xii Mr. Pickering’s Eulogy on 
and pursuits, he had access to a small but valuable library (owned 
by an association of scientific and literary gentlemen), which con- 
tained a copy of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal 
Society of London. This work was a treasure to him; and he 
began, in his eighteenth year, to make copious abstracts of all the 
mathematical papers in that immense repository of science. This 
labor was continued through many years; and the heavy folio vol- 
umes of those manuscript abstracts still remain in his library, the 
testimonials of his untiring zeal and industry. 
In the year 1806, at the particular instance, as it is understood, 
of the late Chief Justice Parsons, (whose extraordinary attain- 
ments included a knowledge of some of the higher branches of 
mathematics,) Dr. Bowditch was elected Professor of Mathematics 
and Natural Philosophy in the University at Cambridge. He could 
not, however, be persuaded to accept that professorship; but 
preferred remaining in his native town, discharging the duties of 
the office which he then held (of. President of a Marine Insurance 
Company), and pursuing his studies at such leisure hours as his 
official business would permit. Subsequently, however (in 1826), 
he became a member of the Corporation of the University, and 
remained in that body till his death. 
Upon the establishment of that important institution, the Massa- 
chusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company, at Boston, in the year 
1823, his peculiar talents were deemed indispensable to its or- 
ganization and management; and he was accordingly invited to 
take charge of it under the title of its Actuary. The great exact- 
ness of calculation, and the order and precision, introduced by him, 
will long attest the comprehensiveness of his views, and his practical 
skill in conducting the affairs of that association. 
On the occasion of leaving his native place, to enter upon 
this new office, his townsmen gave him a public dinner in testi- 
