an autobiography-第7部分

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；　and　his　ready　skill　as　a　draughtsman；　were　likely　to　be　of　much　use　to　him；　and　he　constantly　visited　the　studio。　　My　father　reduced　Miller's　ideas　to　a　definite　form；　and　prepared　a　series　of　drawings；　which　were　afterwards　engraved　and　published。　　Miller's　favourite　design　was；　to　divide　the　vessel　into　twin　or　triple　hulls；　with　paddles　between　them；　to　be　worked　by　the　crew。　　The　principal　experiment　was　made　in　the　Firth　of　Forth　on　the　2d　of　June　1787。　The　vessel　was　double…hulled；　and　was　worked　by　a　capstan　of　five　bars。　The　experiment　was　on　the　whole　successful。　　But　the　chief　difficulty　was　in　the　propulsive　power。　　After　a　spurt　of　an　hour　or　so；　the　men　became　tired　with　their　laborious　work。　　Mr。　Taylor；　student　of　divinity；　and　tutor　of　Mr。　Miller's　sons；　was　on　board；　and　seeing　the　exhausted　state　of　the　men　at　the　capstan；　suggested　the　employment　of　steam…power。　　Mr。　Miller　was　pleased　with　the　idea；　and　resolved　to　make　inquiry　upon　the　subject。

At　that　time　William　Symington；　a　young　engineer　from　Wanlockhead；　was　exhibiting　a　road　locomotive　in　Edinburgh。　　He　was　a　friend　of　Taylor's；　and　Mr。　Miller　went　to　see　the　Symington　model。　　In　the　course　of　his　conversation　with　the　inventor；　he　informed　the　latter　of　his　own　project；　and　described　the　difficulty　he　had　experienced　in　getting　his　paddle…wheels　turned　round。　　On　which　Symington　immediately　asked；　〃Why　don't　you　use　the　steam…engine？〃　The　model　which　Symington　exhibited；　produced　rotary　motion　by　the　employment　of　ratchet…wheels。　The　rectilinear　motion　of　the　piston…rod　was　thus　converted　into　rotary　motion。　　Mr。　Miller　was　pleased　with　the　action　of　the　ratchet…wheel　contrivance；　and　gave　Symington　an　order　to　make　a　pair　of　engines　of　that　construction。　　They　were　to　be　used　on　a　small　pleasure…boat　on　Dalswinton　Lake。

The　boat　was　constructed　on　the　double…hull　or　twin　plan；　so　that　the　paddle　should　be　used　in　the　space　between　the　hulls。*　　＇footnote。。。　　This　steam　twin　boat　was　in　fact　the　progenitor　of　the　Castalia；　constructed　about　a　hundred　years　later　for　the　conveyance　of　passengers　between　Calais　and　Dover。　　。。。＇

After　much　vexatious　delay；　arising　from　the　entire　novelty　of　the　experiment；　the　boat　and　engines　were　at　length　completed；　and　removed　to　Dalswinton　Lake。　　This；　the　first　steamer　that　ever　〃trod　the　waters　like　a　thing　of　life；〃　the　herald　of　a　new　and　mighty　power；　was　tried　on　the　14th　of　October　1788。　　The　vessel　steamed　delightfully；　at　the　rate　of　from　four　to　five　miles　an　hour；　though　this　was　not　her　extreme　rate　of　speed。　　I　give；　on　the　next　page；　a　copy　of　a　sketch　made　by　my　father　of　this　the　first　actual　steamboat；　with　her　remarkable　crew。

＇Image＇　　The　first　steamboat。　　By　Alexander　Nasmyth*　　＇footnote。。。　The　original　drawing　of　the　steamer　was　done　by　my　father；　and　lent　by　me　to　Mr。　Woodcroft；　Who　inserted　it　in　his　Origin　and　Progress　of　Steam　Navigation。　　He　omitted　my　father's　name；　and　inserted　only　that　of　the　lithographer；　although　it　is　a　document　of　almost　national　importance　in　the　history　of　Steam　Navigation。

P。S。　since　the　above　paragraph　was　written　for　the　first　edition；　I　have　been　enabled　to　find　the　drawing；　with　another　remarkable　pencil　sketch　of　my　father's；　in　the　Gallery　of　the　Museum　of　Naval　Architecture　at　South　Kensington。　　It　will　henceforward　belong　to　that　interesting　collection。

The　remarkable　pencil　sketch　to　which　I　have　referred；　is　that　of　a　screw　propeller；　drawn　by　my　father；　dated　1819。　　It　was　the　result　of　many　discussions　as　to　the　proper　mode　of　propelling　a　vessel。　　First；　he　had　drawn　Watt's　idea　of　a　〃spiral　oar〃；　then；　underneath；　he　has　drawn　his　own　idea；　of　a　disk　of　six。　　blades；　like　a　screw…jack；　immediately　behind　the　rudder。　　There　is　a　crank　shown　on　the　screw　shaft；　by　which　the　propeller　was　driven　direct；　showing　that　he　was　the　first　to　indicate　that　method　of　propulsion　of　steamboats。　　。。。＇

The　persons　on　board　consisted　of　Patrick　Miller；　William　Symington；　Sir　William　Monteith；　Robert　Burns　（the　poet；　then　a　tenant　of　Mr。　Miller's）；　William　Taylor；　and　Alexander　Nasmyth。　　There　were　also　three　of　Mr。　Miller's　servants；　who　acted　as　assistants。　　On　the　edge　of　the　lake　was　a　young　gentleman；　then　on　a　visit　to　Dalswinton。　He　was　no　less　a　person　than　Henry　Brougham；　afterwards　Lord　Chancellor　of　England。　　The　assemblage　of　so　many　remarkable　men　was　well　worthy　of　the　occasion。

Taking　into　account　the　extraordinary　results　which　have　issued　from　this　first　trial　of　an　actual　steamboat；　it　may　well　be　considered　that　this　was　one　of　the　most　important　circumstances　which　ever　occurred　in　the　history　of　navigation。　　It　ought；　at　the　same　time；　to　be　remembered　that　all　that　was　afterwards　done　by　Symington；　Fulton；　and　Bell；　followed　long　after　the　performance　of　this　ever…memorable　achievement。

I　may　also　mention；　as　worthy　of　special　record；　that　the　hull　of　this　first　steamboat　was　of　iron。　　It　was　constructed　of　tinned　iron　plate。　It　was　therefore　the　first　iron　steamboat；　if　not　the　first　iron　ship；　that　had　ever　been　made。　　I　may　also　add　that　the　engines；　constructed　by　Symington；　which　propelled　this　first　iron　steamboat　are　now　carefully　preserved　at　the　Patent　Museum　at　South　Kensington；　where　they　may　be　seen　by　everybody。*　　＇footnote。。。　　The　original　engines　of　the　boat；　with　the　ratchet…wheel　contrivance　of　Symington；　are　there：　the　very　engine　that　propelled　the　first　steamer　on　Dalswinton　Lake。　It　may　be　added　that　Mr。　Miller　expended　about　#30；000　on　naval　improvements；　and；　as　is　often　the　case；　he　was　wholly　neglected　by　the　Government。　　。。。＇


To　return　to　my　father's　profession　as　a　portrait　painter。　　He　had　given　so　much　assistance　to　Mr。　Miller；　while　acting　as　his　chief　draughtsman　in　connection　with　the　triple　and　twin　ships；　and　also　while　attending　him　at　Leith　and　elsewhere；　that　it　had　considerably　interfered　with　his　practice；　though　everything　was　done　by　him　con　amore；　in　the　best　sense　of　the　term。　　In　return　for　this；　however；　Mr。　Miller　made　my　father　the　generous　offer　of　a　loan　to　enable　him　to　visit　Italy；　and　pursue　his　studies　there。　　It　was　the　most　graceful　mode　in　which　Mr。　Miller　could　express　his　obligations。　　It　was　an　offer　pure　and　simple；　without　security；　and　as　such　was　thankfully　accepted　by　my　father。

In　those　days　an　artist　was　scarcely　considered　to　have　completed　his　education　until　he　had　studied　the　works　of　the　great　masters　at　Florence　and　Rome。　　My　father　left　England　for　Italy　on　the　30th　of　December　1782。　　He　reached　Rome　in　safety；　and　earnestly　devoted　himself　to　the　study　of　art。　　He　remained　in　Italy　for　the　greater　part　of　two　years。　　He　visited　Florence；　Bologna；　Padua；　and　other　cities　where　the　finest　artistic　works　were　to　be　found。　　He　made　studies　and　drawings　of　the　best　of　them；　besides　making　sketches　from　nature　of　the　most　remarkable　places　he　had　visited。　　He　returned　to　Edinburgh　at　the　end　of　1784；　and　immediately　resumed　his　profession　of　a　portrait　painter。　　He　was　so　successful　that　in　a　short　time　he　was　enabled　to　repay　his　excellent　friend　Miller　the　#500　which　he　had　so　generously　lent　him　a　few　years　before。

The　satisfactory　results　of　his　zealous　practice；　and　of　his　skill　and　industry　in　his　profession；　together　with　the　prospect　of　increasing　artistic　work；　enabled　him　to　bring　to　a　happy　conclusion　an　engagement　he　had　entered　into　before　leaving　Edinburgh　for　Italy。　I　mean　his　marriage　to　my　motherone　of　the　greatest　events　of　his　life　which　took　place　on　the　3rd　of　January　1786。　　Barbara　Foulis　was　a　distant　relation　of　his　own。　　She　was　the　daughter　of　William　Foulis；　Esq。；　of　Woodhall　and　Colinton；　near　Edinburgh。　　Her　brother；　the　late　Sir　James　Foulis；　my　uncle；　succeeded　to　the　ancient　baronetcy　of　the　family。　See　Burkes's　Peerage　and　Baronetage*　　＇footnote。。。　In　Burke's　Peerage　and　Baronetage　an　account　is　given　of　the　Foulis　family。　　They　are　of　Norman　origin。　　A　branch　settled　in　Scotland　in　the　reign　of　Malcolm　Canmore。　　By　various　intermarriages；　the　Foulises　are　connected　with　the　Hopetoun；　Bute；　and　Rosebery　families。　The　present　holder　of　the　title　represents　the　houses　of　Colinton；　Woodhall；　and　Ravelstone。　　。。。＇

My　mother　did　not　bring　with　her　any　fortune；　so　to　speak；　in　the　way　of　gold　or　acres；　but　she　brought　something　far　better　into　my　father's　home；a　sweetness　of　disposition；　and　a　large　measure　of　common　sense；　which　made　her；　in　all　respects；　the　devoted　helpmate　of　her　husband。　　Her　happy　cheerful　temperament；　and　her　constant　industry　and　attention；　shed　an　influence　upon　all　around　her。　　By　her　example　she　inbred　in　her　children　the　love　of　truth；　excellence；　and　goodness。　That　was　indeed　the　best　fortune　she　could　bring　into　a　good　man's　home。

During　the　first　year　of　my　father's　married　life；　when　he　lived　in　St。　James's　Square；　he　painted　the　well…known　portrait　of　Robert　Burns　the　poet。　　Burns　had　been　introduced　to　him　by　Mr。　Miller　at　Dalswinton。　　An　intimate　friendship　sprang　up　between　the　artist　and　the　poet。　　The　love　of　nature　and　of　natural　objects　was　common　to　both。　　They　also　warmly　sympathised　in　their　political　views。　When　Burns　visited　Edinburgh　my　father　often　met　him。　　Burns　had　a　strange　aversion　to　sit　for　his　portrait；　though　often　urgently　requested　to　do　so。　　But　when　at　my　father's　studio；　Burns　at　last　consented；　and　his　portrait　was　rapidly　painted。　　It　was　done　in　the　course　of　a　few　hours；　and　my　father　made　a　present　of　it　to　Mrs。　Burns。

A　mezzotint　engraving　of　it　was　afterwards　published　by　William　Walker；　son…in…law　of　the　famous　Samuel　Reynolds。　　When　the　first　proof　impression　was　submitted　to　my　father；　he　said　to　Mr。　Walker：　〃I　cannot　better　express　to　you　my　opinion　of　your　admirable　engraving；　than　by　telling　you　that　it　conveys　to　me　a　more　true　and　lively　remembrance　of　Burns　than　my　own　picture　of　him　does；　it　so　perfectly　renders　the　spirit　of　his　expression；　as　well　as　the　details　of　his　every　feature。〃

While　Burns　was　in　Edinburgh；　my　father　had　many　interesting　walks　with　him　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　city。　　The　Calton　Hill；　Arthur's　Seat；　Salisbury　Crags。　　Habbie's　How；　and　the　nooks　in　the　Pentlands；　were　always　full　of　interest；　and　Burns；　with　h