men of invention and industry-第61章

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longer　work。　　I　then　went　to　Bangor　to　consult　Dr。　Humphrys。　

After　I　got　better　I　found　work　at　the　Port　at　12s。　a　week。　　I

was　employed　in　counting　the　slates；　or　loading　the　ships　in　the

harbour　from　the　railway　trucks。　　I　lodged　in　Fwn　Deg；　near　where

Hugh　Williams；　Gatehouse；　then　kept　a　navigation　school　for　young

sailors。　　I　learnt　navigation；　and　soon　made　considerable

progress。　　I　also　learnt　a　little　arithmetic。　　At　first　nearly

all　the　young　men　were　more　advanced　than　myself；　but　before　I

left　matters　were　different；　and　the　Scripture　words　became

verified　〃the　last　shall　be　first。〃　　I　remained　with　Hugh

Williams　six　months　and　a　half。　　During　that　time　I　went　twice

through　the　'Tutor's　Assistant；'　and　a　month　before　I　left　I　was

taught　mensuration。　　That　is　all　the　education　I　received；　and

the　greater　part　of　it　was　during　my　by…hours。



〃I　got　to　know　English　pretty　well；　though　Welsh　was　the　language

of　those　about　me。　　From　easy　books　I　went　to　those　more

difficult。　　I　was　helped　in　my　pronunciation　of　English　by

comparing　the　words　with　the　phonetic　alphabet；　as　published　by

Thomas　Gee　of　Denbigh；　in　1853。　　With　my　spare　earnings　I　bought

books；　especially　when　my　wages　began　to　rise。　　Mr。　Wyatt；　the

steward；　was　very　kind；　and　raised　my　pay　from　time　to　time　at

his　pleasure。　　I　suppose　I　was　willing；　correct；　and　faithful。　　I

improved　my　knowledge　by　reading　books　on　astronomy。　　I　got；

amongst　others；　'The　Mechanism　of　the　Heavens；'　by　Denison

Olmstead；　an　American；　a　very　understandable　book。　　Learning

English；　which　was　a　foreign　language　to　me；　led　me　to　learn

other　languages。　　I　took　pleasure　in　finding　out　the　roots　or

radixes　of　words；　and　from　time　to　time　I　added　foreign

dictionaries　to　my　little　library。　　But　I　took　most　pleasure　in

astronomy。



〃The　perusal　of　Sir　John　Herschel's　'Outlines　of　Astronomy；'　and

of　his　'Treatise　on　the　Telescope；'　set　my　mind　on　fire。　　I

conceived　the　idea　of　making　a　telescope　of　my　own；　for　I　could

not　buy　one。　　While　reading　the　Mechanics'　Magazine　I　observed

the　accounts　of　men　who　made　telescopes。　　Why　should　not　I　do　the

same？　　Of　course　it　was　a　matter　of　great　difficulty　to　one　who

knew　comparatively　little　of　the　use　of　tools。　　But　I　had　a

willing　mind　and　willing　hands。　　So　I　set　to　work。　　I　think　I

made　my　first　telescope　about　twenty　years　ago。　　It　was

thirty…six　inches　long；　and　the　tube　was　made　of　pasteboard。　　I

got　the　glasses　from　Liverpool　for　4s。　6d。　　Captain　Owens；　of　the

ship　Talacra；　bought　them。　　He　also　bought　for　me；　at　a

bookstall；　the　Greek　Lexicon　and　the　Greek　New　Testament；　for

which　he　paid　7s。　6d。　　With　my　new　telescope　I　could　see

Jupiter's　four　satellites；　the　craters　on　the　moon；　and　some　of

the　double　stars。　　It　was　a　wonderful　pleasure　to　me。



〃But　I　was　not　satisfied　with　the　instrument。　　I　wanted　a　bigger

and　a　more　perfect　one。　　I　sold　it　and　got　new　glasses　from

Solomon　of　London；　who　was　always　ready　to　trust　me。　　I　think　it

was　about　the　year　1868　that　I　began　to　make　a　reflecting

telescope。　　I　got　a　rough　disc　of　glass；　from　St。　Helens；　of　ten

inches　diameter。　　It　took　me　from　nine　to　ten　days　to　grind　and

polish　it　ready　for　parabolising　and　silvering。　　I　did　this　by

hand　labour　with　the　aid　of　emery；　but　without　a　lathe。　　I

finally　used　rouge　instead　of　emery　in　grinding　down　the　glass；

until　I　could　see　my　face　in　the　mirror　quite　plain。　　I　then　sent

the　8　3/16　inch　disc　to　Mr。　George　Calver；　of　Chelmsford；　to　turn

my　spherical　curve　to　a　parabolic　curve；　and　to　silver　the

mirror；　for　which　I　paid　him　5L。　　I　mounted　this　in　my　timber

tube；　the　focus　was　ten　feet。　　When　everything　was　complete　I

tried　my　instrument　on　the　sky；　and　found　it　to　have　good

defining　power。　　The　diameter　of　the　other　glass　I　have　made　is　a

little　under　six　inches。



〃You　ask　me　if　their　performance　satisfies　me？　　Well；　I　have

compared　my　six…inch　reflector　with　a　4　1/4　inch　refractor；

through　my　window；　with　a　power　of　100　and　140。　　I　can't　say

which　was　the　best。　　But　if　out　on　a　clear　night　I　think　my

reflector　would　take　more　power　than　the　refractor。　　However　that

may　be；　I　saw　the　snowcap　on　the　planet　Mars　quite　plain；　and　it

is　satisfactory　to　me　so　far。　　With　respect　to　the　8　3/16　inch

glass；　I　am　not　quite　satisfied　with　it　yet；　but　I　am　making

improvements；　and　I　believe　it　will　reward　my　labour　in　the　end。〃



Besides　these　instruments　John　Jones　has　an　equatorial　which　is

mounted　on　a　tripod　stand；　made　by　himself。　　It　contains　the

right　ascension；　declination；　and　azimuth　index；　all　neatly

carved　upon　slate。　　In　his　spectroscope　he　makes　his　prisms　out

of　the　skylights　used　in　vessels。　　These　he　grinds　down　to　suit

his　purpose。　　I　have　not　been　able　to　go　into　the　complete　detail

of　the　manner　in　which　he　effects　the　grinding　of　his　glasses。　

It　is　perhaps　too　technical　to　be　illustrated　in　words；　which　are

full　of　focuses；　parabolas；　and　convexities。　　But　enough　may　be

gathered　from　the　above　account　to　give　an　idea　of　the　wonderful

tenacity　of　this　aged　student；　who　counts　his　slates　into　the

ships　by　day；　and　devotes　his　evenings　to　the　perfecting　of　his

astronomical　instruments。　　But　not　only　is　he　an　astronomer　and　a

philologist；　he　is　also　a　bard；　and　his　poetry　is　much　admired　in

the　district。　　He　writes　in　Welsh；　not　in　English；　and　signs

himself　〃Ioan；　of　Bryngwyn　Bach；〃　the　place　where　he　was　born。　

Indeed；　he　is　still　at　a　loss　for　words　when　he　speaks　in

English。　　He　usually　interlards　his　conversation　with　passages　in

Welsh；　which　is　his　mother…tongue。　　A　friend　has；　however；　done

me　the　favour　to　translate　two　of　John　Jones's　poems　into

English。　　The　first　is　'The　Telescope'：



〃To　Heaven　it　points；　where　rules　the　Sun　

In　golden　gall'ries　bright；　

And　the　pale　Moon　in　silver　rays　

Makes　dalliance　in　the　night。



〃It　sweeps　with　eagle　glances　

The　sky；　its　myriad　throng；　

That　myriad　throng　to　marshal　

And　bring　to　us　their　song。



〃Orb　upon　orb　it　follows　

As　oft　they　intertwine；　

And　worlds　in　vast　processions　

As　if　in　battle　line。



〃It　loves　all　things　created；　

To　follow　and　to　trace；　

And　never　fears　to　penetrate　

The　dark　abyss　of　space。〃



The　next　is　to　'The　Comet'：…



〃A　maiden　fair；　with　light　of　stars　bedecked；　

Starts　out　of　space　at　Jove's　command；　

With　visage　wild；　and　long　dishevelled　hair；　

Speeds　she　along　her　starry　course；　

The　hosts　of　heaven　regards　she　not；　

Fain　would　she　scorn　them　all　except　her　father　Sol；　

Whose　mighty　influence　her　headlong　course　doth　all　control。〃



The　following　translation　may　also　be　given：　it　shows　that　the

bard　is　not　without　a　spice　of　wit。　　A　fellow…workman　teased　him

to　write　some　lines；　when　John　Jones；　in　a　seemingly　innocent

manner；　put　some　questions；　and　ascertained　that　he　had　once　been

a　tailor。　　Accordingly　this　epigram　was　written；　and　appeared　in

the　local　paper　the　week　after：　〃To　a　quondam　Tailor；　now　a

Slate…teller〃：



〃To　thread　and　needle　now　good…bye；　

With　slates　I　aim　at　riches；　

The　scissors　will　I　ne'er　more　ply；　

Nor　make；　but　order；　breeches。〃＇12＇



The　bi…lingual　speech　is　the　great　educational　difficulty　of

Wales。　　To　get　an　entrance　into　literature　and　science　requires　a

knowledge　of　English；　or；　if　not　of　English；　then　of　French　or

German。　　But　the　Welsh　language　stands　in　the　way。　　Few　literary

or　scientific　works　are　translated　into　Welsh。　　Hence　the　great

educational　difficulty　continues；　and　is　maintained　from　year　to

year　by　patriotism　and　Eisteddfods。



Possibly　the　difficulties　to　be　encountered　may　occasionally

evoke　unusual　powers　of　study；　but　this　can　only　occur　in

exceptional　cases。　　While　at　Bangor　Mr。　Cadwalladr　Davies　read　to

me　the　letter　of　a　student　and　professor；　whose　passion　for

knowledge　is　of　an　extraordinary　character。　　While　examined

before　the　Parliamentary　Committee　appointed　to　inquire　into　the

condition　of　intermediate　and　higher　education　in　Wales　and

Monmouthshire；　Mr。　Davies　gave　evidence　relating　to　this　and

other　remarkable　cases；　of　which　the　following　is　an　abstract；

condensed　by　himself：



〃The　night　schools　in　the　quarry　districts　have　been　doing　a　very

great　work；　and；　if　the　Committee　will　allow　me；　I　will　read　an

extract　from　a　letter　which　I　received　from　Mr。　Bradley　Jones；

master　of　the　Board　Schools　at　Llanarmon；　near　Mold；　Flintshire；

who　some　years　ago　kept　a　very　flourishing　night　school　in　the

neighbourhood。　　He　says：　'During　the　whole　of　the　time　（fourteen

years）　that　I　was　at　Carneddi；　I　carried　on　these　schools；　and　I

believe　I　have　had　more　experience　of　such　institutions　than　any

teacher　in　North　Wales。　　For　several　years　about　120　scholars

used　to　attend　the　Carneddi　night　school　in　the　winter　months；

four　evenings　a　week。　　Nearly　all　were　quarrymen；　from　fourteen

to　twenty…one　years　of　age；　and　engaged　at　work　from　7　A。M。　to

5。30　P。M。　　So　intense　was　their　desire　for　education　that　some　of

them　had　to　walk　a　distance　of　two　or　even　three　miles　to　school。



These；　besides　working　hard　all　day；　had　to　walk　six　miles　in　the

one　case　and　nine　in　the　other　before　school…time；　in　addition　to

the　walk　home　afterwards。　　Several　of　them　used　to　attend　all　the

year　round；　even　coming　to　me　for　lessons　in　summer　before　going

to　work；　as　well　as　in　the　evening。　　Indeed；　so　anxious　were　some

of　them；　that　they　would　often　come　for　lessons　as　early　as　five

o'clock　in　the　morning。　　This　may　appear　almost　incredible；　but

any　of　the　managers　of　the　Carneddi　School　could　corroborate　the

statement。'



〃I　have　now　in　my　mind's　eye；〃　continues　Mr。　Bradley；　〃several　of

these　young　men；　who；　by　dint　of　indefatigable　labour　and

self…denial；　ultimately　qualified　themselves　for　posts　in　which　a

good　education　is　a　sine　qua　non。　　Some　of　them　are　to…day　quarry

managers；　professional　men；　certificated　teachers；　and　ministers

of　the　Gospel。　　Five　of　them　are　at　the　present　time　students　at

Bala　College。　　One　got　a　situation　in　the　Glasgow　Post　Office　as

letter…carrier。　　During　his　leisure　hours　he　attended　the

lectures　at　one　of　the　medical　schools　of　that　city；　and　in

course　of　time　gained　his　diploma。　　He　is　now　practising　as　a

surgeon；　and　I　understand　with　signal　success。　　This　gentleman

worked　in　the　Penrhyn　Quarry　until　he　was　twenty　years　old。　　I

could　give　many　more　instances　of　the　resolute　and　self…denying

spirit　with　which　the　young　quarrymen　of　Bethesda　sought　to

educate　themselves。　　The　teachers　of　the　other　schools　in　that

neighbourhood　could　give　similar　examples；　for　during　the　winter

months　there　used　to　be　no　less　than　300　evening　scholars　under

instruction　in　the　different　schools。　　The　Bethesda　booksellers

could　tell　a　tale　that　would　surprise　our　English　friends。　　I

have　been　informed　by　one　of　them　that　he　has　sold　to　youn