an autobiography-第6章

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Fellow…artists　visited　Ramsay　from　time　to　time。　　Among　them　was　his　intimate　friend　Philip　Reinaglean　agreeable　companion；　and　an　excellent　artist。　　Reinagle　was　one　day　so　much　struck　with　my　father's　earnestness　in　filling　up　some　work；　that　he　then　and　there　got　up　a　canvas　and　made　a　capital　sketch…portrait　of　him　in　oil。　　It　only　came　into　my　father's　possession　some　years　after　Ramsay's　death；　and　is　now　in　my　possession。

＇Image＇　　Alexander　Nasmyth。　　After　Reinagle's　Portrait

Among　the　many　amusing　recollections　of　my　father's　life　in　London；　there　is　one　that　I　cannot　resist　narrating；　because　it　shows　his　faculty　of　resourcefulnessa　faculty　which　served　him　very　usefully　during　his　course　through　life。　　He　had　made　an　engagement　with　a　sweetheart　to　take　her　to　Ranelagh；　one　of　the　most　fashionable　places　of　public　amusement　in　London。　　Everybody　went　in　full　dress；　and　the　bucks　and　swells　wore　long　striped　silk　stockings。　　My　father；　on　searching；　found　that　he　had　only　one　pair　of　silk　stockings　left。　He　washed　them　himself　in　his　lodging…room；　and　hung　them　up　before　the　fire　to　dry。　　When　he　went　to　look　at　them；　they　were　so　singed　and　burnt　that　he　could　not　put　them　on。　They　were　totally　useless。　In　this　sad　dilemma　his　resourcefulness　came　to　his　aid。　　The　happy　idea　occurred　to　him　of　painting　his　legs　so　as　to　resemble　stockings。　He　went　to　his　water…colour　box；　and　dexterously　painted　them　with　black　and　white　stripes。　　When　the　paint　dried；　which　it　soon　did；　he　completed　his　toilet；　met　his　sweetheart　and　went　to　Ranelagh。　No　one　observed　the　difference；　except；　indeed；　that　he　was　complimented　on　the　perfection　of　the　fit；　and　was　asked　〃where　he　bought　his　stockings？〃　　Of　course　he　evaded　the　question；　and　left　the　gardens　without　any　one　discovering　his　artistic　trick。

My　father　remained　in　Allan　Ramsay's　service　until　the　end　of　1778；　when　he　returned　to　Edinburgh　to　practise　on　his　own　behalf　the　profession　of　portrait　painter。　　He　took　with　him　the　kindest　good…wishes　of　his　master；　whose　friendship　he　retained　to　the　end　of　Ramsay's　life。　　The　artistic　style　of　my　father's　portraits；　and　the　excellent　likenesses　of　his　sitters；　soon　obtained　for　him　ample　employment。　　His　portraits　were　for　the　most　part　full…lengths；　but　of　a　small　or　cabinet　size。　　They　generally　consisted　of　family　groups；　with　the　figures　about　twelve　to　fourteen　inches　high。　　The　groups　were　generally　treated　and　arranged　as　if　the　personages　were　engaged　in　conversation　with　their　children；　and　sometimes　a　favourite　servant　was　introduced；　so　as　to　remove　any　formal　aspect　in　the　composition　of　the　picture。　　In　order　to　enliven　the　background；　some　favourite　view　from　the　garden　or　grounds；　or　a　landscape；　was　given；　which　was　painted　with　as　much　care　as　if　it　was　the　main　feature　of　the　picture。　Many　of　these　paintings　are　still　to　be　found　in　the　houses　of　the　gentry　in　Scotland。　　Good　examples　of　his　art　are　to　be　seen　at　Minto　House；　the　seat　of　the　Earl　of　Minto；　and　at　Dalmeny　Park；　the　seat　of　the　Earl　of　Rosebery。

Among　my　father's　early　employers　was　Patrick　Miller；　Esq。；　of　Dalswinton；　in　Dumfriesshire。　　He　painted　Mr。　Miller's　portrait　as　well　as　those　of　several　members　of　his　family。　　This　intercourse　eventually　led　to　the　establishment　of　a　very　warm　personal　friendship　between　them。　　Miller　had　made　a　large　fortune　in　Edinburgh　as　a　banker；　and　after　he　had　partially　retired　from　business；　he　devoted　much　of　his　spare　time　to　useful　purposes。　　He　was　a　man　of　great　energy　of　character；　and　was　never　idle。　　At　first　he　applied　himself　to　the　improvement　of　agriculture；　which　he　did　with　great　success　on　his　estate　of　Dalswinton。　　Being　one　of　the　largest　shareholders　in　the　Carron　Ironworks　near　Stirling；　he　also　devoted　much　of　his　time　to　the　improvement　of　guns　for　the　Royal　Navy。　　He　was　the　inventor　of　that　famous　gun　the　Carronade。　　The　handiness　of　these　short　and　effective　guns；　which　were　capable　of　being　loaded　and　fired　nearly　twice　as　quickly　as　the　long　small…bore　guns；　gave　England　the　victory　in　many　a　naval　battle；　where　the　firing　was　close　and　quick；　yardarm　to　yardarm。

But　Mr。　Miller's　greatest　claim　to　fame　arises　from　his　endeavours　to　introduce　steam…power　as　an　agent　in　the　propulsion　of　ships　at　sea。　Mr。　Clerk　of　Eldin　had　already　invented　the　system　of　〃breaking　the　line〃　in　naval　engagementsa　system　that　was　first　practised　with　complete　success　by　Lord　Rodney　in　his　engagement　off　Martinico　in　1780。　　The　subject　interested　Mr。　Miller　so　much　that　he　set　himself　to　work　to　contrive　some　mechanical　method　by　means　of　which　ships　of　war　might　be　set　in　motion；　independently　of　wind；　tide；　or　calms；　so　that　Clerk's　system　of　breaking　the　line　might　be　carried　into　effect　under　all　circumstances。

It　was　about　this　time　that　my　father　was　often　with　Miller；　and　the　mechanical　devices　by　means　of　which　the　method　of　breaking　the　line　could　be　best　accomplished　was　the　subject　of　many　of　their　conversations。　　Miller　found　that　my　father's　taste　for　mechanical　contrivances；　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。　Mill