but the great subject 
of his studies in that language was the Principia.* 
In the earlier period of his mathematical studies, his pecuniary 
means were very limited, and he was unable to buy any books of 
science. But, by the liberality of a few individuals in his native 
town, who took a warm interest in the encouragement of his talents 
* See Note E, at the end. 
