the
appointment of the said commissioners, or the major part of them, shall
actually sail over the ocean, from Great Britain to any such port in
the West Indies as those commissioners, or the major part of them,
shall choose or nominate for the experiment, without losing the
longitude beyond the limits before mentioned."

The terms of this offer indicate how great must have been the risk and
inconvenience which it was desired to remedy. Indeed, it is almost
inconceivable that a reward so great could be held out for a method
which would merely afford security within eighty geographical miles!

This splendid reward for a method of discovering the longitude was
offered to the world--to inventors and scientific men of all
countries--without restriction of race, or nation, or language. As
might naturally be expected, the prospect of obtaining it stimulated
many ingenious men to make suggestions and contrive experiments; but
for many years the successful construction of a marine time-keeper
seemed almost hopeless. At length, to the surprise of every one, the
prize was won by a village carpenter--a person of no school, or
university, or college whatever.

Even so distinguished an artist and philosopher as Sir Christopher Wren
was engaged, as late in his life as the year 1720, in attempting to
solve this important problem. As has been observed, in the memoir of
him contained in the 'Biographia Britannica,'[3] "This noble invention,
like some others of the most useful ones to human life, seems to be
reserved for the peculiar glory of an ordinary mechanic, who, by
indefatigable industry, under the guidance of no ordinary sagacity,
hath seemingly at last surmounted all difficulties, and brought it to a
most unexpected degree of perfection." Where learning and science
failed, natural genius seems to have triumphed.

The truth is, that the great mechanic, like the great poet, is born,
not made; and John Harrison, the winner of the famous prize, was a born
mechanic. He did not, however, accomplish his object without the
exercise of the greatest skill, patience, and perseverance. His
efforts were long, laborious, and sometimes apparently hopeless.
Indeed, his life, so far as we can ascertain the facts, affords one of
the finest examples of difficulties encountered and triumphantly
overcome, and of undaunted perseverance eventually crowned by success,
which is to be found in the whole range of biography.

No complete narra