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of Edinburgh, Session 1873 - 74 . 
than it can have been to contemporary readers not aided by 
nautical knowledge. Later he published a “ Dissertation on the 
Origin and Connection of the Gospels,” and he was engaged in 
the collection of further materials for the elucidation of the same 
subject up to the time of his death, at the age of eighty-five. 
Archibald Smith’s mother was also of a family distinguished for 
intellectual activity. Her paternal grandfather was Dr Andrew 
Wilson, Professor of Astronomy in the University of Glasgow, 
whose speculations on the constitution of the sun are now generally 
accepted, especially since the discovery of spectrum-analysis and 
its application to solar physics. Her uncle, Dr Patrick Wilson, 
who succeeded to his father’s Chair in the University, was author 
of papers in the “ Philosophical Transactions ” on Meteorology and 
on Aberration. 
Archibald Smith’s earliest years were chiefly passed in the old 
castle of Roseneath. In 1818 and 1819 he was taken by his father 
and mother to travel on the continent of Europe. Much of his 
early education was given him by his father, who read Yirgil with 
him when he was about nine years old. He also had lessons from 
the Roseneath parish schoolmaster, Mr Dodds, who was very proud 
of his young pupil. In Edinburgh, during the winters 1820-22, 
he went to a day school ; and after that, living at home at Jordan- 
hill, he attended the Grammar School of Glasgow for three years. 
As a boy he was extremely active, and fond of everything that 
demanded skill, strength, and daring. At Roseneath he was con- 
stantly in boats; and his favourite reading was anything about the 
sea, commencing, no doubt, with tales of adventurers and buc- 
caneers, but going on to narratives of voyages of discovery, and to 
the best text-books of seamanship and navigation as he grew older. 
He had, of course, the ordinary ardent desire to become a sailor, 
incidental to boys of this island ; but with him the passion 
remained through life, and largely influenced the scientific work 
by which he has conferred never-to-be-forgotten benefits on the 
marine service of the world, and made contributions to nautical 
science which have earned credit for England among maritime 
nations. He was early initiated into practical seamanship under 
his father’s instructions in yacht sailing. He became an expert 
and bold pilot, exploring and marking passages and anchorages for 
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