FERGUSON. 297 
the writer of this article perceived a branch of the St Cb domeetall Selene meas suede spake Fergucen. 
Quintin canal, where many vessels loaded with coals him the copy of the tley was butler to Mr “Vv” 
_ The surrounding coun- Grant of Achoynaney, appears to have been a man 
try is rich and well wooded. Number of houses 550. of singular attainments. Ferguson had the good for 
omer (@) tune to be introduced to Mr Grant, who invited him 
_. FERGUSON, James, a celebrated lecturer, and wri- to live in his house,—a request with which he gladly 
ter on astronomy and other branches of natural philo- complied as soon as his term of servitude was over. 
bie pend: ofraned a ype acinar of Cantley taught him decimal arithmetic and algebra, and 
in the north of Scotland, in the year 1710. pop to geometry, when Cantley left the 
his father was teaching his eldest son to.read theScotch service of Mr it for that of the Earl of Fife, whe 
Catechism, James niesinad jpeeeyrenend the same‘lesson, lived at several miles distance. “Cantley,” says Mr 
without the knowledge person, and as soon as Ferguson, “was the most extraordinary man that I 
Gips Catichiaen arsafuenenaployints he studied the lesson ever was acquainted with, or perhaps ever shall see ; for 
which had been taught to his brother, and, on the oc-' he was a complete master of arithmetic, a good mathe< 
currence of any difficulty, he had recourse to an old matician, a master of music on every known instrument 
woman who lived in the neighbourhood. Some time ee ee ee, 
i let extremely well, and could even prescribe as 
reading by himself. He immediately taught him wri- a physician on any t occasion.” 
ting, and, with about three months attendance at the ———— this extraordinary butler a 
i present 
grammar school of. ‘this was all the education Gordon’s Geographical Grammar, Ferguson 
which our author ever received. > constructed a globe from the description which is there 
When he was about seven or eight years of a given of it; and having delineated upon it a map of 
part of his father’s roof fell in, and a prop and a world, he was led to solve all the common 
were to an upright spar to raise it to its former problems in geography and astronomy. 
ili i i i F next went into the service of a miller, ex« 
erguson 
reer Semeunenonta, mie kits to pecting to have sufficient time to study decimal arith- 
it was i He metic and geometry. His master, however, fond of 
immediately began to construct levers; he discover- drinking, left him the whole charge of the mill, and 
ed that the power was proportional tothe length of the almost starved him for want of . As soon as he 
different parts of the lever on either side of the prop. had recovered the strength which he had lost by the 
He invented the wheel and axle, by endeavouring to erty of his diet, he went into the service of a Dr 
make a lever that would raise bodies to any height; and Young, who acted in the joint capacity of a farmer and 
by means of a turning lathe of his father’s, alittle aphysician, and who ised to instruct him in the 
knife, he was enabled to make models of these different medical profession. This new master, however, was 
ines. Ferguson afterwards wrote out a short ac- as bad as the former one. He never even shewed him 
count of these machines, illustrated with fi,ures; and one of his books, and overwrought him to such a de- 
upon shewing it to a gentleman, he was to gree, that at the end of three. months he was obliged 
learn that the same s had been known before, and to leave him in a state of debility, and without 
was much to observe that his own account co- receiving a farthing of wages. This inhuman doctor 
incided with what he found in other books. 
the day-time he made models of mills and spinning afterwards, when a gentleman was riding past his fa- 
wheels. Our author next went into the service of a ther’s house, he him what o'clock it was; and 
peeeraied heen hvger mgr When his ing received a very good-natured answer, he 
was over, i 
work 
went into the fields with a blanket about ged of him to shew him the inside of his watch, as 
i beads could not conceive how it went without a weight and 
; 
700 then laying the down upon a request, and not ouly shewed him the inside of his 
nF 
Prk 
= 
2 
t 
= 
g 
; 
® piece of paper, he stars upon it accord- watch, but explained to him very clearly in what man- 
ing to their respective positions. His master at first ner the box was carried round by the uncoiling of the 
laughed at this apparently ridiculous occupation ; but spring. Ferguson then tried to construct a watch with 
as soon as he knew the object of it, he not only en- wooden wheels, and a whalebone spring; but u: 
Pct g ony padhersed powcr bre putting on the balance, he found that the teeth of the 
torn hantuiadilen OD that he might Sdvoapht icehaliotod tan ten ere A 
ve im during make clean copies of wheels ran enough when the balance 
his rude planispheres. He soon after received from the was off. He inclosed the whole in a wooden 
minister of Keith a map of the earth, and compasses, case, a little than a breakfast cup; but a chu 
r i i y looking at the watch, allowed it to 
one 
it; and his generous master frequently took the and crushed it to pieces with his foot. Ferguson 
ing flail out of his hands and worked himself, while was next employed in cleaning. and iring clocks ; 
Ferguson was sitting beside him in the barn busy with and when he was living at the of Sir James Dun- 
his ruler and compasses. Upon his return to the mini- bar‘of Durn, he painted a map of the celestial and ter- 
ster of Keith with the copy of his map, he saw a man restrial globe, upon two large spherical stones on the ~, 
© Berger au roi D' Angleterre en Ecosse. Astronomie de Lalande, tom. i. p- 163, 
VOL. IX. PART B 2P 
