4 Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch. 



is commonly called an original genius, for mathematical pursuits. 

 Every moment that he could snatch from the counter, was given 

 to the slate. An old gentleman, who used frequently to visit the 

 shop, said to his wife, one day, on returning home, " I never go 

 into that shop but I see that boy ciphering and figuring away on 

 his slate, as if his very life depended upon it ; and if he goes on 

 at this rate, as he has begun, I should not at all wonder if, at last, 

 in the course of time, he should get to be an almanac-maker !" — - 

 this being, in his view, the summit of mathematical attainment. 

 The expectation was speedily fulfilled, for in the year 1788, when 

 he was only fifteen years old, he actually made an almanac for the 

 year 1790, containing all the usual tables, calculations of the 

 eclipses and other phenomena, and even the customary predic- 

 tions of the weather. The original manuscript is still in the 

 possession of his family. 



From his earliest years, he seems to have had an ardent love of 

 reading, and he has been heard to say that, even when quite 

 young, he read through the whole of Chambers's Cyclopedia, in 

 two large folio volumes, without omitting a single article. 



He sailed on his first voyage, on the 11th of January, 1795, at 

 the age of twenty-two, in the capacity of captain's clerk, on 

 board the ship Henry, of Salem, owned by Elias Hasket Derby, 

 Esq., and commanded by Captain Henry Prince, who still lives 

 to glory in the fame of his clerk. Captain John Gibaut, with 

 whom young Bowditch had been engaged the year before in tak- 

 ing a survey of Salem, had previously been appointed to the com- 

 mand of the ship, and had invited his friend to accompany him 

 as clerk. He consented ,• but in consequence of some misun- 

 derstanding subsequently springing up between the owner of the 

 ship and Captain Gibaut, he relinquished the command, and of 

 course his agreement with his friend was at an end. Mr. Derby, 

 however, on the appointment of Captain Prince, said to him, 

 " Do you know young Bowditch ?" " Yes, very well." " How 

 should you like to have him go in the ship with you?" "I 

 should like it above all things," said the captain. He according- 

 ly went on board as clerk, although his name was entered on the 

 shipping-papers as second mate. The ship sailed for the Isle of 

 Bourbon, and returned home after an absence of exactly one year. 



His second voyage was made as supercargo, on board the ship 

 Astrsea, of Salem, belonging to the same owner, and commanded 



