e i Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch. 25 
Both rose from obscure situations in humble life, and from the 
straits of poverty. Both left school at the age of ten years, to 
assist their fathers in their shops. Both had an early and passion- 
ate love of reading, and the vigils of both often~“ prevented the 
morning.” Both had the same habits of industry, perseverance — 
and temperance. The contrast between their characters would 
be still more striking than the resemblance. 
It was my good fortune, some years since, in one of those fa- 
miliar interviews with him in his own house with which I was 
favored,—and which those who have once enjoyed them will 
never forget,—to hear him narrate, in detail, a history of his early 
life. From that day to this, I have never ceased to regret that, 
on my return home, I did not instantly put it down upon paper, 
for the refreshment of my own memory, and for the benefit of - 
others. At this distance of time, I can recollect but a few, the — 
most striking, particulars; the rest have faded away and are lost. 
I remember, however, very distinctly; his relating the circum- 
stance which led him to take an interest in the higher branches of 
mathematical science. He told me that, in the year 1787, when 
he was fourteen years old, an elder brother of his, who followed 
the sea, and was attending an evening school, for the purpose of 
learning navigation, on returning home one evening, informed 
him that the master had got a new way of doing sums and work- 
ing questions ; for, instead of the numerical figures commonly 
used: in arithmetic, he employed the letters of the alphabet. This 
novelty excited his curiosity, and he questioned his brother very 
~ closely about the matter; who, however, did not seem to under- 
_ Stand much about the process, and could not tell how the thing was 
ses But the master, he said, had a book, which told all about 
‘This served to inflame his curiosity ; and he asked his brother 
eaten aaa the book of the master, and bring 
it home, so that he might get a sight at it. (It should be remem- 
bered that, at this time, mathematical books of all sorts were 
scarce in this country. In the present multitude of elementary 
works on this subject, we can hardly conceive of 
then prevailed.) ‘The book was obtained. It was 1 
that he had ever had.at algebra. “ And that night,” 
did not close my eyes.” He read it, and read it again, and ‘mas- 
tered its contents, and copied it out from: beginning to end. Sub- 
oon: he got hold of a volume of the Falleenhige Trans- 
Vou. XXXV.—No. 1 4 
