an autobiography-第1部分

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James　Nasmyth：　Engineer；　An　Autobiography。

Edited　by　Samuel　Smiles




PREFACE

I　have　had　much　pleasure　in　editing　the　following　Memoir　of　my　friend　Mr。　Nasmyth。　　Some　twenty　years　since　（in　April　1863）；　when　I　applied　to　him　for　information　respecting　his　mechanical　inventions；　he　replied：　　〃My　life　presents　no　striking　or　remarkable　incidents；　and　would；　I　fear；　prove　but　a　tame　narrative。　　The　sphere　to　which　my　endeavours　have　been　confined　has　been　of　a　comparatively　quiet　order；　but；　vanity　apart；　I　hope　I　have　been　able　to　leave　a　few　marks　of　my　existence　behind　me　in　the　shape　of　useful　contrivances；　which　are　in　many　ways　helping　on　great　works　of　industry。〃

Mr。　Nasmyth；　nevertheless；　kindly　furnished　me　with　information　respecting　himself；　as　well　as　his　former　master　and　instructor；　Henry　Maudslay；　of　London；　for　the　purpose　of　being　inserted　in　Industrial　Biography；　or　Ironworkers　and　Toolmakers；　which　was　published　at　the　end　of　1863。　　He　was　of　opinion　that　the　outline　of　his　life　there　presented　was　sufficiently　descriptive　of　his　career　as　a　mechanic　and　inventor。

During　the　years　that　have　elapsed　since　then；　Mr。　Nasmyth　has　been　prevailed　upon　by　some　of　his　friends　more　especially　by　Sir　John　Anderson；　late　of　Woolwich　Arsenalto　note　down　the　reminiscences　of　his　life；　with　an　account　of　his　inventions；　and　to　publish　them　for　the　benefit　of　others。　　He　has　accordingly　spent　some　of　his　well　earned　leisure　during　the　last　two　years　in　writing　out　his　recollections。　　Having　consulted　me　on　the　subject；　I　recommended　that　they　should　be　published　in　the　form　of　an　Autobiography；　and　he　has　willingly　given　his　consent。

Mr。　Nasmyth　has　furnished　me　with　abundant　notes　of　his　busy　life；　and　he　has　requested　me；　in　preparing　them　for　publication；　to　〃make　use　of　the　pruning…knife。〃　　I　hope；　however；　that　in　editing　the　book　I　have　not　omitted　anything　that　is　likely　to　be　interesting　or　instructive。　　I　must　add　that　everything　has　been　submitted　to　his　correction　and　received　his　final　approval。

The　narrative　abundantly　illustrates　Mr。　Nasmyth's　own　definition　of　engineering；　namely；　common　sense　applied　to　the　use　of　materials。　In　his　case；　common　sense　has　been　more　especially　applied　to　facilitating　and　perfecting　work　by　means　of　Machine　Tools。　Civilisation　began　with　tools；　and　every　step　in　advance　has　been　accomplished　through　their　improvement。　　Handicraft　labour；　in　bone；　stone；　or　wood；　was　the　first　stage　in　the　development　of　man's　power；　and　tools　or　machines；　in　iron　or　steel；　are　the　last　and　most　efficient　method　of　economising　it；　and　enabling　him　to　intelligently　direct　the　active　and　inert　forces　of　nature。

It　will　be　observed　that　Mr。　Nasmyth；　on　his　first　start　in　life；　owed　much　to　the　influence　of　his　father；　who　was　not　only　an　admirable　artist〃the　founder；〃　as　Sir　David　Wilkie　termed　him；　〃of　the　landscape　painting　school　of　Scotland〃but　an　excellent　mechanic。　His　〃bow…and…string〃　roofs　and　bridges　show　his　original　merits　as　a　designer；　and　are　sufficient　to　establish　his　ability　as　a　mechanical　engineer。　　Indeed；　one　of　Mr。　Nasmyth's　principal　objects　in　preparing　the　notes　of　the　following　work；　has　been　to　introduce　a　Memorial　to　the　memory　of　his　father；　to　whom　he　owed　so　much；　and　to　whom　he　was　so　greatly　attached　through　life。　Hence　the　numerous　references　to　him；　and　the　illustrations　from　his　works　of　art；　of　architecture；　as　well　as　of　mechanics；　given　in　the　early　part　of　the　book。

I　might　point　out　that　Mr。　Nasmyth's　narrative　has　a　strong　bearing　upon　popular　education；　not　only　as　regards　economical　use　of　time；　careful　observation；　close　attention　to　details；　but　as　respects　the　uses　of　Drawing。　　The　observations　which　he　makes　as　to　the　accurate　knowledge　of　this　art　are　very　important。　　In　this　matter　he　concurs　with　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer　in　his　work　on　Education。　　〃It　is　very　strange；〃　Mr。　Nasmyth　said　some　years　ago；　〃that　amidst　all　our　vaunted　improvements　in　education；　the　faculty　of　comparison　by　sight；　or　what　may　be　commonly　called　the　correctness　of　eye；　has　been　so　little　attended　to〃　He　accordingly　urges　the　teaching　of　rudimentary　drawing　in　all　public　schools。　　〃Drawing　is；〃　he　says；　〃the　Education　of　the　Eye。　It　is　more　interesting　than　words。　　It　is　graphic　language。〃

The　illustrations　given　in　the　course　of　the　following　book　will　serve　to　show　his　own　mastery　of　drawing　whether　as　respects　Mechanical　details；　the　Moon's　surface；　or　the　fairyland　of　Landscape。　It　is　perhaps　not　saying　too　much　to　aver　that　had　he　not　devoted　his　business　life　to　Mechanics；　he　would；　like　his　father；　his　brother　Patrick；　and　his　sisters；　have　taken　a　high　position　as　an　artist。　In　the　following　Memoir　we　have　only　been　able　to　introduce　a　few　specimens　of　his　drawings；　but　〃The　Fairies；〃　〃The　Antiquary；〃　and　others；　will　give　the　reader　a　good　idea　of　Mr。　Nasmyth's　artistic　ability。　　Since　his　retirement　from　business　life；　at　the　age　of　forty…eight；　Mr。　Nasmyth's　principal　pursuit　has　been　Astronomy。　His　Monograph　on　〃The　Moon；〃　published　in　1874；　exhibits　his　ardent　and　philosophic　love　for　science　in　one　of　its　sublimest　aspects。　His　splendid　astronomical　instruments；　for　the　most　part　made　entirely　by　his　own　hands；　have　enabled　him　to　detect　the　〃willow　leaf…shaped〃　objects　which　form　the　structural　element　of　the　Sun's　luminous　surface。　　The　discovery　was　shortly　after　verified　by　Sir　John　Herschel　and　other　astronomers；　and　is　now　a　received　fact　in　astronomical　science。

A　Chronological　List　of　some　of　Mr。　Nasmyth's　contrivances　and　inventions　is　given　at　the　end　of　the　volume；　which　shows；　so　far；　what　he　has　been　enabled　to　accomplish　during　his　mechanical　career。　These　begin　at　a　very　early　age；　and　were　continued　for　about　thirty　years　of　a　busy　and　active　life。　　Very　few　of　them　were　patented；　many　of　them；　though　widely　adopted；　are　unacknowledged　as　his　invention。　They；　nevertheless；　did　much　to　advance　the　mechanical　arts；　and　still　continue　to　do　excellent　service　in　the　engineering　world。

The　chapter　relating　to　the　origin　of　the　Cuneiform　Character；　and　of　the　Pyramid　or　Sun…worship　in　its　relation　to　Egyptian　Architecture；　is　placed　at　the　end；　so　as　not　to　interrupt　the　personal　narrative。　That　chapter；　it　is　believed；　will　be　found　very　interesting；　illustrated；　as　it　is；　by　Mr。　Nasmyth's　drawings。

S。S。

LONDON；　October　1885。


CONTENTS

Preface

CHAPTER　1　　My　Ancestry　Sentiment　of　Ancestry　Origin　of　the　name　of　Naesmyth　Naesmyth　of　Posso　Naesmyth　of　Netherton　Battle　of　Bothwell　Brig　Estate　confiscated　Elspeth　Naesmyth　Michael　Naesmyth　builder　and　architect　Fort　at　Inversnaid　Naesmyth　family　tomb　Former　masters　and　men　Michael　Naesmyth's　son　New　Edinburgh　Grandmother　Naesmyth　Uncle　Michael


CHAPTER　2　　Alexander　Nasmyth　Born　1758Grassmarket　EdinburghEducation　The　Bibler's　Seat　The　brothers　Erskine　Apprenticed　to　a　coachbuilder　The　Trustees'　Academy　Huguenot　artisans　Alexander　Runciman　Copy　of　〃The　Laocoon〃　Assistant　to　Allan　Ramsay　Faculty　of　resourcefulness　Begins　as　portrait　painter　Friendship　with　Miller　of　Dalswinton　Miller　and　the　first　steamboat　Visit　to　Italy　Marriage　to　Barbara　Foulis　Burns　the　poet　Edinburgh　clubs　Landscape　beauty　Abandons　portrait　for　landscape　painting　David　Roberts；　R。A。　Dean　Bridge　St。　Bernard's　Well　Nelson's　Monument　Bow…and…string　bridges　Sunday　rivet


CHAPTER　3　　An　Artist's　Family　Sir　James　Hall　Geology　of　Edinburgh　Friends　of　the　family　Henry　Raeburn　Evenings　at　home　Society　of　artists　〃Caller　Aon〃　Management　of　the　household　The　family　Education　of　six　sisters　The　Nasmyth　classes　Pencil　drawing　Excursions　round　Edinburgh　Graphic　memoranda　Patrick　Nasmyth；　sketch　of　his　life　Removes　to　London　Visit　to　Hampshire　Original　prices　of　his　works　His　friends　His　death


CHAPTER　4　　My　Early　Years　Born　1808　Mary　Peterkin　The　brilliant　red　poppies　Left…handed　Patrick's　birthday　Vocal　performance　A　wonderful　escape　Events　of　the　war　The　French　prisoners　Entry　of　the　42d　into　Edinburgh　Bleaching　〃claes〃　on　the　Calton　The　Greenside　workshops　The　chimes　of　St。　Giles'　The　Edinburgh　Market　The　caddies　The　fishwives　The　〃floore〃　Traditional　fondness　for　cats　A　Nasmyth　prayer


CHAPTER　5　　My　School…days　My　first　schoolmaster　〃Preter　pluperfect　tense〃　The　〃penny　pig〃　Country　picnics　Pupil　at　the　High　School　Dislike　of　Latin　Love　of　old　buildings　Their　masonry　Sir　Walter　Scott　〃The　Heart　of　Midlothian〃　John　Linnell　The　collecting　period　James　Watt　My　father's　workshop　Make　peeries；　cannon；　and　〃steels〃　School　friendships　Paterson's　ironfoundry　His　foremen　Johnie　Syme　Tom　Smith　and　chemical　experiments　Kid　gloves　and　technical　knowledge


CHAPTER　6　　Mechanical　Beginnings　Study　arithmetic　and　geometry　Practise　art　of　drawing　Its　important　uses　Make　tools　and　blowpipe　Walks　round　Edinburgh　Volcanic　origin　of　the　neighbourhood　George　the　Fourth's　visit　The　Radical　Road　Destructive　fires　Journey　to　Stirling　The　Devon　Ironworks　Robert　Bald　Carron　Ironworks　Coats　of　mail　found　at　Bannockburn　Models　of　condensing　steam…engine　Professor　Leslie　Edinburgh　School　of　Arts　Attend　University　classes　Brass…casting　in　the　bedroom　George　Douglass　Make　a　working　steam…engine　Sympathy　of　activity　The　Expansometer　Make　a　road　steam…carriage　Desire　to　enter　Maudslay's　factory


CHAPTER　7　　Henry　Maudslay；　London　Voyage　to　London　with　specimens　of　workmanship　First　walk　through　London　Visit　to　Henry　Maudslay　The　interview　Exhibit　my　specimens　Taken　on　as　assistant　The　private　workshop　Maudslay's　constructive　excellence　His　maxims　Uniformity　of　screws　Meeting　with　Henry　Brougham　David　Wilkie　Visit　to　the　Admiralty　Museum　The　Block　machinery　The　Royal　Mint　Steam　yacht　trip　to　Richmond　Lodgings　taken　〃A　clean　crossing〃


CHAPTER　8　　Maudslay's　Private　Assistant　Enter　Maudslay's　service　Rudimentary　screw　generator　The　guide　screw　Interview　with　Faraday　Rate　of　wages　Economical　living　My　cooking　stove　Make　model　of　marine　steam…engine　My　collar…nut　cutting　machine　Maudslay's　elements　of　high…class　workmanship　Flat　filing　Standard　planes　Maudslay's　〃Lord　Chancellor〃　Maudslay's　Visitors　General　Bentham；　Barton；　Donkin　and　Chantrey　The　Cundell　brothers　Walks　round　London　Norman　architecture


CHAPTER　9　　Holida