CHAP. VI. 



SMEATON'S PRIVATE LIFK. 



75 



side of the yard, as represented in the above engraving. 

 The ground floor contained his forge ; the first floor his 

 lathe ; the second his models ; the third was his drawing- 

 room and study ; and the fourth was a sort of lumber- 

 room and attic. From the little turreted staircase on 

 the top, a door opened on to the leads. A vane was 

 fixed on the summit, which worked the hands of a dial 

 upon the ceiling of his drawing-room, so that by raising 

 his head he could at any moment ascertain precisely 

 which way the wind blew. 



AY lien he entered his sanctum, strict orders were given 

 that he was not to be disturbed on any account. No 

 one was permitted to ascend the circular staircase that 

 led to his study. When he heard a footstep below, he 

 would call out and inquire what was wanted. His black- 

 smith, Waddington, was not allowed even to announce 

 himself, but was ordered on such occasions to wait in the 

 lower apartment until Mr. Smeaton came down ; and 

 as the smith was equally paid for his time, whether he 

 was sitting there or blowing his forge, it was much the 

 same to him. 



When not engaged in drawing plans or writing 

 reports, much of the engineer's time was occupied with 

 astronomical studies and observations. Even in the 

 height of his professional career, and when fully em- 

 ployed, he continued to indulge in this solitary pleasure, 

 an d x for many years was a regular contributor of papers 

 on astronomical subjects to the Royal Society, of which 

 he was a Fellow. 1 The instruments with which he 



1 The following are the papers read 

 by him before the Royal Society, in 

 addition to those previously men- 

 tioned : ' Discourse concerning the 

 Menstrual Parallax, arising from the 

 mutual gravitation of the earth and 

 moon, its influence on the observation 

 of the sun and planets, with a me- 

 thod of observing it ;' read before the 

 Royal Society May 12th, 1768.' De- 

 scription of a new method of observ- 



ing the heavenly bodies out of the 

 meridian ;' read May 16th, 1768. 

 ' Observation of a Solar Eclipse, made 

 at the Observatory at Austhorpe ;' 

 read June 4th, 1769. ' A description 

 of a new hygrometer, by Mr. J. 

 Smeaton, F.R.S. ;' read March 21st, 

 1771. 'An experimental examina- 

 tion of the quantity and proportion of 

 mechanic power necessary to be em- 

 ployed in giving different degrees of 



