AN ACCOUNT OF THE 



fast enough when the balance was taken off. I 

 inclosed the whole in a wooden case, very little 

 bigger than a breakfast tea-cup : but a clumsy 

 neighbour one day looking at my watch, happened 

 to let it fall; and, turning hastily about to pick it 

 up, set his foot upon it, and crushed it all to 

 pieces ; which so provoked my father, that he was 

 almost ready to beat the man; and discouraged 

 me so much, that I never attempted to make such 

 another machine again, especially as I was tho- 

 roughly convinced that I could never make one 

 that would be of any real use. 



As soon as I was able to *go abroad, I carried 

 my globe, clock, and copies of some other maps 

 besides that of the world, to the late Sir James 

 D unbar of Durn (about seven miles from where 

 my father lived) as I had heard that Sir J anies was 

 a very good-natured,friendly, inquisitive gentleman. 

 He received me in a very kind manner, was pleas- 

 ed with what I shewed him, and desired I would 

 clean his clocks. This, for the first time, I at- 

 tempted ; and then began to pick up some money 

 in that way about the country, making Sir James's 

 house my home, at his desire. 



Two large globular stones stood on the top of 

 his gate : on one of them I painted (with oil co- 

 lours) a map of the terrestrial globe, and on the 

 other a map of the celestial, from a planisphere of 

 the stars which I copied on paper 1 from a celestial 

 globe belonging to a neighbouring gentleman. 

 The poles of the painted globns stood towards 



