IO4 JOHN DUNCAN, WEAVER AND BOTANIST. 



but now without the light plummet that once hung at its 

 extremity. This was John Duncan's pocket sun-watch. 



Such instruments have from time to time been adver- 

 tised, and one called " the American timepiece," was shown 

 by Mr. John Taylor when he read an account of Duncan, 

 before the Aberdeen Natural History Society, in July, 

 1 88 1, and exhibited John's herbarium and pocket dial. 

 This American instrument, advertised for one shilling as 

 a wonderful discovery in 1867, was found to be almost 

 identical with John's ! It indicated the time correctly, 

 Mr. Taylor found, to within half an hour, while John's did 

 so to within a few minutes, that forenoon, the I5th of July. 

 John's dial shows abundant evidence of careful but con- 

 stant use, being protected by a long roll of thick brown 

 paper fastened to it at one end, and wrapped round it 

 twice, in the manner of a pocket-book. The whole is 

 of the homeliest construction, and is all the more interest- 

 ing as being entirely the handiwork of the old astronomer. 

 This instrument John called by its old Greek name of 

 horologe, the hour-teller, or, as he transformed it, his 

 " horledge ; " and as such it was known amongst his 

 acquaintances, who had a humorous pleasure in using the 

 quaint word. 



After considerable search, I have fortunately discovered 

 what is no doubt the original of John's sun-watch and all 

 subsequent forms of the same style of instrument in a 

 portable dial invented by the super-ingenious Ferguson, 

 the astronomer, and published by him in 1/59.* Ferguson's 

 dial is here reproduced to show the nature of the sun- 

 clock thus used by our weaver. It was warranted, when 

 * See " Memoir of Ferguson," p. 244, already mentioned. 



