men of invention and industry-第55章

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from　John　Grierson；　keeper　of　the　Girdleness　Lighthouse；　near

Aberdeen；　mentioning　one　of　these　persons　as　〃an　extraordinary

character。〃　　〃William　Ballingall；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　weaver　in　the

town　of　Lower　Largo；　Fifeshire；　and　from　his　early　days　he　has

made　astronomy　the　subject　of　passionate　study。　　I　used　to　spend

my　school　vacation　at　Largo；　and　have　frequently　heard　him

expound　upon　his　favourite　subject。　　I　believe　that　very　high

opinions　have　been　expressed　by　scientific　gentlemen　regarding

Ballingall's　attainments。　　They　were　no　doubt　surprised　that　an　

individual　with　but　a　very　limited　amount　of　education；　and　whose

hours　of　labour　were　from　five　in　the　morning　until　ten　or　eleven

at　night；　should　be　able　to　acquire　so　much　knowledge　on　so

profound　a　subject。　　Had　he　possessed　a　fair　amount　of　education；

and　an　assortment　of　scientific　instruments　and　books；　the　world

would　have　heard　more　about　him。　　Should　you　ever　find　yourself；〃

my　correspondent　concludes；　〃in　his　neighbourhood；　and　have　a　few

hours　to　spare；　you　would　have　no　reason　to　regret　the　time　spent

in　his　company。〃　I　could　not；　however；　arrange　to　pay　the

proposed　visit　to　Largo；　but　I　found　that　I　could；　without

inconvenience；　visit　another　astronomer　in　the　neighbourhood　of

Dunkeld。



In　January　1879　I　received　a　letter　from　Sheriff　Barclay；　of

Perth；　to　the　following　effect：　　〃Knowing　the　deep　interest　you

take　in　genius　and　merit　in　humble　ranks；　I　beg　to　state　to　you

an　extraordinary　case。　　John　Robertson　is　a　railway　porter　at

Coupar　Angus　station。　　From　early　youth　he　has　made　the　heavens

his　study。　　Night　after　night　he　looks　above；　and　from　his　small

earnings　he　has　provided　himself　with　a　telescope　which　cost　him

about　30L。　　He　sends　notices　of　his　observations　to　the

scientific　journals；　under　the　modest　initials　of　'J。R。'　He　is　a

great　favourite　with　the　public；　and　it　is　said　that　he　has　made

some　observations　in　celestial　phenomena　not　before　noticed。　　It

does　occur　to　me　that　he　should　have　a　wider　field　for　his

favourite　study。　　In　connection　with　an　observatory；　his　services

would　be　invaluable。〃



Nearly　five　years　had　elapsed　since　the　receipt　of　this　letter；

and　I　had　done　nothing　to　put　myself　in　communication　with　the

Coupar　Angus　astronomer。　　Strange　to　say；　his　existence　was　again

recalled　to　my　notice　by　Professor　Grainger　Stewart；　of

Edinburgh。　　He　said　that　if　I　was　in　the　neighbourhood　I　ought　to

call　upon　him；　and　that　he　would　receive　me　kindly。　　His　duty；　he

said；　was　to　act　as　porter　at　the　station；　and　to　shout　the　name

of　the　place　as　the　trains　passed。　　I　wrote　to　John　Robertson

accordingly；　and　received　a　reply　stating　that　he　would　be　glad

to　see　me；　and　inclosing　a　photograph；　in　which　I　recognised　a

good；　honest；　sensible　face；　with　his　person　inclosed　in　the

usual　station　porter's　garb；　〃C。R。　1446。〃



I　started　from　Dunkeld；　and　reached　Coupar　Angus　in　due　time。　　As

I　approached　the　station；　I　heard　the　porter　calling　out；　〃Coupar

Angus！　change　here　for　Blairgowrie！〃＇1＇　　It　was　the　voice　of　John

Robertson。



I　descended　from　the　train；　and　addressed　him　at　once：　　after　the

photograph　there　could　be　no　mistaking　him。　　An　arrangement　for　a

meeting　was　made；　and　he　called　upon　me　in　the　evening。　　I

invited　him　to　such　hospitality　as　the　inn　afforded；　but　he　would

have　nothing。　　〃I　am　much　obliged　to　you；〃　he　said；　〃but　it

always　does　me　harm。〃　　I　knew　at　once　what　the　〃it〃　meant。　　Then

he　invited　me　to　his　house　in　Causewayend　Street。　　I　found　his

cottage　clean　and　comfortable；　presided　over　by　an　evidently

clever　wife。　　He　took　me　into　his　sitting…room；　where　I　inspected

his　drawings　of　the　sun…spots；　made　in　colour　on　a　large　scale。　

In　all　his　statements　he　was　perfectly　modest　and　unpretending。　

The　following　is　his　story；　so　far　as　I　can　recollect；　in　his　own

words：



〃Yes；　I　certainly　take　a　great　interest　in　astronomy；　but　I　have

done　nothing　in　it　worthy　of　notice。　　I　am　scarcely　worthy　to　be

called　a　day　labourer　in　the　science。　　I　am　very　well　known

hereabouts；　especially　to　the　travelling　public；　but　I　must　say

that　they　think　a　great　deal　more　of　me　than　I　deserve。



〃What　made　me　first　devote　my　attention　to　the　subject　of

astronomy？　　Well；　if　I　can　trace　it　to　one　thing　more　than

another；　it　was　to　some　evening　lectures　delivered　by　the　late

Dr。　Dick；　of　Broughty　Ferry；　to　the　men　employed　at　the　Craigs'

Bleachfield　Works；　near　Montrose；　where　I　then　worked；　about　the

year　l848。　　Dr。　Dick　was　an　excellent　lecturer；　and　I　listened　to

him　with　attention。　　His　instructions　were　fully　impressed　upon

our　minds　by　Mr。　Cooper；　the　teacher　of　the　evening　school；　which

I　attended。　　After　giving　the　young　lads　employed　at　the　works

their　lessons　in　arithmetic；　he　would　come　out　with　us　into　the

nightand　it　was　generally　late　when　we　separatedand　show　us

the　principal　constellations；　and　the　planets　above　the　horizon。　

It　was　a　wonderful　sight；　yet　we　were　told　that　these　hundreds

upon　hundreds　of　stars；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　were　but　a

mere　vestige　of　the　creation　amidst　which　we　lived。　　I　got　to

know　the　names　of　some　of　the　constellations　the　Greater　Bear；

with　'the　pointers'　which　pointed　to　the　Pole　Star；　Orion　with

his　belt；　the　Twins；　the　Pleiades；　and　other　prominent　objects　in

the　heavens。　　It　was　a　source　of　constant　wonder　and　surprise。



〃When　I　left　the　Bleachfield　Works；　I　went　to　Inverury；　to　the

North　of　Scotland　Railway；　which　was　then　in　course　of　formation；

and　for　many　years；　being　immersed　in　work；　I　thought

comparatively　little　of　astronomy。　　It　remained；　however；　a

pleasant　memory。　　It　was　only　after　coming　to　this　neighbourhood

in　1854；　when　the　railway　to　Blairgowrie　was　under　construction；

that　I　began　to　read　up　a　little；　during　my　leisure　hours；　on　the

subject　of　astronomy。　　I　got　married　the　year　after；　since　which

time　I　have　lived　in　this　house。



〃I　became　a　member　of　a　reading…room　club；　and　read　all　the　works

of　Dr。　Dick　that　the　library　contained：　　his　'Treatise　on　the

Solar　System；'　his　'Practical　Astronomer；'　and　other　works。　

There　were　also　some　very　good　　popular　works　to　which　I　was

indebted　for　amusement　as　well　as　instruction：　　Chambers's

'Information　for　the　People；'　Cassell's　'　Popular　Educator；'　and

a　very　interesting　series　of　articles　in　the　'Leisure　Hour；'　by

Edwin　Dunkin　of　the　Royal　Observatory；　Greenwich。　　These　last

papers　were　accompanied　by　maps　of　the　chief　constellations；　so

that　I　had　a　renewed　opportunity　of　becoming　a　little　better

acquainted　with　the　geography　of　the　heavens。



〃I　began　to　have　a　wish　for　a　telescope；　by　means　of　which　I

might　be　able　to　see　a　little　more　than　with　my　naked　eyes。　　But

I　found　that　I　could　not　get　anything　of　much　use；　short　of　20L。　

I　could　not　for　a　long　time　feel　justified　in　spending　so　much

money　for　my　own　personal　enjoyment。　　My　children　were　then　young

and　dependent　upon　me。　　They　required　to　attend　schoolfor

education　is　a　thing　that　parents　must　not　neglect；　with　a　view

to　the　future。　　However；　about　the　year　1875；　my　attention　was

called　to　a　cheap　instrument　advertised　by　Solomonwhat　he

called　his　'5L。　telescope。'　I　purchased　one；　and　it　tantalised

me；　for　the　power　of　the　instrument　was　such　as　to　teach　me

nothing　of　the　surface　of　the　planets。　　After　using　it　for　about

two　years；　I　sold　it　to　a　student；　and　then　found　that　I　had

accumulated　enough　savings　to　enable　me　to　buy　my　present

instrument。　　Will　you　come　into　the　next　room　and　look　at　it？〃



I　went　accordingly　into　the　adjoining　room；　and　looked　at　the　new

telescope。　　It　was　taken　from　its　case；　put　upon　its　tripod；　and

looked　in　beautiful　condition。　　It　is　a　refractor；　made　by　Cooke

and　Sons　of　York。　　The　object　glass　is　three　inches；　the　focal

length　forty…three　inches；　and　the　telescope；　when　drawn　out；

with　the　pancratic　eyepiece　attached；　is　about　four　feet。　　It　was

made　after　Mr。　Robertson's　directions；　and　is　a　sort　of

combination　of　instruments。



〃Even　that　instrument；〃　he　proceeded；　〃good　as　it　is　for　the

money；　tantalises　me　yet。　　A　look　through　a　fixed　equatorial；

such　as　every　large　observatory　is　furnished　with　is　a　glorious

view。　　I　shall　never　forget　the　sight　that　I　got　when　at　Dunecht

Observatory；　to　which　I　was　invited　through　the　kindness　of　Dr。

Copeland；　the　Earl　of　Crawford　and　Balcarres'　principal

astronomer。



〃You　ask　me　what　I　have　done　in　astronomical　research？　　I　am

sorry　to　say　I　have　been　able　to　do　little　except　to　gratify　my

own　curiosity；　and　even　then；　as　I　say；　I　have　been　much

tantalised。　　I　have　watched　the　spots　on　the　sun　from　day　to　day

through　obscured　glasses；　since　the　year　1878；　and　made　many

drawings　of　them。　　Mr。　Rand　Capron；　the　astronomer；　of　Guildown；

Guildford；　desired　to　see　these　drawings；　and　after　expressing

his　satisfaction　with　them；　he　sent　them　to　Mr。　Christie；

Astronomer　Royal；　Greenwich。　　Although　photographs　of　the　solar

surface　were　preferred；　Mr。　Capron　thought　that　my　sketches　might

supply　gaps　in　the　partially　cloudy　days；　as　well　as　details

which　might　not　appear　on　the　photographic　plates。　　I　received　a

very　kind　letter　from　Mr。　Christie；　in　which　he　said　that　it

would　be　very　difficult　to　make　the　results　obtained　from

drawings；　however　accurate；　at　all　comparable　with　those　derived

from　photographs；　especially　as　regards　the　accurate　size　of　the

spots　as　compared　with　the　diameter　of　the　sun。　　And　no　doubt　he

is　right。



〃What；　do　I　suppose；　is　the　cause　of　these　spots　in　the　sun？　

Well；　that　is　a　very　difficult　question　to　answer。　　Changes　are

constantly　going　on　at　the　sun's　surface；　or；　I　may　rather　say；

in　the　sun's　interior；　and　making　themselves　apparent　at　the

surface。　　Sometimes　they　go　on　with　enormous　activity；　at　other

times　they　are　more　quiet。　　They　recur　alternately　in　periods　of

seven　or　eight　weeks；　while　these　again　are　also　subject　to　a

period　of　about　eleven　yearsthat　is；　the　short　recurring

outbursts　go　on　for　some　years；　when　they　attain　a　maximum；　from

which　they　go　on　decreasing。　　I　may　say　that　we　are　now　（August

1883）　at；　or　very　near；　a　maximum　epoch。　　There　is　no　doubt　that

this　period　has　an　intimate　connection　with　our　auroral　displays；

but　I　don't　think　that　the　influence　sun…spots　have　on　light　or

heat　is　perceptible。　　Whatever　influence　they　possess　would　be

felt　alike　on　the　whole　terrestrial　globe。　　We　have　wet；　dry；

cold；　and　warm　years；　but　they　are　never　general。　　The　kind　of

season　which　prevails　in　one　country　is　often　quite　reversed　in

another　perhaps　in　the　adjacent　one。　　Not　so　with　our　auroral

displays。　　They　are　universal　on　both　sides　of　the　globe；　and

from　pole　to　pole　the　magnetic　needle　trembles　during　their

continuance。　　Some　authorities　are　of　opinion　that　these

eleven…year　cycles　are　subject　to　a　la