ith 'the pointers' which
pointed to the Pole Star, Orion with his belt, the Twins, the Pleiades,
and other prominent objects in the heavens. It was a source of
constant wonder and surprise.

"When I left the Bleachfield Works, I went to Inverury, to the North of
Scotland Railway, which was then in course of formation; and for many
years, being immersed in work, I thought comparatively little of
astronomy. It remained, however, a pleasant memory. It was only after
coming to this neighbourhood in 1854, when the railway to Blairgowrie
was under construction, that I began to read up a little, during my
leisure hours, on the subject of astronomy. I got married the year
after, since which time I have lived in this house.

"I became a member of a reading-room club, and read all the works of
Dr. Dick that the library contained: his 'Treatise on the Solar
System,' his 'Practical Astronomer,' and other works. There were also
some very good popular works to which I was indebted for amusement as
well as instruction: Chambers's 'Information for the People,'
Cassell's 'Popular Educator,' and a very interesting series of articles
in the 'Leisure Hour,' by Edwin Dunkin of the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich. These last papers were accompanied by maps of the chief
constellations, so that I had a renewed opportunity of becoming a
little better acquainted with the geography of the heavens.

"I began to have a wish for a telescope, by means of which I might be
able to see a little more than with my naked eyes. But I found that I
could not get anything of much use, short of 20L. I could not for a
long time feel justified in spending so much money for my own personal
enjoyment. My children were then young and dependent upon me. They
required to attend school--for education is a thing that parents must
not neglect, with a view to the future. However, about the year 1875,
my attention was called to a cheap instrument advertised by
Solomon--what he called his '5L. telescope.' I purchased one, and it
tantalised me; for the power of the instrument was such as to teach me
nothing of the surface of the planets. After using it for about two
years, I sold it to a student, and then found that I had accumulated
enough savings to enable me to buy my present instrument. Will you
come into the next room and look at it?"

I went accordingly into the adjoining room, and looked at the new
telescope. It was taken from its case, put upon its tr