the idea of taking physiography. However,
on the last night of the examinations, I had some conversation with one
of the students as to the subjects required for physiography. He said,
'You want a little knowledge of everything in a scientific way, and
nothing much of anything.' I determined to try, for 'nothing much of
anything' suited me exactly. I rose early next morning, and as soon as
the shops were open I went and bought a book on the subject, 'Outlines
of Physiography,' by W. Lawson, F.R.G.S. I read it all day, and at
night sat for the examination. The results of my examinations were,
failure in mathematics, but second class advanced grade certificates in
all the others. I do not attach any credit to passing in physiography,
but merely relate the circumstance as curiously showing what can be
done by a good 'cram.'

"The failure in mathematics caused me to take the subject 'by the
horns,' to see what I could do with it. I began by going over
quadratic equations, and I gradually solved the whole of those given in
Todhunter's larger 'Algebra.' Then I re-read the progressions,
permutations, combinations; the binomial theorem, with indices and
surds; the logarithmic theorem and series, converging and diverging. I
got Todhunter's larger 'Plane Trigonometry,' and read it, with the
theorems contained in it; then his 'Spherical Trigonometry;' his
'Analytical Geometry, of Two Dimensions,' and 'Conics.' I next obtained
De Morgan's 'Differential and Integral Calculus,' then Woolhouse's, and
lastly, Todhunter's. I found this department of mathematics difficult
and perplexing to the last degree; but I mastered it sufficiently to
turn it to some account. This last mathematical course represents
eighteen months of hard work, and I often sat up the whole night
through. One result of the application was a permanent injury to my
sight.

"Wanting some object on which to apply my newly-acquired mathematical
knowledge, I determined to construct an astronomical telescope. I got
Airy's 'Geometrical Optics,' and read it through. Then I searched
through all my English Mechanic (a scientific paper that I take), and
prepared for my work by reading all the literature on the subject that
I could obtain. I bought two discs of glass, of 6 1/2 inches diameter,
and began to grind them to a spherical curve 12 feet radius. I got
them hollowed out, but failed in fining them through lack of skill.
This occurred six times in successi