INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVE. [Lesson I. 



gentleman (Thomas Grant, Esq.. of Achoynaney,) called, and was so pleased with Fer- 

 guson and what he had done, that after asking him a few questions about the construc- 

 tion of maps, he promised that if he would go and live at his house, he would order his 

 butler, Alexander Cantley, to instruct him. Ferguson thanked Squire Grant for his 

 Kindness, and promised, when the tima of his servitude had expired, he would avail him- 

 self of the offer. 



" When the term of my servitude was out," writes Ferguson, " I left my good 

 master, and went to the gentleman's house, where I quickly found myself with a most 

 humane, good family. \Ir. Cantley, the butler, soon became my friend, and continued 

 so till his death. He was the most extraordinary man I ever was acquainted with, or 

 perhaps ever shall see ; for he was a complete master of arithmetic, a good mathe- 

 matician, a master of music on every known instrument except the harp, understood 

 Latin, French, and Greek, let blood .extremely well, and could even prescribe as a 

 physician upon any urgent occasion. He was what is generally called self-taught ; but, 

 I think, he might with much greater propriety have been termed GOD ALMIGHTY'S 

 scholar. 



" He immediately began to teach me decimal arithmetic and algebra ; for I had already 

 learnt vulgar arithmetic, at my leisure hours, from books. He then proceeded to teach 

 me the elements of geometry ; but, to any inexpressible grief, just as Iwas beginning 

 that branch of science, he left Mr. Grant, and went to the late Earl of Fife's, at several 

 miles' distance. The good family I was then with could not prevail with me to stay after 

 'he was gone ; so I left them, and went to my father's. He had made me a present of 

 Cordon's Geographical Grammar, which, at that time, was to me a great treasure." 



From a description contained in this book, Ferguson constructed a globe of wood 

 covered it with paper delineated a map of the world upon it and made a graduated 

 horizon, and meridian ring of wood, covered with paper. 



Finding that his father could not support him, he went into the service of a miller, 

 who spent most of his time tippling at an ale-house, leaving the whole care of the 

 .mill to Ferguson, who was almost starved by his master, so that he was often glad to get 

 a little oatmeal mixed with cold water to eat; and at the end of a year was obliged to 

 return home, being in a very weak state from want of proper food. Having recovered 

 .his strength, his father advised him to go as a labouring servant to a neighbouring 

 ifawner, who practised as physician in that part of the country, telling him that the doctor 

 liad promise^ .to instruct him. This proved a great temptation to Ferguson, who 

 accordingly entered the doctor's service, but was so over-worked, that he was obliged 

 to leave it at the end of three months, without receiving anything for his services, and 

 o much disabled in his left arm and hand, that he despaired of ever recovering 

 their use. 



In his Autobiography, he complains bitterly of the conduct of Doctor Young, for not 

 giving him any medicine while in his service, or visiting him after he left it, and 

 attributes his recovery to some medicines sent to him by Cantley. While at his 

 father's, in order to amuse himself, he made a wooden clock, the frame of which was also 

 of wood ; and the bell, on which the hammer struck the .hours, was the neck of a 

 broken bottle. Ferguson tells us that this clock kept time pretty well, and then adds : 

 "Having then no idea how any .time-,kceper could go but by a weight and a line, I 

 wondered how a watch could go in all positions ; and was sojry that I had never thought 

 of asking Mr. Cantley, who could very easily have informed me. But happening one 



