XXIV AN ACCOUNT OF THE 



He then proceeded to teach me the elements of 

 geometry; but to my inexpressible grief, just as 

 I was 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 Gordon's Geo- 

 graphical Grammar, which, at that time, was to 

 me a great treasure. There is no figure of a 

 globe in it, although it contains a tolerable descrip- 

 tion of the globes, and their use. From this des- 

 cription I made a globe in three weeks at ray fa- 

 ther's, having turned the ball thereof out of apiece 

 of wood ; which ball I covered with paper, and 

 delineated a map of the world upon it ; made the 

 meridian ring and horizon of wood ; covered them 

 with paper, and graduated them; and was happy 

 to find, that, by my globe (which was the first I 

 ever saw) I could solve the problems. 



But this was not likely to afford me bread, and 

 I could not think of staying with my father, who 

 I knew full well could not maintain me in that way, 

 as it could be of no service to him ; and he had 

 without my assistance, hands sufficient for all 

 his work. 



I then went to a miller, thinking it would be a 

 very easy business to attend the mill, and that 

 I should have a great deal of. leisure time to 

 study decimal arithmetic and geometry. But 

 my master being too fond of tipling at an ale- 



