Dr. Bowditch’s Study in Later Years.

NAT THE NAVIGATOR.

A LIFE
OF
NATHANIEL BOWDITCH.

FOR YOUNG PERSONS.

The House in which he lived when a little Child.

BOSTON:
LEE AND SHEPARD.
1870.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
LEE AND SHEPARD,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

ELECTROTYPED AT THE
BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY,
No. 19 Spring Lane.

Boston, December, 1869.

Moved by feelings I could scarcely comprehend, while, at the same time, they were most sweet to me, I was led to talk with the pupils of the Warren Street Chapel on the Sunday afternoon after my father died. The subjects were his active and good life and happy death. I am aware that some of my nearest friends thought it strange that my heart, on the occasion of his death, was filled with a kind of joy rather than with sadness. To them I could merely say, that an event so calm, and under such circumstances of suffering as he then was, suggested to me nothing like real sorrow. I wished my young companions to feel as I did, and that, in their minds, a quiet death following a good life should be clothed with beauty, and that they might thus be led to believe that, in accordance with the Scotch proverb, “A gude life makes a gude end. At least it helps weel.” Horace Mann was present during the address. Being deeply interested in the education of the young, he requested me to prepare for his Common School Journal a sketch similar to that I had spoken. In accordance with that desire, a memoir was prepared, and after its publication the Warren Street Chapel Association requested that it should be put, with some revision, into this form. And as it was originally prepared for, and dedicated to, the pupils of that institution,

SO I NOW DEDICATE IT
ANEW TO THE
GIRLS AND BOYS OF WARREN STREET CHAPEL.

CONTENTS.

NAT THE NAVIGATOR.

CHAPTER I.

From 1773 to 1784—under 10 years of age.

Birth.—Childhood.

Nathaniel Bowditch, whose history I shall relate to you, was one whose character and actions presented many circumstances which cannot fail of being interesting to you. He died more than thirty years ago, in Boston; and, from having been a poor and ignorant boy, he became a man known all over the world for his great learning, while at the same time he was beloved for the goodness of his heart and the integrity of his character. May the perusal of his history excite some of you to imitate his virtues and his energy.

BIRTHPLACE.

EARLY SCHOOL DAYS.

He was born in Salem, a town about fourteen miles from Boston, the capital city of our State of Massachusetts. His birthday was March 26, 1773. His father was at first a cooper, and afterwards a shipmaster. He and his wife were exceedingly poor, and they had many children. Nat was the fourth child. He had two sisters and three brothers. When he was about two and a half years old, his parents removed to a very small wooden house in Danvers, about three miles from Salem; and here the boy attended school for the first time, and began to show those generous feelings, and that love of learning, which he displayed so much in after-life. A few years ago the old school-house in which he learned to spell and read remained entire. It was an old-fashioned building, with a long, slanting roof, which, at the back of the house, nearly reached the ground. Its single chimney, with many curious and pretty corners, then rose in the middle of the roof, as it had for ninety years. Around the dwelling is a grass plat, upon which he used, when a child like yourselves, to play with his schoolmates. It was planted with shrubs, such as the farmers most need. The house in which he lived still stands nearly opposite that in which the school was kept. This house formerly had but two rooms in it, and all its furniture was of the simplest kind.

HIS FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

I visited the relations of the schoolmistress. She died many, many years ago; but her niece, when I asked about Nat Bowditch, told me how her aunt used to love him for his earnestness in pursuing his studies, and for his gentleness, while under her care. He was “a nice boy,” she used to say. While in Danvers, his father was most of the time at sea, he having been obliged to give up his trade and become a sailor when the Revolutionary War broke out.[1] Nat lived, during his father’s absence, very happily with his mother and his brothers and sisters. During the whole of his after-life, he used to delight to go near the small house in which he had dwelt so pleasantly. The family was “a family of love.” He had a brother William, to whom he was very much attached. He was more grave and sober than Nat; for the latter, with all his devotion to study, was full of fun, frolic, and good nature. But William was equally, and perhaps more, gentle. The brothers frequently studied together from an old family Bible, and on Sundays, when they were quite small, their grandmother, who was a very excellent woman, used to place this large book, with its wooden covers and bright brazen clasps, upon the foot of her bed; and hour after hour did those two boys trace, with their fingers upon the map, the forty years’ wanderings of the Israelites, before they came into the long-looked-for land of Canaan.

GRANDMOTHER’S BIBLE.

HIS MOTHER.

I have said that Nat frequently went to look upon the house in which he had lived; and so he often called upon the family in which this old Bible was kept, in order that he might see the volume which he had so loved when a boy. It reminded him of the delightful home of his childhood, where his dear and worthy mother tried to make him good, in order that he might become an honor to her and to the people. His mother was one who was extremely kind; yet she was by no means afraid to correct her children, if she found them doing wrong. Nat sometimes suffered, because, like every boy, he sometimes did wrong; but generally the mother found that he could be easily guided by her love. I seem to see her now, taking her little son, and leading him to the window of the cottage in Danvers, to see the beautiful new moon just setting in the west, while, at the same time, she kisses and blesses him, and talks to him of his absent father, and they both send up earnest wishes for his safe and speedy return. She was very careful to instil into all her children the importance of truth. “Speak the truth always, my boy,” said she. She likewise loved religion, and she was very liberal in her feelings towards those who differed from her upon this subject. Nevertheless, believing that the Episcopal kind of worship was the most correct, she educated all her children in that form. An anecdote which Nat, when he became a man, often related, will show you how much influence her instructions in this particular had upon him. Among the Episcopalians the prayers are read, and the people repeat, aloud, some answer. One day Nat called his brothers and sisters around him, and, taking his mother’s Book of Prayer, with a sober face began to read aloud from it, while his brothers made the answers. They had continued some minutes amusing themselves in this way, when their mother entered the room. She was very much troubled at first, as she supposed they were ridiculing the services she held as sacred. “My sons,” said she, “I am pleased to see you read that book; but you should never do so in a careless manner.” They told her that, though playing, they did not think to do any harm, or to show any disrespect.

EARLY POVERTY.

CHEERFULNESS UNDER IT.

The family was very poor; so poor, indeed, that sometimes they had nothing to eat, for several successive days, but common coarse bread, with perhaps a little pork. Wheat bread was almost never allowed to any one of them. Their clothing, too, was at times very thin. Frequently, during the whole winter, the boys wore their summer jackets and trousers. At times, Nat’s schoolmates used to laugh at him because he wore such a thin dress, when they were wearing their thickest winter clothing. But he was not afraid of their merriment, nor made angry by it; on the contrary, he laughed heartily at them for supposing him unable to bear the cold. He knew that no good would be gained by complaints, and that he would distress his mother if he made any; he therefore bore contentedly his want of clothing, and tried even to make himself merry with those who ridiculed him.

LOVE OF ARITHMETIC.

DIFFICULTIES.

At the age of seven years, and after returning to Salem, he went to a school kept by a man named Watson. Master Watson was one who had sufficient learning for those times; though the boys who now go to school in Boston would think it very strange if a master did not attempt to teach more than he did. None of the scholars had a dictionary. Master Watson was a good man, but he suffered much from headache, and therefore he was liable to violent fits of anger; and when thus excited, as it generally happens in such cases, he was guilty of injustice. An instance of this, young Bowditch met with, not long after he entered the school. From early life, Nat had liked ciphering, or arithmetic; and thinking that at school he would be able to learn something more about this than he had previously gained from his brothers, while at home, during the long winter evenings, he requested the master to allow him to study it. As he seemed too young, this request was not granted. But, being determined to study what pleased him so much, he obtained a letter from his father, in which Mr. Bowditch requested Master Watson to allow his son to pursue his favorite study. The schoolmaster, on receiving the message, was very angry, and said to his pupil, “Very well. I’ll give you a sum that will satisfy you;” and immediately prepared a question that he thought Nat would be unable to answer, and which he could not have answered had he not studied at home. But the boy had learned before sufficiently to enable him to perform the task; and, having done so, he ran gayly to the desk, expecting to be praised for his exact performance of duty. You may imagine his surprise at being saluted with these words: “You little rascal, who showed you how to do this sum? I shall punish you for attempting to deceive me.” The poor lad’s heart swelled and beat violently. He blushed and trembled from fear of punishment, but still more at the suspicion which his instructor had expressed, that he had been guilty of telling a lie. Filled with anger and alarm, he stammered out, “I did it, sir.” But his master would not believe him, and was about to strike him, when an elder brother interfered, and stated that Nat knew very well how to perform the task, for he himself had previously taught him enough to enable him to do it. Our young arithmetician thus escaped the punishment; but he never could forget that he had been accused of falsehood. His pious and truth-loving mother had so firmly fastened in his mind the holiness of truth, that he rarely, if ever, thought of deviating from it; and during his life he considered that any one who even suspected him of falsehood had done him the greatest injury. How well it would be if all of our boys loved truth as he did!

APPRENTICED TO SHIP-CHANDLER.

This was the only serious difficulty he met with while at this school. He was the same lively lad at everything he undertook as he had been previously. He was beloved by his comrades for his good nature, and was always engaged in useful employment or innocent amusements. When he was about ten years of age, his father became poorer than ever; and moreover, in consequence of loss of regular employment and of the little property which he possessed, he gave himself up to habits of intoxication. From having been a brave man, he became a coward, and, unable to look at the distress of his family, made their poverty many times more burdensome by habits which wholly unfitted him for active duties. Under these circumstances, his son, at the age of ten years and three months, left school, and soon afterwards was bound an apprentice to Messrs. Ropes and Hodges, who kept a ship-chandler’s shop in Salem.

EARLY CHARACTER.

As this was one of the important times in his life, I think I will finish this chapter with only two remarks, for the boys and girls who may be reading this. You see a lively and good-natured boy, who, before he was ten years old, showed great love of truth, much perseverance, a warm desire for study, particularly of arithmetic; and lastly, you perceive him under the influence of a good mother, who tries to excite in him all just and holy sentiments. Particularly does she point out to him truth as one grand aim of his existence. Now, I wish you to remember these facts, and see where they eventually led him; and if you remember, you may be induced to imitate him, at least in some respects.

CHAPTER II.

From 1784 to 1795—between the ages of 10 and 21.

His apprenticeship, his habits.—Studies Chambers’s Cyclopædia.—Results of his studies; gains the respect of all.—Dr. Bentley, Dr. Prince, and Mr. Reed, do him kindness; by their means allowed access to “The Philosophical Library.”—He makes philosophical instruments.—Calculates an Almanac at the age of fourteen.—Studies algebra: delight he experienced from this new pursuit.—Learns Latin.—Reads works by Sir Isaac Newton.—Studies French.

CHANGE OF ABODE.

WORK AT THE SHOP.

THOUGHTFULNESS FOR OTHERS.

Doubtless it was with a sorrowing heart that Nat left his own dear home and his kind mother to take up his abode among strangers; for he was to live at the house of his employer, Mr. Hodges. But if he did feel sad, he was not one to neglect a duty in consequence of sorrow. The shop in which he was employed was situated very near the wharves, in the lower part of the town of Salem. We do not see many such stores now in Boston; though something similar is sometimes found in small country towns. In it a great variety of goods was sold, especially everything which would be useful to a sailor. Pork and nails, hammers and butter, were kept in adjacent barrels. The walls were hung with all the tools needed in the seafaring life. There was a long counter in it, at one end of which Nat had his little desk. When not engaged with customers, he used to read and write there. He always kept a slate by his side, and, when not occupied by the duties of the shop, he was usually busied with his favorite pursuit of arithmetic. In the warm weather of summer, when there was little business, and the heat was uncomfortable, he was often seen, by the neighbors, engaged in ciphering, while resting his slate upon the half door of the shop; for in those days the shop doors were made in two parts, so that frequently the lower half was shut, while the upper was open. Thus he was always actively employed, instead of being idle, as is too frequently the case with boys in similar circumstances. Even on the great holidays of Fourth of July and “General Training,” he did not leave his studies for the purpose of going to see the parade, but remained at the shop, laboring to improve himself; or, if the shop was closed, he was in his little garret-room at his employer’s house. Study and reading were beginning to be his only recreation. Frequently, after the store was closed at night, he remained until nine or ten o’clock. Many long winter nights he passed in a similar manner, at his master’s house by the kitchen fire. While here, he did not become morose or ill-natured; but frequently, when the servant girl wished to go to see her parents, who lived one or two miles off, he took her place by the side of the cradle of his master’s child, and rocked it gently with his foot, while busily occupied at his books. I think this was one of the sweetest incidents in his early days. It was the germ of his benevolence in after-life. A truly great man is kind-hearted as well as wise. Nat began thus early his course of genuine humanity and science. So must you do if you would imitate him.

HIGHER STUDIES.

As he became older, he became interested in larger and more important works; and of these, fortunately, he found an abundant supply. His employer lived in the house of Judge Ropes, and Nat had permission to use the library of this gentleman as much as he wished. In this collection he found one set of books which he afterwards valued very much. He tried to buy a copy of it when he was old, having a similar feeling towards it that he bore towards his grandmother’s Bible. It was Chambers’s Cyclopædia. As you may judge from the name Cyclopædia, these books, consisting of four very large volumes, contained much upon a great many subjects. It is like a dictionary. He read every piece in it, and copied into blank books, which he obtained for the purpose, everything he thought particularly interesting, especially all about arithmetic. Previously, he had studied navigation, or the methods whereby the sailors are enabled to guide their ships across the ocean. In this Cyclopædia he found much upon this subject; also upon astronomy, or the knowledge of the stars and other heavenly bodies; and upon mensuration, or the art with which we are enabled to measure large quantities of land or water.

ALMANAC FOR 1790.

But he was not satisfied with merely studying what others did. He made several dials and curious instruments for measuring the weather, &c. He likewise, at the age of fourteen years, made an Almanac for 1790, so accurately and minutely finished, that it might have been published. Whilst engaged upon this last, he was more than usually laborious. The first rays of the morning saw him at labor, and he sat up, with his rushlight, until late at night. If any asked where Nat was, the reply was, “He is engaged in making his Almanac.” He was just fourteen years of age when he finished it.[2]

BEGINS ALGEBRA.

HIS DELIGHT IN IT.

August 1, 1787,—that is, at the age of fourteen,—he was introduced to a mode of calculating which was wholly new to him. His brother came home from his school, where he had been learning navigation, and told him that his master had a mode of ciphering by means of letters. Nat puzzled himself very much about the matter, and imagined a variety of methods of “ciphering with letters.” He thought that perhaps A added to B made C, and B added to C made D, and so on; but there seemed to him no use in all this. At length he begged his brother to obtain for him the book. The schoolmaster readily lent it; and it is said that the boy did not sleep that night. He was so delighted with reading about this method, or algebra, as it is called, that he found it impossible to sleep. He afterwards talked with an old English sailor, who happened to know something about the subject, and received some little instruction from him. This person afterwards went to his own country; but just before he left Salem, he patted Nat upon the head, and said, “Nat, my boy, go on studying as you do now, and you will be a great man one of these days.” You will see, before finishing this story, that the prophecy of the old sailor was amply fulfilled.

DRS. PRINCE AND BENTLEY AID HIM.

DR. KIRWAN’S LIBRARY.

COPIES BOOKS.

But all this labor, this constant exertion, combined with his kind and cheerful disposition, must, you will readily believe, have given him friends. He became known as a young man of great promise; as one more capable than his elders of deciding many questions, particularly all those in which any calculations were to be made. Consequently, when about seventeen or eighteen years old, he was often called upon, by men much older than himself, to act as umpire in important matters. All these he attended to so willingly and skilfully, that those whom he assisted became very much attached to him. He thus gained the respect not merely of common persons, less learned than himself, but his industry, his fidelity to his employers, his talents, attracted the notice of men well known in the community. Among these were two clergymen of Salem. At the church of Rev. Dr. Prince he attended for divine worship; and Dr. Bentley rarely passed the store without stepping in to talk with his young friend. Nat availed himself of the learning of Dr. Bentley, and often visited his room in order to converse with him. Dr. Prince, the other clergyman above alluded to, had studied much the subjects that the apprentice was pursuing, and he was very glad to see a young man zealous in the same pursuits. There was another individual who kept an apothecary’s shop; and it was he, who, with the aid of the two clergymen, opened to our young student the means of continuing his favorite studies with more success than he had ever anticipated. Mr. Reed—for that was his name—likewise gave him permission to use all his books, of which he had a great many. But the chief means of study, to which I allude, was the permission to take books from a library which had been formed by a number of gentlemen of the town. The kindness of the proprietors of this library was never forgotten by the young apprentice; and in his will, made fifty years afterwards, he left a thousand dollars to the Salem Athenæum, in order to repay the debt of gratitude which he felt he had incurred. But you may want to know something about the formation of this library, and the books of which it was composed. Some time during the Revolutionary War, alluded to in Chapter I., Dr. Kirwan, an Irishman and a learned man, put the greater part of his library on board a ship, in order to have it carried across the Irish Channel. While on the voyage, the vessel was taken by an American ship of war, and the books were carried into Beverly, and were afterwards sold at auction in Salem. Of all in the world, these books were perhaps those most needed by the apprentice. He had been studying those sciences chiefly, concerning which there were very few works printed in America; and suddenly he found himself allowed free access to all the important books which had been printed in Europe upon these same subjects. You may readily imagine how eagerly he availed himself of the opportunity thus afforded him. Every two or three days he was seen with a number of volumes under his arm, going homeward; and on his arrival there, he read and copied all he wanted to study at that time, or refer to afterwards. He made, in this way, a very large collection of manuscripts, which formed a part of his library. Thus, by his own exertions, he, at the early age of eighteen, became acquainted with the writings of most of the learned men of Europe; and he did this at the time when he was engaged almost constantly in his store, for he made it a strict rule never to allow any study or reading, however interesting, to interfere with his duties to his employers. He rarely forgot this. The following incident impressed it so strongly upon his memory, that it influenced all his subsequent life.

ATTENTION TO BUSINESS.

One day a customer called and purchased a pair of hinges at a time when the young clerk was deeply engaged in solving a problem in mathematics. He thought he would finish before charging the delivery of them upon the books; but when the problem was solved, he forgot the matter altogether. In a few days the customer called again to pay for them, when Mr. Hodges himself was in the shop. The books were examined, and gave no account of this purchase. The clerk, upon being applied to, at once recollected the circumstance, and the reason of his own forgetfulness. From that day he made it an invariable rule to finish every matter of business that he began, before undertaking anything else. Perhaps some of you may remember the story; and when you think of leaving anything half finished, you may repeat to yourselves, “Charge your hinges, and finish what you begin.”

STUDIES LATIN.

Having been instructed in the elements of algebra, Nat soon found that there were books written upon it in other languages, which he knew he ought to read, if he intended to learn as much as he could about algebra. One of these books was written in a tongue which is called a dead language, in consequence of its having ceased to be spoken by the people of the country in which it was originally used. It was in Latin. This language usually requires many years of study, if one wishes to read it well, even when he has good instructors. Our hero, however, never thought of the difficulties he had to surmount, but commenced, alone, the study of it, June, 1790, that is, when seventeen years old. He was soon in trouble. He could not understand his Latin book on mathematics. He asked many who had been at college, but they were puzzled by the peculiar expressions as much as he was. At length, however, by the aid of his friend Dr. Bentley, and afterwards of a German who gave him lessons, he succeeded in mastering the greatest work in modern times, written by Sir Isaac Newton, who, you know, was one of the most famous philosophers who have ever lived in this world. Nat discovered in one part of it a mistake, which, several years afterwards, he published; but he was deterred from doing so at first, because a very much older person than he, a professor in Harvard College, said that the apprentice was mistaken.

STUDY OF FRENCH.

GOOD RESULTS.

But Latin was not the only language that he learned. Finding in the Kirwan library many books upon mathematics written in French, he determined to learn that tongue likewise. Accordingly, at the age of nineteen (May 15, 1792), he began to study it. Fortunately, he was able to make an arrangement with a Frenchman living in Salem, who wished to learn English. Mr. Jordy agreed to teach the apprentice French, on condition that Nat would teach him English. For sixteen months they met regularly, a certain number of times a week; and the consequences were very important to the youth’s future success in life. One circumstance took place, during this study of French, which I think it important to mention. Nat, desiring only to learn to read a French book, supposed that it would be unnecessary to spend time in learning accurately to pronounce the words. These, as is the case in the English tongue, are often pronounced very differently from the manner in which we should be led to speak them, if we judged from their mode of spelling. His master protested against teaching without reference to the pronunciation; and, after much arguing, Nat yielded to the wishes of his instructor, and he studied the language in such a way that he could converse with a Frenchman, as well as read a French book. You will soon see the good that resulted.

CHAPTER III.

From 1784 to 1796—age, 10-22.

Apprenticeship continued.—Favorite of his companions.—Learns music; neglects his studies for a time.—Gets into bad society; his decision in freeing himself from it.—Engages in a survey of the town of Salem.—Sails on his first voyage to the East Indies; extracts from his Journal during this voyage; arrival at the Isle of Bourbon; return home.

STUDY AND BUSINESS.

A GOOD COMPANION.

Though so interested in his studies, Nat tried, as we have seen, never to neglect a known duty. Whenever any one came to the store, he was ready to leave study in order to attend to him. And he did this cheerfully, and with so bright a smile that all were pleased to meet him. His young companions loved him, for he was not one of those vain persons who think themselves more important than others because they are more learned. On the contrary, what he knew himself he liked to impart to others. He was a member of a juvenile club for the discussion of different subjects. In this association his opinion had much weight, because he rarely spoke, and never unless he had something of importance to say.

LOVE OF MUSIC.

Some of his comrades were very fond of music. He had originally a great taste for it. Music, at that time, was less cultivated than it is now; and generally, those who practised it were fond of drinking liquor, and often became drunkards. Nat’s love of the flute led him, at times, to meet with several young men of this class. In fact, he was so much delighted with their company, that he began to forget his studies. Day after day he spent his leisure hours in their society; and, for a time, all else was neglected. At length he began to think somewhat in this way: “What am I doing? forgetting my studies in order to be with those whose only recommendation is, that they love music? I shall be very likely to fall into their habits if I continue longer with them. I will not do so.” He soon afterwards left their society.

The simple, old-fashioned flute on which he played at these meetings is still preserved. It is a silent monitor to his descendants, urging them to performance of duty, in spite of the allurements of pleasure.

May every boy who reads this remember it, and try, if ever led into temptation as the apprentice was, to say, “I will not,” with the same determined spirit that he did.

The time was fast approaching when he was about to leave the business of shopkeeping, and enter upon the more active duties of life. It is true that, to a certain extent, he had been engaged in active life ever since entering his apprenticeship. At the age of ten he had left the home of his mother, and had been obliged to depend much upon himself. His father’s habits had finally prevented him from being of service to the family. The mother had died; the family had been broken up; and Nat had thus, at an early age, been thrown upon the world. After having remained with Ropes & Hodges until they gave up business, he entered the shop of Samuel C. Ward, which was a similar establishment; and there he remained until he was twenty-one years old. He then quitted, forever, this employment.

SURVEY OF SALEM.

In 1794, by a law of the state, every town was obliged to have an accurate survey and measurement made of its limits. Captain Gibaut and Dr. Bentley were appointed by the Selectmen in Salem to superintend this business. Believing that the calculating powers of the apprentice would be useful to them, he was made assistant; and during the summer of 1794 he was occupied with this business. Thus we see how his studies already began to be useful to him. For his pay, he received one hundred and thirty-five dollars. Towards the end of the summer, Mr. Derby, a rich ship-owner in Salem, wished Captain Gibaut to take command of a vessel to Cadiz, and thence round the Cape of Good Hope to the East Indies. Captain Gibaut consented, and he asked Nat to go with him as clerk. Nat agreed to the terms; but, owing to some difficulty with Mr. Derby, Captain Gibaut resigned to Captain H. Prince. Young Bowditch was unknown to the latter; but at the suggestion of Mr. Derby, who had heard of the talents and industry of the clerk, the same arrangements were continued by Captain Prince.

A new era in his life was now beginning; and let us look a moment at him. He is now twenty-one years of age. He is already more learned than many much older than himself, in consequence of his untiring industry and his devotion to study and to duty. Yet he is modest and retiring. He is still full of fun and frolic at times, and always ready for acts of kindness. Above all, he is a good youth; no immorality has stained him. His love of truth had been given him by his mother; and since her death he has loved it still more. It is to him a bright light, as it were, to guide him. Cannot we foresee his career?

FIRST VOYAGE TO INDIA.

On January 11, 1795,—that is, when he was a few months more than twenty-one years of age,—he sailed from Salem in the ship Henry. Though he went as clerk, he was prepared to undertake the more active duties of sailor and mate of the vessel. Thinking that he should be too much occupied to be able to read, he took very few books; and therefore he devoted much more time to observations of the heavenly bodies, the state of the weather, &c., while at sea, and upon the manners and habits of the nations he visited. Though he had not been educated as a sailor-boy, his studies had led him to understand the most important part of a seaman’s life, the art of guiding the vessel from one shore to another, across the ocean. In other words, he had studied much on navigation, and copied books upon that subject.

JOURNAL—MOTTO.

The Journal which he kept during the voyage is quite long. One of the first lines you meet, on opening the book, is the motto which he chose for himself. It is in Latin, and means, that he would do what he thought to be right, and not obey the dictates of any man. He notes the events of every day, most of which are similar; but occasionally something unusual occurs.

SLAVERY.

February 7, 1795, he writes thus: “At ten A. M., spoke a ship, twenty-five days out, from Liverpool, bound to Africa. We discovered her this morning, just before sunrise, and supposed her to be a frigate.” They discovered soon that it was a negro slave-ship, and he exclaims thus: “God grant that the detestable traffic which she pursues may soon cease, and that the tawny sons of Africa may be permitted quietly to enjoy the blessings of liberty in their native land.”

“February 22. We remember with gratitude that this is the anniversary of the birth of our beloved Washington—the man who unites all hearts. May he long continue a blessing to his country and to mankind at large!”

During the passage to the Isle of Bourbon, situated, as you know, east of the southern extremity of Africa, he frequently alludes to his native land in terms of respect and love. On May 8, the ship arrived in the harbor of Bourbon. Perhaps you may like to see his description of the town.

BOURBON.

“May 9. After dinner, Captain P., Mr. B., and I, went to see the town. It is a fine place. All the streets run in straight lines from the shore, and cross one another at right angles. There is a church here, with a priest to officiate. I went into it. We afterwards went into the republican garden. It is a beautiful place, though at present much neglected. The different walks are made to meet in the centre, and form the figure of a star, each one of the rays of which is formed by thirty-four mango trees, placed from twelve to fourteen feet apart. All the houses of the island are built very low; they have no chimneys. They are two stories high (about ten feet), have lattice windows, outside of which are wooden ones to keep off the sun and rain. The floors are made of the wood of the country, on which they rub wax, as the women of America do on their furniture. It makes them very slippery.” There are other places of which he speaks, and in them he finds flower-gardens in abundance, intermixed with groves of coffee and orange trees, &c.

He afterwards alludes to the poor slaves, who, it appeared, suffered as much there as they do in some other places at the present day.

HABITS THERE.

He visits the people of the place, and finds them superstitious and vicious. Alluding to the vice he found there, he writes, “I was reminded of the beautiful words of Solomon, in the Proverbs.” This was not the only occasion on which he remembered his Bible; and it seemed always to have a kindly influence over him. On one occasion, several young men argued with him about its truth; and, having heard them patiently, he put his hand over his heart: “Talk no more about it. I know that the Bible is true; that it is capable of doing to me the greatest good. I know so by the feelings I have here.”

After remaining in this place until July 25, he set sail for home, and arrived in Salem January 11, 1796, having been absent exactly twelve months.

CHAPTER IV.

From 1796 to 1797—age, 23-4.

Second voyage.—Visits Lisbon.—Island of Madeira; festival and games there.—Anecdotes of his skill as an accountant.—Doubles Cape of Good Hope.—Albatrosses.—Arrival at Manilla.—Extracts from Journal.—Curious boat.—Earthquake.—Voyage home.

AT SEA AGAIN.

SECOND VOYAGE.

After remaining at home about two months, he again sailed in the same ship, and with Captain Prince. On the 26th of the following March, they prepared to sail from Salem harbor; but, being prevented by contrary winds from getting out of the bay, the anchor was dropped during the night, and on the following morning, under fair but strong breezes, Mr. Bowditch was again on his way across the wide Atlantic. His course was towards Lisbon, situated at the mouth of the River Tagus, in Portugal. The first part of the voyage was unpleasant, because cloudy and stormy weather prevailed most of the time; but during the latter part, under pleasant and mild breezes from the south, the ship rode gayly onwards, and, on the morning of April 24, the vessel was within sight of Lisbon, with its beautiful and romantic country behind it. Lisbon is the chief city of Portugal, and presents a very superb appearance when viewed from a vessel which is entering the harbor. It is the principal commercial place in the kingdom. Its inhabitants are among the richest. In consequence of its being the place of residence of the kings of Portugal, many magnificent country-seats, or villas, are seen on all the vine-covered hills of the adjacent country.

The stay at this city was short, and the opportunities for visiting the interesting places in it very limited. Mr. Bowditch seems not to have been particularly pleased with its appearance. At the time he was there, probably, much less attention was paid to the cleanliness of the streets than there is now. But he spent the 28th and 29th of April in walking about the city, and says in his Journal, that he “found nothing remarkable.”

LISBON, INCIDENT.

It was at Lisbon that Mr. Bowditch discovered the advantage of having learned to speak French, to which I alluded at the close of the second chapter. Though a Portuguese port, the custom-house officers understood French; and no one on board but he could speak any other language than the English. The consequence was, that he acted as interpreter, which was, of course, a great help to the captain. This incident made a deep impression upon his mind; and in after-life, when a person in conversation expressed a doubt about the importance of any kind of knowledge, because for the time it seemed useless, he would reply, “O, study everything, and your learning will, some time or other, be of service. I once said that I would not learn to speak French, because I thought that I should never leave my native town; yet, within a few years afterwards, I was in a foreign port, and I became sole interpreter of the ship’s crew, in consequence of my power to speak this language.”

MADEIRA.

GAMES.

On the 30th, having taken on board a quantity of wine, they again were ready for sea; but, owing to bad weather, they did not sail until the 6th of May, when the ship dropped down the river. On the 6th it was on its way to the Island of Madeira, which is a small island, situated about three hundred and sixty miles from the northern part of Africa. At eleven o’clock, May 15, the island was discovered; and, under full sail, the ship swept along the shore until nine in the evening, when they hailed a pilot, who came on board, from the town of Funchal. Mr. Pintard, the American consul of the place, greeted them very cordially. The ship spent six days there, taking in more wine,—for which the country is famous,—and sailed from it on Thursday morning, May 26, 1796. During this residence at Mr. Pintard’s, Mr. Bowditch saw some feats of horsemanship, about which you may like to hear. They are thus described in his Journal: “A ring being suspended by a small wire, about ten feet from the ground, at the entrance of the gate of the public garden, a horseman attempted to strike it, and carry it off, while upon full gallop. If he gained the prize, he was attended by the master of ceremonies, mounted on a small colt fantastically adorned with ribbons, &c., with a most deformed mask, who generally gave him a reward fully proportioned to the merit of the action; perhaps a whistle, a small flower, or some little image. During the next day, no business was done by the inhabitants; but the whole of it was devoted to amusements similar to those of the preceding. Again there were masquerades, and some of the richest men in the place joined with the crowd, masked like the people. Others were very richly dressed, like Turks, East Indians, &c. One of them wore a head-dress worth, it was said, forty or fifty thousand dollars.” From this description, slight as it is, we may see the difference in the customs between these inhabitants of Madeira and the Americans.

ANECDOTE.

Captain Prince relates the following anecdotes, which occurred during their residence at Madeira. I shall use Captain Prince’s words.

“I was one day walking with an American shipmaster at Madeira, who, in the course of conversation, asked me who that young man (alluding to Mr. Bowditch) was. I replied, that he was clerk of the ship under my command, and remarked that he was a great calculator. ‘Well,’ said the gentleman, ‘I can set him a sum that he can’t do.’ I answered that I did not believe it. The gentleman then proposed a wager of a dinner to all the American masters in port, that he could set him such a sum. The wager was accepted by me, and we repaired to the hotel, where we found Mr. B. alone. The gentleman was introduced, and the question stated to Mr. Bowditch, with the interrogatory, Can you do it? The reply was, Yes. The great sum which had puzzled the brains of the gentleman and all his friends at home, for a whole winter, was done in a few minutes. I remember the question. It was this: To dig a ditch around an acre of land, how deep and how wide must that ditch be, to raise the acre of land one foot?

KNOWLEDGE OF NAVIGATION.

“One day, Mr. Bowditch and myself received a visit from a Mr. Murray, a Scotchman, who was at that port, having under his charge a valuable cargo of English goods, and who made many inquiries concerning the Americans. He asked particularly what passage we had made against the north-east monsoon, and remarked that it was very surprising that the Americans should come so far, and undertake such difficult voyages, with so little knowledge as they possessed of the science of navigation. In reply to his remark, I told him that I had on board twelve men, all of whom were as well acquainted with working lunar observations for all the practical purposes of navigation, as Sir Isaac Newton would be, should he come on earth. Mr. M. asked how my crew came by that knowledge. I told him, in the same manner that other men came by theirs. He thought it so wonderful, that (as he afterwards told me) he went down to the landing-place, on Sunday, to see my knowing crew come on shore. During all this conversation, Mr. Bowditch remained silent, sitting with his slate pencil in his mouth, and as modest as a maid. Mr. Kean, a broker, who was also present, observed to Murray, ‘Sir, if you knew what I know concerning that ship, you would not talk quite so fast.’ ‘And what do you know?’ asked Murray. ‘I know,’ replied Kean, ‘that there is more knowledge of navigation on board that American ship (the Astræa) than there has been in all the ships that ever came into Manilla Bay.’”

TEACHES THE SAILORS.

Mr. Bowditch, during this and the previous voyage, had been in the habit of teaching navigation to the sailors; so that it is probable that, considering the number of persons then on board who really understood practical navigation, Mr. Kean was not so extravagant in his remark as at first sight he seems to be.

LUNAR RAINBOW.

May 26, as we have already said, he sailed for India. On July 1, the Island of Trinidad was within sight. They did not stop there, but keeping on their course steadily, two days afterwards crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, in the Southern Hemisphere. On the 17th, during the night, it having rained during the day, the young sailor observed, what we rarely see in this part of the world and on land, but which is not uncommon at sea, a beautiful lunar rainbow. It is caused in the same manner as those rainbows which are seen after a summer shower in the daytime, when the sun is just coming out brightly, and the clouds, which cause the bow to be formed, are passing away afar off in the opposite part of the heavens. But the difference between the solar and lunar rainbows is very great. The solar is grander and has more brilliant coloring, while the lunar bow has a more delicate outline and lighter tints.

August 1, the Journal says, “All the latter part of these twenty-four hours, fine breezes and pleasant, smooth sea. Ever since crossing the Cape [of Good Hope], we have seen a great number of albatrosses, but no fish.” These birds are the largest of marine birds. They at times fly and swim (for they are web-footed) to a great distance from land, living upon the fish and other things which may fall in their way. It is said that, as they come gently rising over the waves of the sea, they present a very pleasing sight to the sailor who has been for many months upon the ocean, separated from living things.

PHOSPHORESCENT LIGHT.

For some weeks afterwards, the ship met with severe weather, until September 7, when, according to previous expectation, they saw the land of the Island of Java. The day before their arrival at that place, a curious phenomenon was observed, the account of which I will copy from the Journal. “At seven P. M., the water, as for the two nights past, became of a perfect milk color, through the whole extent of the horizon. We drew a bucket of it in order to determine whether there was anything in it to account for the curious phenomenon. When seen by candlelight, nothing could be observed; but, when carried into a dark place, it appeared full of small, bright, cylindric substances, of the nature of a jelly, about the size of a small wire, and a quarter of an inch long. Some large jellies floated on the water at the same time, and looked like long pieces of wood. The sky all this time was perfectly clear; not a cloud to be seen. About three A. M. the water began to take its usual color. Next morning we examined the water which had appeared so shining in the night; but nothing could be discovered in it, although it was viewed in a very dark place. In the forenoon the sea appeared somewhat colored, of a greenish hue; but some of it, being taken up and carried from the light, appeared colorless.”

ISLAND OF JAVA.

ARRIVAL AT MANILLA.

The next morning the high lands of the Island of Java came in sight on the horizon, at the distance of about twenty miles towards the east. The Journal kept during his passage through the Straits of Sunda is interesting, because the greatest care was necessary to keep the ship off from the shoals which abound there. The current runs at times very swiftly, the strait being between the large islands of Sumatra and Java, and on the 9th, the force of this current, and strong headwinds, compelled the captain to cast anchor two or three times. Finally, on the 17th, the ship was fairly out of the Straits of Sunda and Straits of Banca, having been ten days, during sultry weather, toiling, with much danger, amid coral reefs and shoals. The remainder of the voyage along by the coast of Borneo to the city of Manilla, the capital of the chief of the Philippine Islands, was more speedy. At six in the morning of Sunday, October 2, 1796, the Island of Luzon was in sight towards the east, about eighteen miles off. That same evening they cast anchor in Manilla Bay, it being a little more than six months since the sailor had left his home in Salem.

COSTUMES OF THE PEOPLE.

The following are some extracts from his Journal while in the city. Under date of October 4, he says, “No coffee can be procured here; the Spaniards, not being very fond of it, cultivate the cocoa instead. The common drink of the natives is sweetmeats and water, which beverage, they say, is wholesome and agreeable. Large quantities of wax are produced here; but it is very dear, owing to the great consumption of it in the churches, of which there are a great number in Manilla and its environs. There are a few bishops in the island, and one archbishop, whose power is very great. The priests are very powerful, every native wearing the image of the Virgin Mary, a cross, or some such thing. No books are allowed to be imported contrary to their religion. The commandant who makes the visit examines every vessel.... The inhabitants of the city and suburbs are very numerous, amounting to nearly three hundred thousand. In the Philippines there are about two or three millions. A great number are Chinese; and in general they are a well-made people. Their common dress is a shirt, and trousers, or jackets and trousers. The women have great numbers of handkerchiefs about them, so as to be entirely covered. The natives are well used by the Spaniards, the King of Spain, in all his public papers, calling them his children.” From these extracts you may judge of Mr. Bowditch’s mode of studying a people when residing with strangers. He afterwards speaks of their games, &c.

SINGULAR BOAT.

The following description of a boat appears on record of October 5: “At twelve, set sail for Cavite in one of the passage-boats, which is very inconvenient for passengers; being nearly three hours before arriving at Cavite, during which time I was basking in the sun. Their boats and manner of sailing are very curious. Having generally light winds, they make their mat sails very large, and the boats, made of the bodies of trees, are very long and narrow; so that there would be great danger of upsetting, if it were not for “out-riggers,” which they have on each side, consisting of two bamboos about eight or ten feet long, whose ends are joined to another long bamboo, running lengthwise of the boat. The lee one, on a flaw of wind, sinks a little in the water, and, being buoyant, keeps the boats from upsetting; and on the weather [that is, towards the wind] ones the persons in the boat are continually going out and in, according to the force of the breeze. In a fresh breeze there will be six or eight men at the end of the bamboo, there being ropes leading from the top of the mast to different parts of the bamboo, to support them as they go. By this means they keep the boat always upright, and make it sail very fast, in a good breeze going five or six knots.” After this, a good account is given of the mode of counting used by the Malays.

EARTHQUAKE.

“November 5. About two P. M. there came on, without any preceding noise, a very violent shock of an earthquake. It commenced towards the north, and ran very nearly in a southerly direction. It continued nearly two minutes; everything appeared in motion. When it happened, the captain and myself were sitting reading, and we immediately ran out of the house. All the natives were down on their knees, in the middle of the streets, praying and crossing themselves. It was the most violent earthquake known for a number of years. It threw down a large house about half a league from the city, untiled one of their churches, and did considerable damage to the houses about the city and its suburbs. Nothing of it was felt on board the shipping.”

HOME AGAIN.

On Monday, December 12, having sold their wines and laden their vessel with sugar, indigo, pepper, and hides, the party set sail from Manilla, heartily tired with the vices and superstitions of the place. Retracing their course through the Straits of Sunda, with much difficulty they regained the Indian Ocean, and then, setting full sail, they once more looked towards home.

In coming round the Cape of Good Hope, the wind was very favorable. During their passage, several ships were met with, all of whom told them of home, and of the beginning of troubles between America and France, and England. Finally, at six A. M., they saw Cape Ann towards the north-west, and at two P. M., May 22, 1797, the vessel was riding at anchor in Salem harbor, having been about half round the world, and nearly fourteen months from Salem.

CHAPTER V.

From 1797 to 1800—age, 24-7.

Marriage.—Third voyage; visits Spain.—Dangers.—Earl St. Vincent’s fleet.—Arrival at Cadiz.—Observatory at Cadiz.—Sails for Alicant.—Passage through the Straits of Gibraltar.—Privateers; chased by one; anecdotes of Mr. B.’s love of study shown then.—Hears news of the death of his wife; consoles himself with mathematical studies.—More troubles with privateers.—Leaves Alicant.—Advantages derived from his visit to Spain.—Fourth voyage; to India.—Extracts from Journal on viewing a ship that was engaged in the slave trade.—Arrival at Java; introduction to the governor; respect formerly paid to him.—Anecdote of English navy officers.—Goes to Batavia and Manilla.—Observations of Jupiter while becalmed near the Celebean Islands.—Voyage home.

TRADES FOR HIMSELF.

FIRST MARRIAGE.

During these two voyages, Mr. Bowditch had been engaged in trade for himself; and having thereby gained a little property, he wished to remain at home and enjoy the blessings of domestic life, from which he had been separated at the age of ten years, when he left the abode of his parents. In accordance with this wish, on the 25th day of March, 1798, he married an excellent and intelligent woman, named Elizabeth Boardman. But in a few months he was again called to a seafaring life. His young and beautiful wife was already beginning to show symptoms of that disease which eventually removed her from her husband and friends. It was a hard struggle for the tenderly attached couple to separate; but duty called the husband, and obedience to duty was always his watchword. Accordingly, by August 15, 1798, he was prepared for sea, in the same ship, with the same owner, Captain Derby, and his friend Captain Prince. On this occasion he went as joint supercargo. It was on the 21st of August—nearly five months from the date of his marriage—that he bade adieu to his wife. He never saw her again. Full of devotedness to him, she, however, urged him to do what he thought right, unconscious that she should never more embrace him. During his absence she died at the age of eighteen years.

VOYAGE TO SPAIN.

One of the objects of the present voyage was to go to Cadiz, the chief southern port in Spain. It was rather dangerous at this time for any vessel to sail towards Europe, as the revolution in France had taken place only a short time before, and most of the nations of Europe were beginning to rise against that country; but as Spain was united with France, an English fleet was hovering about the Straits of Gibraltar. The consequence was, that it was of great importance to avoid all vessels, for fear of meeting a privateer.

On the 19th of September, after nearly a month’s voyage, they came within sight of the shores of Spain; and at seven A. M. the next day, they discovered the English fleet, under command of Earl St. Vincent, several leagues to the eastward of them. On this same day they were boarded by the captain of an American vessel, who informed them that the privateers were very numerous in the straits.

CADIZ.

By Mr. Bowditch’s Journal we learn the following:—

“On Thursday afternoon, 20th of September, the winds continued light and variable to the westward. Captain Prince steered directly for Earl St. Vincent’s fleet, and at two P. M. the Hector, of seventy-four guns, Captain Camel, sent his lieutenant on board, ordering us to bear down to him. Captain Prince went aboard, was treated politely, and received a passport to enter Cadiz.” On the 21st, at four P. M., anchor was cast in that harbor.

The state in which poor Spain was at this time was miserable enough. There was but one newspaper in the whole kingdom, and that was printed at Madrid. Everything was degraded about that once noble and brave-hearted people. Upon the appearance of Cadiz the Journal says thus: “The streets of the city, although narrow, are very neatly paved, and swept every day, so that they are very clean. They have broad, flat stones at the sides. All the houses are of stone, with roofs but little sloping. There are fortifications all around the city.”

BATTLE OF THE NILE.

“September 29, 1798. This day news came of the destruction of the French fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, by Lord Nelson.”[3] Of this event you will read in history at some future time; but it was deemed very important at that time by the whole world. It was one of the most formidable checks received by the French after they had begun to overrun Europe.

This news, of course, was very interesting to our voyager; but, although excited by the political and military contests of the day, he did not forget the subject to which, from earliest years, he had devoted himself. You will perceive from the following extracts from his Journal, that he now was studying astronomy. In fact, he had been reading, during his previous voyages, many of the greatest works on mathematics and astronomy.

OBSERVATORY AT CADIZ.

“November 12. During our residence in Cadiz we formed an acquaintance with Count Mallevante, who, before the revolution, commanded a French frigate at Martinico, and at present is a post-captain in the Spanish navy. He carried us to the New Observatory, built on the Island of Cadiz, where we were shown all the instruments they had mounted. There were not any of them very new. The person who went with us was named Cosmo de Churruca. I promised to send him, on my arrival in America, the works of Dr. Holyoke on Meteorology. I gave him my method of working a lunar observation, which he was to print at the end of the Nautical Almanac.”

FRENCH PRIVATEERS.

“At half past four P. M., got under way, and beat out of the harbor of Cadiz, in company with three other American vessels, which sailed under the protection of the Astræa.” They were destined for Alicante, and consequently their course lay through the Straits of Gibraltar, up along the south-eastern coast of Spain. On the afternoon of the 14th, they fell in again with the English fleet, which, with those under their convoy, consisted of forty-five vessels. As the fleet was steering in the same direction, they kept company with it, being all bound for the Straits of Gibraltar. Next day they saw another convoy of twenty vessels, and two of those accompanying the Astræa joined it. The Astræa was obliged to fall behind, because the remaining vessel under its protection sailed too slowly. On the 18th the whole convoy entered the Straits, except one, which was chased by French privateers, ten of which could be counted in full view; but, on the approach of the Astræa, the enemy retreated.

FEARLESSNESS.

DANGERS FROM PIRATES.

The moon was shining brightly on the night of the 19th of November, 1799. Many times had the bell broken over the silent sea from the ship’s deck, telling of the passing hours, when suddenly the crew of the Astræa was called to quarters, for a suspicious sail was seen bearing down towards them. The cannon, of which nineteen were on board, were all cleared for action, and every sailor, placed at his post, watched anxiously as the privateer came rapidly towards them. Captain Prince assigned to Mr. Bowditch a station in the cabin, through which the powder was to be passed to the deck. When all on deck was ready, and that deep and solemn silence which always comes over every part of a ship that is just approaching the enemy, was beginning to creep over those on board the Astræa, the captain stepped for a moment into the cabin to see if everything was in order; and “there sat Mr. Bowditch at the cabin table, with his slate and pencil in hand, and with the cartridges lying by his side.” Entirely absorbed with his problem, he forgot all danger, thus showing that his love of science, even when in imminent peril, was superior to all feelings of fear. This anecdote, doubtless, will amuse you. It reminds me of the geometrician Archimedes, who lived two hundred years before Christ, who, as some of you may know, was slain by the soldiers of the Roman General Marcellus, when they sacked the city of Syracuse. Archimedes had labored much for his countrymen during the siege, but finally, it is said, became so engaged in his studies that he did not know that the soldiers had taken possession of the town until they attacked and killed him. Fortunately, in the case of Mr. Bowditch, no evil ensued. Captain Prince could not restrain himself, but burst into a loud laugh, and asked Mr. Bowditch whether he could make his will at that moment; to which question Mr. Bowditch answered, with a smile, in the affirmative. Captain Prince adds, “But on all occasions of danger he manifested great firmness, and, after the affair of the privateer (which, by the by, did not molest us), he requested to be stationed at one of the guns, which request was granted him.”

SORROW RELIEVED BY STUDY.

In this way they continued cruising along the beautiful Mediterranean, but perpetually exposed to danger. Now they come within sight of the high lands of Malaga, and shortly they fly away from some pirate on the broad sea. Now they are quietly sailing along under the warm and sunny skies of an Andalusian climate, and again, in the course of a few hours, are driven by the current and tempest far away to the south-west. Finally, after a tedious passage, the ship was moored, on Friday evening, November 23, in the harbor of Alicante. After considerable difficulty and delay because the city authorities were afraid of disease being brought into the place by the crews of the ships, they were at length allowed to go on shore. Here melancholy tidings awaited our voyager. By a Salem vessel that had arrived at Cadiz, news came of the death of his wife some time in the preceding October. He made no complaints, however, but quietly sought to interest his mind in his favorite pursuit of astronomy. He always did so whenever any trouble came upon him. In this way he consoled himself, and was not a burden to others by allowing his sorrows to disturb them.

INSOLENCE OF PRIVATEERS.

January 24, 1799, having finished loading the ship with brandy, they would have sailed, had not the wind prevented. On February 11th they were still detained by head winds; but now, to their discomfort, they saw a French privateer cruising off in the bay at the mouth of the harbor. It was evidently waiting to intrap some one of the American vessels. On the next day the daring of the privateer commander arose to such a height, that he rowed in his barge all around the American fleet, and insulted some of the seamen. Towards evening of February 13, Mr. Bowditch narrowly escaped serious difficulty with them, as the privateer barge and the American boat coming from shore came in contact; but the former received the most damage, and Mr. Bowditch got safely on board the Astræa. On the 14th, the brigand of the sea departed, and his ship was soon seen gradually losing itself in the distance over the blue Mediterranean.

TO INDIA.

On the next day the convoy sailed. It consisted of five vessels, and by twenty-four hours of favorable breezes they were brought within thirty miles of the coast of Barbary; and, after some trouble in consequence of being obliged to take in tow those of the convoy which sailed more slowly, the Astræa was fairly out from the Straits of Gibraltar by February 24, that is, three days from the time of leaving Alicante.

During half the passage home, some of the convoy were in company with them. They had rough seas; but on the 6th of April, at ten o’clock at night, Mr. Bowditch arrived in Salem harbor, having been absent nearly nine months.

This visit to Spain was of service to him in many respects. He there obtained many books on astronomy and navigation, and some celebrated works on history, all of which he studied with care on his voyage home. He, moreover, had gained some knowledge by his visit to the Observatory.

STUDIES DURING THE VOYAGE.

He was not destined to remain at home a long while; but the Astræa having been sold to a merchant in Boston, Mr. Bowditch sailed with Captain Prince from that city on the 23d of the following July, bound for India. It was a long, and to most persons a tedious voyage that he was about to undertake; but to Mr. Bowditch it was the means of improvement. While the ship was sailing quietly along, or sinking lazily from one swell of the sea to another, or being tossed about by the most violent gale, Mr. Bowditch was still laboring at his books. During this voyage, as during the preceding, he did not perform much duty, except when in port, and, consequently, on board ship he had a great deal of time to be devoted to study. And he worthily filled every moment with reading and study to improve himself or others. During this voyage, as in previous ones, he taught the sailors practical navigation. Very few incidents worth mentioning occurred during the voyage; but on the 15th of September, 1799, we find the following in his Journal: “The ship in sight yesterday soon proved to be an English Guineaman. As we came up with him he fired a gun to leeward, which we returned. As we came nearer, he fired one to windward. We returned the compliment and nearly hulled him. When within hail, he ordered our boat out, which Captain Prince refused, telling him to come on board if he wanted anything. Finally, he requested Captain Prince to haul out our boat, as his was calking, which we could plainly see. Mr. Carlton went on board with the clearance, and the surgeon came aboard of us, and, after examining our papers and acting in a manner becoming a Guineaman, they made sail.”

SLAVE SHIP FROM GUINEA.

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY.

In order to understand this allusion to the Guineaman, you should know that, at the time we are reading of, the greater part of English merchants, especially those of Liverpool, were engaged in the horrid traffic called the Slave Trade. Immense numbers of vessels were annually sent from Liverpool and other places in England for the sole purpose of sailing to the coast of Africa, there to get a cargo of the poor natives, whom they carried to the West Indian Islands and America, in order that they might be sold, as slaves, into perpetual bondage. Men, women, and children, were taken indiscriminately, and crammed together, like bales of cotton or any other goods, between the decks of the vessels. You may imagine that those who could engage in such abominable proceedings must have lost all the feelings of humanity. They were used to blood and rapine; hence you can understand the reason why Mr. Bowditch uses the term of reproach that he does. I thank Heaven—and I feel sure you will agree with me—that, by the efforts of devoted men and women in England and elsewhere, that trade has been formally abolished by Great Britain, and that every man who now sets his foot on British soil becomes free. Thank God, also, that our late civil war has destroyed every vestige of American slavery, and that we can claim, that no slave can now breathe on the soil of England or America. But to return to the Astræa.

BATAVIA.

On December 17 they arrived at Batavia, the chief city of the Island of Java. The following will give you some idea of the place and persons in it:—

“Upon our arrival, after making our report to the custom-house, we proceeded to the Saabandar, who introduced us to the governor and the governor-general, who is commander-in-chief, and formerly lived in all the splendor of an Asiatic monarch. At present the outward marks of respect are far less than they were twenty or thirty years ago. In former times he was attended by his guards, preceded by two trumpeters. Every carriage was forced to stop, and the persons within obliged to dismount, under the penalty of one hundred ducatoons (about one hundred and sixty-seven dollars). Captain —— refused even to stop his carriage, and forced his coachman to drive on. The officers of an English squadron lying at Batavia, in order to show their contempt of the procession, formed a party similar to that attending the governor, only, instead of the aids with their staves, one of the officers bore a staff with a cow’s horn tipped with gold, and another an empty bottle. The rest of the officers of the fleet met this procession, and made their respects to it, as the natives did to the governor. At present, all these practices are brought into contempt, so that none now stop for any officers of government.”

THE PLANET JUPITER.

The Astræa remained but four days at Batavia, the captain finding that he could not fill his vessel with coffee, as he intended. Consequently, after taking a fresh supply of provisions and of water, they weighed anchor, and bore towards the north, with the intention of visiting Manilla, as on his second voyage. Traversing the Straits of Macassar, they passed slowly up through the China Sea, and anchored in Manilla Bay on the 14th of February, 1800. During this passage we find Mr. Bowditch still occupied in the study of science. When floating, becalmed, among the islands, during the quiet night, he is observing the appearance of the planet Jupiter, and studying the motions of its beautiful satellites. As he was thus occupied, he thought of the immense power of that Being who first put the bright planet in its appropriate place, and caused it to revolve around our sun, while its own little satellites, like four moons, were to keep it company, silently and grandly, in its mysterious course.

DEATH OF WASHINGTON.

After remaining at Manilla long enough to get a cargo, the ship was prepared for home. On the 23d of March it sailed, and during a passage of six months very little occurred to interrupt Mr. Bowditch’s daily labors. It arrived on the 16th of September, 1800. About a fortnight before this,—September 2, a ship was observed to windward, which bore down upon them. By the captain they were informed of the melancholy news (as Mr. Bowditch says in his Journal) “of the death of our beloved Washington. Thus,” continues he, “has finished the career of that illustrious man, that great general, that consummate statesman, that elegant writer, that real patriot, that friend to his country and to all mankind!”

During these different voyages Mr. Bowditch gained more property. Having obtained, likewise, what was much better, a reputation, among his fellow-citizens, as a man of great learning, perseverance, extraordinary skill in the transaction of business, and unyielding uprightness, he determined to remain at home. He therefore bade farewell to the sailor’s life, as he supposed, forever.

CHAPTER VI.

From 1800 to 1803—age, 27-30.

Second marriage; character of his wife.—Mr. Bowditch engages in commerce for two years.—School committee.—East India Marine Society; a description of the annual meeting of this society.—Mr. Bowditch becomes part owner of ship Putnam, and sails for India.—Anecdote, occurrence a few days after leaving Salem.—Studies during the long voyage.—Begins to study and make notes upon La Place’s “Mécanique Céleste.”—Arrival off Sumatra; difficulties there.—Boarded by English man-of-war.—Revisits Isle of France.—Journal extracts about modes of procuring pepper; seasons for it, &c.—Incident on approaching Salem harbor.—Decision of Mr. Bowditch.

SECOND MARRIAGE.

CHARACTER OF HIS WIFE.

On the 28th of October, 1800, Mr. Bowditch married his cousin, Mary Ingersoll. She was destined to live with him thirty-four years, and was the source of much of his happiness in life. She was a person in some respects as remarkable as her husband. She was possessed of excellent judgment, unwearying kindness and love. She had also an elastic cheerfulness which scarcely anything could subdue, and very strong religious feelings. She was constantly trying to aid him. Instead of seeking for enjoyment in display, she preferred economical retirement, and great but respectable frugality, in order that her husband might pursue more thoroughly and easily his favorite studies, and might purchase books of science. Instead of collecting beautiful furniture, she called her visitors to see the new works of learning that her husband had imported from foreign lands. Yet, with all this devoted love, with all this reverence for his talents and virtues, she remained his true friend, and never shrunk from fully expressing her own opinion upon every matter of duty; and if, perchance, she differed from him, she maintained her side of the question with the zeal of a saint. It has been often said, that, had Mr. Bowditch been united with a woman of a different temperament, he would have been an entirely different person. He loved study, it was true; but none enjoyed more than he the delights of a family circle. None needed more than he did the kindness of a wife and children. She lived with him thirty-four years, and on the 17th of April, 1834, she died of consumption, after long and severe suffering.

REPUTATION AT HOME.

EAST INDIA MARINE SOCIETY.

But I am anticipating my story. For two years after his arrival from his last voyage, Mr. Bowditch remained at home, and engaged as a merchant in commerce. We find him generally, in connection with his old friend Captain Prince, trying his fortunes by adventures of money sent to different parts of the world. In 1802 he owned one sixth of a small schooner and its cargo, valued at nine hundred and eleven dollars. During this long residence in town, his fame had increased. He had become known among his fellow-citizens as an “able mathematician.”[4] He was therefore appointed to offices of honor and trust. He was a member of the school committee of the town. This boy, who had been obliged to leave school at the age of ten years and three months, was now, at the age of twenty-five years, appointed to superintend the instruction of others. He was secretary of the East India Marine Society of Salem. This society had one of the most interesting collections of East Indian curiosities that can be found in America. It is now in the possession of the Essex Institute. The East India Marine Society was composed of the most influential men in Salem. No one could be enrolled among their number unless he had sailed, as captain or supercargo of a vessel, around either Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. It was intended as a benevolent society, for the relief of the families of deceased members, and also for the promotion of the art of navigation. Mr. Bowditch was one of its most active members. In the early part of this century, the society was accustomed, on the days of its annual meeting, to have a public procession. A description of one of these processions may not be uninteresting to you. I quote the words of an eye-witness[5] of a celebration that occurred two years later than the period of which I am speaking; but the date is unimportant, as the ceremony was the same. “January 4, 1804. This day was the annual meeting of the East India Marine Society. As the clergy attend in turn, this occasion afforded me an opportunity to enjoy the day with them. After business, but before dinner, they moved in procession, but the ice limited the distance. Each of the brethren bore some Indian curiosity, and the palanquin was borne by negroes dressed nearly in the Indian manner. A person dressed in Chinese habits, and masked, passed in front. The crowd of spectators was great. Several gentlemen were invited to dine. Instrumental music was provided in the town, for the first time, and consisted of a bass drum, bassoon, clarinet, and flute (!), and was very acceptable. There was no singing.” ... “It is a most happy arrangement,” continues this writer, “to deliver all the papers of this company into the hands of Mr. Nathaniel Bowditch, lately returned from his voyage to India, that they may be prepared for public inspection.”

In July, 1802, Mr. Bowditch bought a part of a small vessel engaged in a sealing voyage; but he lost, by this adventure, half of his investment. In September of the same year, he, with three others, bought the new ship Putnam, built a short time previously, at Danvers. This purchase probably caused a change in his determination of never going to sea again.

SAILS HIS LAST VOYAGE.

ANECDOTE.

STUDIES MÉCANIQUE CÉLESTE.

On the 21st of November he sailed as master, and owner of one small part of the whole ship and cargo, valued at fifty-six thousand dollars. Though he went in the capacity of captain, he was determined to do nothing more than direct the course of the ship. He meant to leave to the officers under him all the labor usually expected of commanders. He made an agreement with two skilful persons to take upon themselves these duties. He did so in order that he might be able to pursue his studies more uninterruptedly than would have been possible, had he been obliged to watch every favorable breeze, or the first appearance of a gathering storm. But, as we shall see, whenever real danger called him to duty, he then stood firm, and gave his commands like one who was satisfied that the time had come for him to do so. A few days after leaving the port of Beverly, he was seen walking “fore and aft” the vessel, with rapid steps, and deeply absorbed, apparently, in the solution of a problem. The wind had been blowing freshly for some time; and, while he was meditating, and forgetful of everything else, the mate of the vessel had been hoping that he would see the severe squall which was threatening, and was, even then, skimming fiercely over the troubled water. He feared to suggest to Mr. Bowditch the importance of taking in sail, because the discipline on board ship prevents an inferior officer from interfering with the superior, when the latter is on deck. At length, aroused by the danger of the vessel, he ventured the remark, “Captain, would it not be better to take in the topgallant sails?” These words aroused Mr. Bowditch from his reverie, and he instantly ordered all hands to duty, and fortunately, by his activity and energy, was enabled to furl the extra sail before the gust struck the vessel. But this event taught Mr. Bowditch a lesson; and he gave strict orders to the two officers mentioned above to waive all ceremony with him, and to take the command of the ship whether he was on deck or not. This rule was afterwards always observed, except on difficult occasions; and then Mr. Bowditch assumed the authority of commanding officer. On these occasions, by his calmness and sagacity he gained the respect and confidence of those in employment under him. Before the termination of this voyage, we shall see a striking example of this. But now let us proceed on our expedition with him, and again cross the Atlantic, pass around the Cape of Good Hope to the islands of the Indian Ocean. But I should premise, that, as he had become more acquainted with mathematics and philosophy, he had imported from Europe most of the great works on these subjects; and he now was prepared to devote himself more closely than ever to the darling object of his life—the attainment of a knowledge of the truths of science. He was determined, on this voyage, to undertake the thorough study of one work on the heavens—a book which he had understood was above anything ever before written by man on that subject. Imagine, if you can, the zeal and delight with which he must have approached this book upon a subject that had interested him from earliest years. Doubtless he thought not, then, of the fame he was to gain from it. The name of it you will like to know. I shall speak of it again; but, meanwhile, I will merely mention that it was called “A Treatise on the Mechanism of the Heavens,”—Mécanique Céleste,—and was written, in French, by a mathematician named La Place, the greatest scientific man, after Newton, of modern times. But this was not the only work Mr. Bowditch took with him. He had many of the most important works which had been published on the same subject, they having been imported for him by a bookseller named Blunt, in payment of services rendered.

STUDIES AT SEA.

These various studies of course influenced his Journal. He was an observer of passing events; but he recorded less of them than on the preceding voyages.

By the first record, it appears that on “Sunday, November 21, 1802, at one o’clock P. M., sailed from Captain Hill’s wharf, in Beverly. At two, passed Baker’s Island lights, with fine and pleasant breeze.” This fair weather lasted but a few days, and by far the greater part of the voyage was uncomfortable, in consequence of the prevalence of rain and wind. On January 25, 1803, he saw the islands of Tristan d’Acunha, and, whilst coursing along under easy sail, took several observations of them, and made a chart of their various positions.

ARRIVAL AT SUMATRA.

VISIT TO ISLE OF FRANCE.

PEPPER ISLANDS.

On the 2d of May he arrived among the Pepper Islands, near the coast of Sumatra. He found several American captains there, all actively engaged in loading their vessels with pepper. He had considerable difficulty in making any arrangement with the Rajahs of different places; but at length, having touched, without success, at several ports, he began to load at Tally-Poo, on the 9th of May. There he continued until the 18th of July, when, by his Journal, it appears that, having wasted a number of days, expecting that more pepper would be brought to the shore, he at last was informed by the Rajah he would not be allowed any more. Knowing that he should meet with equal trouble at every place on the coast, he concluded to quit it, and call at the Isle of France on his homeward passage. During their voyage, amid the various shoals and islands which abound here, they met with no inconvenience and no interruption, save that they anchored once or twice, towards night, and on the 25th of July were obliged to heave to, under the fire of two English ships of war, one named the Royal George, the commander of which took the liberty of searching, for the purpose of seeing whether there were any Englishmen on board.[6] The officer on this occasion was very polite, and the Putnam soon resumed its course, and in seventy-two hours more was on the open sea, under full sail, with the aid of the steady trade-winds of that place and season. On the 24th of August the vessel was in sight of the Isle of France. He there met his old friend Bonnefoy, whom he had left there on his first voyage, in 1795, and likewise many American friends. After purchasing some bags of pepper, and taking on board some provisions, which employed his time for four days, he sailed, for the last time from any foreign port, on Wednesday, August 31, 1803. The voyage homeward was very disagreeable, in consequence of much severe weather. Nothing remarkable happened to enliven the scene; but Mr. Bowditch disregarded the storms and waves. His mind was calm and tranquil, for he was daily occupied with his “peaceful mathematics.” He wrote in his Journal but seldom. There is, however, the following account of the Pepper Islands. “There are several native ports on the north-western coast of Sumatra, where the Americans trade for pepper—Analaboo-Sooso, Tangar, Tally-Poo, Muckie, &c., and several smaller ports, including about fifty miles of the coast. On your arrival at any of these ports, you contract with the Datoo for the pepper, and fix the price. If more than one vessel is at the port, the pepper which daily comes to the scales is shared between them, as they can agree, or they take it day by day, alternately. Sometimes the Datoo contracts to load one vessel before any other one takes any, and he holds to his agreement as long as he finds it for his interest, and no longer; for a handsome present, or an increase in the price, will prevent any more pepper from being brought in for several days; and the person who has made the agreement must either quit the port or offer an additional price.

PEPPER TRADE.

“The pepper season commences in January, when they begin to take from the vines the small kernels at the bottom. In March, April, and May is the height of the crop, at which time the pepper taken from the top of the vines is larger and more solid than that gathered at an earlier period. Many suppose that the pepper is all gathered in May; but I was in some of the gardens in July, and found at the top of the vines large quantities which would be ripe in a few days. The young crop was in considerable forwardness at the bottom of the vines. Some calculate on two crops, but from the best information I could procure there is only one.

“The pepper is generally weighed with American scales and weights, one hundred and thirty-three and a third pounds to a peccul. What is weighed each day is paid for in the evening, the natives not being willing to trust their property in the hands of those they deal with. And they ought to be dealt with in the same manner, it not being prudent to pay in advance to the Datoo, as it would be often difficult to get either the pepper or the money again from him. Spanish dollars are the current coin, but they do not take halves or quarters. They have a pang or piece, of which we could get but eighty for a dollar at Tally-Poo, though at other places they give one hundred or one hundred and twenty for the same.”

NEARING THE COAST.

DANGERS OF THE COAST.

SKILL IN NAVIGATION.

ENTHUSIASM OF THE SAILORS.

HOME.

During the whole voyage, as I have already stated, the weather had been very uncomfortable. The approach to the American coast is at all times hazardous during the winter. The bold and rocky shore, the intense cold and severe snow-storms, which make the day shorter even than common, are so many terrors for the sailor. You may judge of the anxiety of the crew of the Putnam, when, after a tedious absence of more than a year, they at length, towards the middle of December, 1803, after a long period of stormy weather, came upon the shoal grounds off Massachusetts near Nantucket. The sleet and rain had been driving over the ocean for many days. No sun appeared to guide them by day; no star lighted up the night. Groping, as it were, in darkness, they coasted along up the shore, yet not within sight of it, now throwing their sounding-line upon Nantucket, and soon afterwards upon George’s Shoal. There seemed no end to the storm. At length, on the 25th of December, they had approached, according to Mr. Bowditch’s reckoning, from observation made two days before, near to the outer part of Salem harbor. The night was fast closing in. Mr. Bowditch was observed to be on deck, anxiously looking towards the bow of the vessel, as if trying to see something that would enable him to know more exactly the position of the vessel and the precise course it was running. With clear and decided tones, he gave his orders. The seamen heard him, and obeyed promptly. “There is something in the wind,” whispered one; “the old man[7] is above.” “Stand every man at his post,” is the command; “and look out for land ahead.” Fierce gusts of wind swept over Massachusetts Bay, bearing the vessel irresistibly onwards. The snow-storm beat heavily, and at every moment the darkness increased. At length, for a moment, the clouds of drifting snow-flakes parted, and Mr. Bowditch and his mate, who were watching, saw distinctly the light of Baker’s Island. “Light, ho! on the larboard bow,” was passed from one to the other on board that ship, in which were many almost breathless with suspense. It was but for a moment, and again all was obscured. “I am right,” said Mr. Bowditch; “the direction in which we are now steering will carry us soon into Salem harbor.” His prediction was fulfilled, and it was an extraordinary proof of his skill in navigation. He had had no opportunity for observing the sun or moon for two or three days; yet, so accurately had he marked his position in the ocean at the last time of observing, that, by steering in the direction pointed out by the chart, and observing the rate at which the vessel moved, he had been able to calculate so exactly, that, after seventy-two hours of darkness, as it were, he came up within sight of the light-house almost as easily as if he had been steering in open day, with the object distinctly in view. The old tars could not restrain their expressions of admiration; and as, at nine o’clock in the evening, they dropped anchor in safety from the gale that was now beating with tenfold violence outside of the island, they whispered with one another, so that he overheard them, “The old man has done well to-night.” It was the 25th of December, and throughout Christendom the Christmas festival in commemoration of the birth of the Saviour had been celebrated, and friends had all been gathered. Sadness marked their countenances at one home, from which the husband and friend was absent, though long expected. As the blasts beat through the streets, and as the family clustered around the bright, shining fire upon the hearth-stone, as the wind whistled through the casement, the thoughts of the wife were turned from the fireside to the rough ocean on which her husband was tempest-tossed. Many weary weeks had she watched; but day after day had the sun gone down, and, like Rachel, she could not be comforted. She feared that he was lost. One after another of her friends had left her late at night, and finally she was alone. Suddenly she springs up from her seat, aroused by the sound of quick knocking at the street door. She recognizes the tap, and in a few moments she is hanging on his neck from whom she was destined never to be long separated, until death removed her from him for four years, at the end of which time he was placed by death in quietness at her side.

CHAPTER VII.

Review of the labors, &c., performed by Mr. Bowditch, during these voyages.—Habits while at sea; studies; desire to teach others; kindness to sailors and to the sick.—Discovers errors in a book on navigation.—Origin of “American Practical Navigator;” success of it; industry of Mr. Bowditch upon it.—Investigates higher branches of science.—“Mécanique Céleste.”—Mr. Bowditch reads history.—Learns Spanish, French, and Portuguese languages.—Anecdotes.—Chosen member of American Academy.—Receives honors from Harvard College.

A REVIEW.

HABITS AT SEA.

TEACHES THE SAILORS.

CARES FOR THEM WHEN ILL.

Thus finished Mr. Bowditch’s career as a sailor, after he had been about eight years engaged in this pursuit. Let us now review a little, and see what he was doing during these voyages, and how he occupied his time. He was very regular in his habits. During the first two voyages he attended to the duties of mate of the vessel. This, of course, prevented him from studying as much as he otherwise would have done. He, moreover, as we have seen, took fewer books with him. But during the next two voyages, the captain excused him from the watches, and he was able to read with less interruption. After the deck had been washed in the morning, he walked for half an hour. He then went into the cabin to study, until the time arrived at which he was to observe the sun. This was done every day at noon, in order to tell whereabouts in the ocean a vessel is at the moment of the observation. Having finished this, he usually dined. After this he slept a few moments, or took a walk, and then studied again until tea time. After supper he was again at work until nine, when he used to walk for some time, cheerfully talking with his comrades. Afterwards he usually studied until late at night; and in order not to disturb his fellow-passengers, he did not keep a light in the cabin, but frequently stood upon the cabin stairway, reading by the light of the binnacle lamp, where the compass was kept. Whenever the vessel arrived at a port, he was still engaged, but in a different way, perhaps. The instant he was freed from the duties of weighing pepper on the coast of Sumatra, he went to his books. No time was wasted, either in foul or fair weather. It made no difference to him whether the ship was resting motionless upon the water, or tossing upon the heaviest swell, he was always a worker. But there was yet another and still more pleasant trait in his character. He not only loved study himself, but he was determined to persuade all others to love it also. During his first voyage, he used to go to the forecastle, or sailor’s cabin, and carry his books of navigation, and teach the seamen how to guide a ship by the rules found in these books. He then went on deck, and explained to each one the method of using the quadrant and sextant, two instruments used by a sea captain. There was an old man formerly living in Salem, who, when speaking of this disposition of Mr. Bowditch, said, “I was the steward onboard the vessel, and Mr. Bowditch frequently scolded me because I did not come to study with him more steadily.” It is a fact that every sailor on board the ship during that voyage became afterwards captain, and probably some of them would never have risen so high, had it not been for the kindness of their friend. I like to think of this trait in his character. He delighted in learning for its own sake, and he was always pleased when he could find some one upon whom he could bestow all his acquirements. He had no mean standard of comparison between himself and his fellows, but desired to give and receive as much good as it was possible for him to bestow or accept.

He was beloved for this by all: but his kindness of heart led him not merely to teach those who knew less than he, but he did all he could to relieve them when ill. One of them wrote in a letter answering my inquiries, after alluding to Mr. Bowditch’s willingness to teach others, “But kindness and attention to the poor seasick cabin-boy are to this day [April, 1838] uppermost in my memory, and will last when his learning is remembered no more.” He might have been as learned, without displaying this regard for others. But he would not then have had such tributes of love as was displayed by this old sailor, who remembered his kindness rather than his instruction.

STUDY OF MATHEMATICS.

BOWDITCH’S NAVIGATOR.

ORIGIN OF IT.

SUCCESS.

FAVORABLE NOTICE.

But let us examine his particular studies pursued while at sea. We have already seen that from a boy he had liked simple arithmetic, and on becoming older had studied deeply into mathematics—a kind of learning similar in character to arithmetic, only much more difficult and important. During the long voyages to India, he had ample opportunity for following this branch of science; consequently we find that he was chiefly occupied with that subject. On the first voyage he discovered many errors in a book on navigation, some of which were so important, that in consequence of them, not a few vessels had been shipwrecked. This erroneous work was originally published in London, by a man named Hamilton Moore, and it was almost the only one in use among seamen. It had been reprinted in America, in 1798, by Mr. Blunt, then living in Newburyport. One edition had been published, and a second was about to be issued, in 1799, when Mr. Blunt learned, by means of a mutual friend, that Mr. Bowditch, during his two first voyages, had detected many of these errors, and was willing to inform him of them. Mr. Blunt immediately made application to the young navigator, and received the assistance he wanted. Finding that Mr. Bowditch had within him the means of rendering essential service, Mr. Blunt proposed to him, when starting on his fourth voyage,—that is, to India,—to examine all the tables, and see what number of errors he could find. Mr. Bowditch agreed to the proposal, and during this voyage his time was much occupied with this task—a very wearisome, but, as it proved eventually, a profitable one, as it regards reputation and pecuniary success. The mistakes were so numerous that he found it much easier to make a new work, and introduce therein his own improvements: so that Mr. Bowditch, before the termination of the voyage, decided to make some arrangement for this purpose. The consequence was, that, instead of publishing a third edition of Moore’s Navigator, in 1802, the first edition of the “American Practical Navigator” was published by Mr. Bowditch, under his own name, Mr. Blunt being proprietor. Thus was laid, at the age of twenty-nine, the foundation of a work on navigation that has kept constantly before the public, as one of the best of the kind, either in America or England. It passed through its tenth edition a short time before Mr. Bowditch’s death.[8] It soon superseded entirely Mr. Moore’s, and was early republished in London. And it was not only obtained by every American seaman, but even English ships sought for Bowditch’s Navigator as their safety during their long voyages. Many amusing anecdotes are related in reference to this book. An American captain once took passage in an English ship from the Isle of France for St. Helena. After, being a few days out, the passenger, about noon, brought on deck his “Navigator” (one of Bowditch’s editions) for the purpose of using it. While thus engaged, the English captain of the vessel walked up and looked at the work. “Why,” says he, “you use the same work that we do. Pray, where did you get that?” And great was the surprise of the Englishman, when he learned that the author of the book he was using every day of his life was the near neighbor and friend of the person he was talking with. Little did he imagine that he was dependent upon the efforts of a son of an American cooper for the information by which he was enabled to go from sea to sea in comparative safety. But how is it that this work has been able to remain so long one of the best works of the kind? Because Mr. Bowditch bestowed very great pains upon it, and with every new edition made all the improvements possible. He moreover brought all his learning to bear upon it. To use a common phrase, he put, for the time being, his “whole heart into” making it as perfect as possible. In the explanations of the rules he was simple, so that the most ignorant could understand them. But, in addition to all this, as we have already stated, he introduced all the new methods which he himself had discovered. One of these was favorably noticed by a celebrated French astronomer, in a Journal published in 1808.

PEACEFUL MATHEMATICS.

But, although his attention was much devoted to this book on navigation, he evidently considered it as of little moment, compared with more important objects. During the long voyages he had been studying the higher branches of the mathematics and their applications to the calculation of the motions of the heavenly bodies. The interest he felt in these pursuits had a most pleasing effect upon him. If he were sad or disturbed, he found quiet and cheerfulness in “his peaceful mathematics.” As arithmetic had been the darling pursuit of his boyhood, so now the curious and intricate problems of mathematics, and the sublime theories of the planets, occupied his best leisure hours. We have seen that, long before going to sea, he studied French for the purpose of reading a work on mathematics. He continued to read with much interest the works of that country. Some of you may know that about the close of the last century, at the revolution in France, all the nation was aroused; every branch of learning and of art received new life. The consequence was, that many men of the highest genius arose, and, being patronized by government, they put forth to the world extraordinary works of learning. Most of these, when upon astronomy, Mr. Bowditch procured for himself, by means of the publisher of the “Navigator.” He was still engaged in extracting from various works, or, in other words, in filling up his volumes of manuscripts, though now, from the increase of his property, he was enabled to buy the originals; and of course his manuscripts were chiefly his sea journals, and the notes made by himself upon the various authors he read. But he did not confine himself entirely to science. He read history, and some works of a literary character, but he never spent much time upon inferior books. “Why read anything you cannot speak of?” he used frequently to say. He likewise studied the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese languages.

METHOD OF STUDYING LANGUAGES.

GERMAN VOCABULARY.

His mode of learning languages is instructive. As soon as he determined to study one, he bought a Bible, Grammar, and Dictionary in that tongue. After learning a few of the pronouns and auxiliary verbs, he began to translate, and usually commenced with the first chapter of the Gospel of St. John, because in the few first verses there are many repetitions. Having studied them thoroughly, he proceeded to other portions of the Bible, with which he was most acquainted. He always carried to church a Bible in the language he was studying, and used it, instead of an English one, during the services. But he had another plan, which is very useful to one who has a bad memory. I will now explain to you one of his vocabularies, or collections of words, with their meanings attached thereto, so arranged that he could refer much more easily to them than to a common dictionary. He did not learn German until a long time after the period of his life of which we are now speaking; but as the German vocabulary is the most perfect, I will describe it. It is made upon two large sheets, one foot broad, and more than a foot and a half high, which, with the inside of the covers, make six pages. The pages are divided into columns about one and a half inches wide, that is, large enough to admit, in very small writing, a word with its signification by its side. Of course the columns are divided for the letters of the alphabet, in a manner proportioned to the number of pages of each letter in the dictionary. Having thus prepared his book, whenever he found that he was obliged, for want of memory, to look at the dictionary more than once for the meaning of a word, he wrote it in his vocabulary, and, by the act of writing, strengthened in some measure his memory of that word; and, moreover, he could find it immediately, and not lose time as in turning over the leaves of a larger book. The number of words thus seen at a glance, as it were, is remarkable. In the above-described six pages, there are eleven thousand German words, all written distinctly, but in small letters, and without any repetitions, and with as many abbreviations as he himself chose. I have been thus minute upon this subject, not because I think that all ought to make vocabularies, but because some may be benefited by so doing. Moreover, I wished to speak to you of them as proofs of his perseverance.

ACADEMY OF ARTS.

HARVARD COLLEGE HONORS.

Two important events took place during this period of Mr. Bowditch’s life, which it becomes our duty to record. On the 28th day of May, 1799, he was chosen a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This society was the first which bestowed upon him the honor of membership of its body. It is composed of men of science, combined for the purpose of improving themselves and the community in knowledge. He continued a member of this body during his life; and in May, 1829, just thirty years after becoming a member, he was chosen its president, in which office he was continued until the day of his death.

RESULTS OF GOOD USE OF TIME.

Another honor, and one which was more pleasant to him than any received at any time afterwards, was bestowed during this period. In 1802 his ship was wind-bound in Boston, and he left it for the purpose of attending the annual commencement at Cambridge College. He knew but few individuals there, though he had corresponded with some of the professors; and one of the corporation of the college, Chief Justice Parsons, was one of his kindest friends. He went alone, and, while listening in the crowd to the names of those upon whom the honors were conferred, he thought he heard his own pronounced; but he supposed that he might have been mistaken, inasmuch as the notice was given in Latin. But how great was his emotion, when he heard from a friend that his suspicions were well founded! It was to him the proudest day of his life. And we, who know his humble origin, his simplicity and modesty, can in some measure understand the thrill of pleasure that ran through him, when he found himself thus noticed by the first and oldest university in the land. And why was he thus noticed? Because he had well improved the hours of his life; because his days and nights had been spent in activity and earnest study. In after-life, when his fame was established, and the great societies of Europe bestowed upon him their diplomas, he always looked upon them as of small moment, compared with this his first, earliest proof of esteem from his fellow-men. I will take this opportunity to state that very many years afterwards he was elected one of the corporation of the college. This he deemed his highest honor, and his estimate was a just one, for it placed him among the select few who manage the whole affairs of the university—a place doubtless coveted by many, but to which few are called.

NEW SCENES.

Having now completed his sea life, let us enter upon his new scene of energy and benevolence as a citizen and father; and our next chapter will include several years of his residence at Salem.

CHAPTER VIII.

From 1803 to 1817—age, 30-44.

Mr. Bowditch translates a Spanish paper; is chosen president of a Fire and Marine Insurance office.—Habits of life.—Becomes interested in politics.—Federalists and Democrats.—Great excitement.—Division between him and old friends in consequence of his zeal.—Feelings of Mr. Bowditch when war was declared.—Decision of character.—His charity.—Earnestness in aiding others; ludicrous instance of the effects of this.—Boldness towards a truckman.—Zeal for improving the libraries; unites the two.—Dr. Prince’s church.—Performance of duties of president of Insurance Office.—Answer to an overbearing rich man.—Appointed professor of mathematics at Harvard College; same at West Point.—His modesty.—Hints about leaving Salem.

KNOWLEDGE OF SPANISH.

ADVANTAGE OF STUDY.

PRESIDENT OF INSURANCE COMPANY.

REGULAR HABITS.

Mr. Bowditch, on his arrival from sea, met with one of those events to which he always referred when any one doubted the expediency of any kind of knowledge. In his voyages to Portugal and Spain, he had become acquainted with the Spanish language. It so happened that no one else in Salem was acquainted with it, and an important paper came to the care of a sturdy and sensible old sea captain; but it was unfortunately unintelligible to him, for it was written in this same unknown tongue. A friend suggested to him that probably Mr. Bowditch would decipher it for him. The document was handed to Mr. Bowditch, who in a few days returned it with a free English translation accompanying it. The old sailor was delighted, and immediately supposed that any one who knew so much about a foreign language must be a very superior person, and capable of performing any duties. Moreover, he was delighted with the apparent generosity of Mr. Bowditch, in making the translation without charge to his employer. It happened at this time that an insurance office in Salem was in need of a president. The captain was one of the directors of this institution, and used all his influence in promoting the election of his young friend. This influence succeeded, and in 1804, when he was thirty-one years old, we find Mr. Bowditch installed as president of the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company. In this office he continued, with entire success, until 1823, when he removed to Boston, and took charge of other similar but much larger institutions. The relief was great which he experienced from not being obliged to seek subsistence for his family by continuing in the sailor’s life. The duties of the office in which he now engaged seemed to occupy all his time; yet he did not neglect science. He arose at six in the morning during the year, and took a walk, either before or after breakfast, of at least two miles. Afterwards he studied mathematics until nine, and he then went to the office, where he continued until one. After another walk he dined, and after a short sleep he again visited his office until tea time. From tea time until nine in the evening he was at the same place occupied with business. He was not, however, all the time, during office hours, actually engaged in the necessary work incident to his position as president; but he was constantly liable to interruption, as much as he had been when an apprentice. Yet he found leisure enough for study by early rising and by regular habits. He used to say, “Before nine o’clock in the morning I learned all my mathematics.” He kept some of his books on science at his office, and whenever a moment of leisure occurred, spent the time in reading them. At home he had no private room for many years; and, as his family of young children grew up around him, he studied at his simple pine desk, in the midst of their noise and play. He was never disturbed, except when they failed in kindness to one another, and then he could never work until quiet was restored. In truth, the influence of his studies was felt by his children, whose greatest reward was to receive from him, in token of his approbation, the drawings of various constellations upon their arms or forehead. It was a sad day for them when they did not receive from his pen the representation of the Belt of Orion, the Great Bear, or of some other beautiful constellation in the heavens.

POLITICAL EXCITEMENT.

PARTY POLITICS.

But, in addition to the duties of his office, he became interested in the political affairs of the day. After the revolution, and the new government of the country went into operation under the presidency of General Washington, there had been but little political excitement in Essex County. There were no great parties, which were destined soon afterwards to spring up and excite the bitterest animosity between individuals who had been from birth the warmest friends. It would be impossible, were it useful, to tell all the causes that led to the formation of the two great sects in politics, called the Federalists and Republicans. Suffice it to say, that even during Washington’s connection with the government, the seeds of this division were beginning to spring up, and, upon the accession of John Adams, as his successor, the political rancor between these two parties increased with tenfold energy, until at length the republican party triumphed in the election of Thomas Jefferson to the office of President of the United States. In Salem the violence of party spirit rose as high as in any city of the Union. It would have been surprising, with his desire for aiding any public cause, if Mr. Bowditch had not been influenced by the excitements of the day. We frequently find at the bottom of a page, or at the end of some theorem, brief memoranda of the results of an election. He was, moreover, for two years a member of the State Council. He was likewise proposed by the Federalists as a representative to the General Court, but at that election they were defeated.

PEACEFUL MATHEMATICS.

We have scarcely any idea of the violence with which the two parties contended. Persons who had been, during life, sincere and devoted friends, were separated by this virulence. Mr. Bowditch suffered as much as others on this account, and two of his longest and best-tried friends he did not have any intercourse with for many years. Dr. Bentley and Captain Prince were these persons, and with both of them you are already acquainted. It was not until 1817, when President Monroe visited these Northern States, that harmony was restored between the two great divisions, and friends once more embraced each other. But, in the midst of all this excitement with politics, Mr. Bowditch never neglected the duties of his office, or his studies. In fact, the pursuit of learning had, as before, a sweet influence over his character. It still gave calmness when circumstances around him tended to disturb him. An illustration of this you may find in what follows. In 1812, after a long series of supposed insults and wrongs from Great Britain, the American government declared war against that power. Mr. Bowditch was much distressed by the news, and for two days was so much overcome that he was unable to study. Friends who knew him had never seen him look so sad before on any public emergency. He could speak of nothing but the disasters that he foresaw war would entail upon his country. On the morning of the third day he got up, and, going down into the parlor, said to his wife, “It won’t do for me to continue in this way. I will not think any more about it.” Saying this, he retired again to his books. The difference in his whole manner was very perceptible. He rarely afterwards allowed himself to be disturbed by the unfortunate state of affairs. Such should always be the benign influences of the study of science and of Nature’s laws.

CHARITY.

ANECDOTE.

A RIDICULOUS JUDGE.

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

Amid all these various engagements, he was full of sympathy for others. Wherever he saw he could aid with his counsel, he did so; and many widows and orphans have felt the influence of his charity. This charity showed itself chiefly in a desire to improve others. There was scarcely one of those connected with him in friendship upon whom he did not devote some time for their instruction. To one young lady he taught French, and another studied Italian with him. If a young man needed funds, he knew upon whom he could call with a certainty of substantial aid, even if he had no money of his own to give away, for throughout life it was one of the remarkable attributes of Mr. Bowditch’s character, that he could persuade many to open their hearts to the poor, who, upon other occasions, were deaf to the common feelings of humanity. For one young person of this kind Mr. Bowditch obtained a subscription sufficient to enable him to continue at the university, whereas his young friend would have been unable to do so without assistance. He was always so zealous in these undertakings, that one scarcely felt under any obligations to him. It was his delight to help, and every one saw that his heart was engaged in the cause. His zeal for humanity was at times immoderate, and the following laughable law case occurred in consequence of it. One day he was informed that a little girl, who lived with him, had been run over by some careless driver; and a crowd, which he could perceive at a little distance from him, was a collection of individuals drawn together on her account. He immediately ran forward, and getting to the outside of the circle, began very energetically to make his way into it. In doing so, he pulled one of the bystanders so forcibly, that the individual, as it will appear in the sequel, was offended. Arriving, however, by dint of hard pushing, at the object of his search, he took his little domestic with him, and led her safely home. On the next day he was much surprised at receiving a summons from a justice of the peace, to appear before him, to answer to the charge of assault and battery upon the individual above mentioned. He answered the call and paid his fine of a few dollars; but the judge, who had been notorious for always making both parties suffer, when it was possible for himself to gain thereby, said, on receiving the fine, “But you say that Mr. —— pushed you, after you had pulled him.” “I did, sir.” “Very well; then, if you wish to complain of him, I will fine him likewise.” The ludicrous nature of the whole action struck Mr. Bowditch so forcibly that he was not unwilling to increase the folly of it. The plaintiff was then fined, and the affair was ended. It is but right to say, that the judge was considered, previously to this, one entirely unfit for the office. Probably no other would have issued a summons on such an occasion, and the plaintiff was not unjustly punished for having called upon such a person to aid him in prosecuting an individual who, in exerting himself to help another, had slightly disarranged the dress of a bystander.

Mr. Bowditch’s desire to aid the unfortunate was exhibited on another occasion, when a poor, overladen horse was the object of his commiseration. A truckman had been violently beating the animal, in order to induce him to pull along a very heavy load, which was too large for his strength. Mr. Bowditch had watched the driver for some time, and at length he stepped earnestly forward, and in abrupt and decided tones ordered him to desist. The truckman was much superior to Mr. Bowditch in personal strength, and was, at first, disposed to ridicule the attempt of his inferior to restrain him. Full of indignation, Mr. Bowditch cried out, “If you dare touch that horse again, and if you do not immediately go and get another to assist him, I will appeal to the law, and you will see which of us two will conquer.” The man yielded, and Mr. Bowditch went home.

MARINE SOCIETY.

The public institutions of the town felt his influence. The East India Marine Society, of which I have already spoken, improved very much under his auspices as president. It had fallen considerably during high political times, and, when he was chosen chief officer, he instilled such zeal among the younger members of it, and obtained so many new members, that it revived; and soon after his removal to Boston, the splendid hall was erected, containing the most remarkable collection of East India curiosities, of which I spoke in Chapter VI.

SALEM LIBRARIES.

In the libraries he had always felt very much interest. You already know what reason he had for being devoted to the Philosophical Library, for from it he drew most of his knowledge of science. But there was another, which had been in existence much longer than this, called the Social Library. The books contained in these two collections were almost wholly distinct in their characters. In one only works of science were to be found, while the other was chiefly devoted to literature. Mr. Bowditch saw that both of them united would be of great service to the community, for it would not merely combine the books, but the energies of the proprietors. Consequently it appears that he, with another of the Philosophical Library proprietors, was chosen a committee for the purpose of providing for a union. This was happily effected (1810), and the Salem Athenæum arose from the combination. The rooms over his office were chosen as the place for their deposit, and for many years he was one of the most active of the trustees.

There was another institution with which he was intimately connected during the whole of the time he lived in Salem. I allude to the church in which his early friend, Rev. Dr. Prince, officiated. He was one of the committee of the parish, and, though never a member of the church strictly so called, he was a constant attendant upon the services, and had great influence in keeping up the harmony and supporting the true interests of the congregation.

Dr. Bowditch’s Residence at the Time of his Death.

DEFENDS THE WEAK.

In the performance of his duties as president of the insurance company, he was faithful and prompt in action. He was frequently placed in circumstances which required great decision of character. At times a disposition was shown to deceive him; at others, a richer stockholder would attempt to gain advantages over a poorer one. I well remember an anecdote in which it is said a purse-proud rich man tried to browbeat Mr. Bowditch into doing an act which Mr. Bowditch thought would be unjust to another poorer one. The nabob pleaded his riches, and amount of his stock in the office, and intimated that he would have his way. “No, sir, you won’t. I stand here in this place to see justice done, and, as long as I am here, I will defend the weak.” He seldom met with difficulties of this kind, for few dared approach him with the intention to be unjust or untrue. Nothing aroused him so much to an almost lion-like fierceness as any appearance of wickedness in the transaction of public business. He had much wisdom, likewise, in the selection of risks, so that the office, while under his control, succeeded admirably and he left it prosperous.

PROFESSORSHIP OF MATHEMATICS.

EXTREME MODESTY.

During his residence in Salem he was often invited to seats of honor and trust. We have already mentioned his political course. In 1806, by the agency of Chief Justice Parsons, then in the corporation of Harvard College, he was appointed professor of mathematics in that university. In 1818 he was requested by President Jefferson, in very flattering terms, to accept of a similar office in the University of Virginia. In 1820, he was called upon by the secretary of war of the United States, to consent to an appointment at the Public Military School at West Point. All of these he refused, as not congenial to his mind. He always declined talking in public. He would teach all who came to him, but he could not deliver a public course of lectures. His extreme modesty prevented. For it will be remembered that he was as remarkable, from his youth, for his modesty, amounting, in early life, to diffidence, as he was for his other qualities. Moreover, it should be stated that, at times, he had a certain hesitation in his mode of speaking, which probably would have prevented him from addressing easily a public audience.

In 1818, he was urged to take charge of an insurance office in Boston, but he preferred living in his native place.