Fig. 127. Portrait of James Ferguson.
Turning his attention especially to the movements of the stars, he contrived an orrery to show the motions of the earth and the moon, of the sun and the planets, both diurnal and annual, and it was in his first literary attempt, published in the year 1746, that he described ‘The Use of a New Orrery.’ Ferguson published many works on scientific subjects, lectured extensively before learned societies, was honored with the royal bounty of King George III, and became a member of the Royal Society without initiatory or annual fees.
Of globes constructed by Ferguson other than those he contrived in his boyhood days, eight copies are known. In the collection of The Hispanic Society of America (Fig. [127a]), there appears to be a unique example of his first published globe work, constructed perhaps as early as the year 1750, since it records the route followed by the Englishman, George Anson, in circumnavigating the earth in his expedition or expeditions of the years 1740-1744, and omits reference to the expeditions of Captain Cook. The terrestrial globe, a solid wooden ball, 7 cm. in diameter, is enclosed in a black leather covering, on the inner surface of which is pasted an engraved gore map of the celestial sphere. It appears to be constructed as were those referred to by Moxon in his catalogue of globes which were “made and sold by himself on Ludgate Hill,” that is, “concave hemispheres of the Starry Orb which serve for a case to a Terrestrial Globe of 3 inches in diameter, made portable for the Pocket.” The covering of this Ferguson globe is made to open on the line of the celestial equator. In a neat cartouch placed in the North Pacific is the author and title legend reading, “A New Globe of the Earth by James Ferguson.” The meridians are drawn at intervals of fifteen degrees, the prime meridian passing through Greenwich, and the parallels are drawn at intervals of ten degrees, being graduated on the meridian of 145 degrees west, excepting the tropics and the polar circles, which are drawn in their proper latitudes, respectively 23½ degrees from the equator and 23½ degrees from the poles. Ferguson followed such geographical records as were laid down by Hondius in his world map of the year 1611, or by Greuter in his globe map of the year 1632 in the North Pacific region, indicating there the existence of a great expanse of ocean, between northwest North America and northeast Asia. “Anian St.” is marked as separating a somewhat indefinitely outlined coast from America. The Antarctic continent is altogether omitted; the only inscription appearing in that region is “The South Pole.” Geographical names are as numerous as one could expect to find them on a globe of such small dimensions.
Fig. 127a. Pocket Globe of James Ferguson, 1750 (?).
The figures on the celestial map pasted on the inner surface of the terrestrial globe covering representing the several constellations have been very artistically drawn. Both the terrestrial and the celestial parts of this combination globe are remarkably well preserved. A second and later example of this Ferguson globe may be found in the Harvard University Library, once belonging to Ebenezer Storer of the class of 1747. It came into the possession of the University in the year 1914. In addition to the globes of Ferguson, just described, two pairs are known, dated each 1782, subsequent to the author’s death, it will be noted, each having a diameter of 30 cm. These are mounted in the usual manner with wooden horizon and brass meridian circles, with support base columns of wood. On the terrestrial globes English
is the language employed, while all names of the constellations on the celestial globes are in Latin. As on the small terrestrial globe in The Hispanic Society’s collection, the route of Admiral Anson is indicated, omitting that of Captain Cook, and numerous brief legends are given referring to various geographical discoveries. One pair of these globes may be found in the Biblioteca Comunale of Palermo and the other pair in the Osservatorio Meteorico of Syracuse.