men of invention and industry- 第19部分

during　the　voyage　of　four　months；　on　its　return　to　Portsmouth　on

March　26th；　1762；　it　was　found　（after　allowing　for　the　rate　of

gain　or　loss）　to　have　erred　only　one　minute　fifty…four　and　a　half

seconds。　　In　the　latitude　of　Portsmouth　this　only　amounted　to

eighteen　geographical　miles；　whereas　the　Act　had　awarded　that　the

prize　should　be　given　where　the　longitude　was　determined　within

the　distance　of　thirty　geographical　miles。　　One　would　have

thought　that　Harrison　was　now　clearly　entitled　to　his　reward　of

20；000L。



Not　at　all！　　The　delays　interposed　by　Government　are　long　and

tedious；　and　sometimes　insufferable。　　Harrison　had　accomplished

more　than　was　needful　to　obtain　the　highest　reward　which　the

Board　of　Longitude　had　publicly　offered。　　But　they　would　not

certify　that　he　had　won　the　prize。　　On　the　contrary；　they　started

numerous　objections；　and　continued　for　years　to　subject　him　to

vexatious　delays　and　disappointments。　　They　pleaded　that　the

previous　determination　of　the　longitude　of　Jamaica　by

astronomical　observation　was　unsatisfactory；　that　there　was　no

proof　of　the　chronometer　having　maintained　a　uniform　rate　during

the　voyage；　and　on　the　17th　of　August；　1762；　they　passed　a

resolution；　stating　that　they　〃were　of　opinion　that　the

experiments　made　of　the　watch　had　not　been　sufficient　to

determine　the　longitude　at　sea。〃



It　was　accordingly　necessary　for　Harrison　to　petition　Parliament

on　the　subject。　　Three　reigns　had　come　and　gone　since　the　Act　of

Parliament　offering　the　reward　had　been　passed。　　Anne　had　died；

George　I。　and　George　II。　had　reigned　and　died；　and　now；　in　the

reign　of　George　III。thirty…five　years　after　Harrison　had　begun

his　labours；　and　after　he　had　constructed　four　several　marine

chronometers；　each　of　which　was　entitled　to　win　the　full

prize；an　Act　of　Parliament　was　passed　enabling　the　inventor　to

obtain　the　sum　of　5000L。　as　part　of　the　reward。　　But　the

Commissioners　still　hesitated。　　They　differed　about　the　tempering

of　the　springs。　　They　must　have　another　trial　of　the　timekeeper；

or　anything　with　which　to　put　off　a　settlement　of　the　claim。　

Harrison　was　ready　for　any　further　number　of　trials；　and　in　the

meantime　the　Commissioners　merely　paid　him　a　further　sum　on

account。



Two　more　dreary　years　passed。　　Nothing　was　done　in　1763　except　a

quantity　of　interminable　talk　at　the　Board　of　Commissioners。　　At

length；　on　the　28th　of　March；　1764；　Harrison's　son　again　departed

with　the　timekeeper　on　board　the　ship　Tartar　for　Barbadoes。　　He

returned　in　about　four　months；　during　which　time　the　instrument

enabled　the　longitude　to　be　ascertained　within　ten　miles；　or

one…third　of　the　required　geographical　distance。　　Harrison

memorialised　the　Commissioners　again　and　again；　in　order　that　he

might　obtain　the　reward　publicly　offered　by　the　Government。



At　length　the　Commissioners　could　no　longer　conceal　the　truth。　

In　September；1764；　they　virtually　recognised　Harrison's　claim　by

paying　him　1000L。　on　account；　and；　on　the　9th　of　February；1765；

they　passed　a　resolution　setting　forth　that　they　were

〃unanimously　of　opinion　that　the　said　timekeeper　has　kept　its

time　with　sufficient　correctness；　without　losing　its　longitude　in

the　voyage　from　Portsmouth　to　Barbadoes　beyond　the　nearest　limit

required　by　the　Act　l2th　of　Queen　Anne；　but　even　considerably

within　the　same。〃　　Yet　they　would　not　give　Harrison　the　necessary

certificate；　though　they　were　of　opinion　that　he　was　entitled　to

be　paid　the　full　reward！



It　is　pleasant　to　contrast　the　generous　conduct　of　the　King　of

Sardinia　with　the　procrastinating　and　illiberal　spirit　which

Harrison　met　with　in　his　own　country。　　During　the　same　year　in

which　the　above　resolution　was　passed；　the　Sardinian　minister

ordered　four　of　Harrison's　timekeepers　at　the　price　of　1000L。　

each；　at　the　special　instance　of　the　King　of　Sardinia　〃as　an

acknowledgement　of　Mr。　Harrison's　ingenuity；　and　as　some

recompense　for　the　time　spent　by　him　for　the　general　good　of

mankind。〃　　This　grateful　attention　was　all　the　more　praiseworthy；

as　Sardinia　could　not　in　any　way　be　regarded　as　a　great　maritime

power。



Harrison　was　now　becoming　old　and　feeble。　　He　had　attained　the

age　of　seventy…four。　　He　had　spent　forty　long　years　in　working

out　his　invention。　　He　was　losing　his　eyesight；　and　could　not

afford　to　wait　much　longer。　　Still　he　had　to　wait。



〃Full　little　knowest　thou；　who　hast　not　tried；　

What　hell　it　is　in　suing　long　to　bide；　

To　lose　good　days；　that　might　be　better　spent；　

To　waste　long　nights　in　pensive　discontent；　

To　spend　to…day；　to　be　put　back　to…morrow；　

To　feed　on　hope；　to　pine　with　fear　and　sorrow。〃



But　Harrison　had　not　lost　his　spirit。　　On　May　30th；　1765；　he

addressed　another　remonstrance　to　the　Board；　containing　much

stronger　language　than　he　had　yet　used。　　〃I　cannot　help

thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　am　extremely　ill…used　by　gentlemen

from　whom　I　might　have　expected　a　different　treatment；　for；　if

the　Act　of　the　l2th　of　Queen　Anne　be　deficient；　why　have　I　so

long　been　encouraged　under　it；　in　order　to　bring　my　invention　to

perfection？　　And；　after　the　completion；　why　was　my　son　sent　twice

to　the　West　Indies？　　Had　it　been　said　to　my　son；　when　he　received

the　last　instruction；　'There　will；　in　case　you　succeed；　be　a　new

Act　on　your　return；　in　order　to　lay　you　under　new　restrictions；

which　were　not　thought　of　in　the　Act　of　the　l2th　of　Queen　Anne；'

I　say；　had　this　been　the　case；　I　might　have　expected　some　such

treatment　as　that　I　now　meet　with。



〃It　must　be　owned　that　my　case　is　very　hard；　but　I　hope　I　am　the

first；　and　for　my　country's　sake　I　hope　I　shall　be　the　last；　to

suffer　by　pinning　my　faith　upon　an　English　Act　of　Parliament。　

Had　I　received　my　just　rewardfor　certainly　it　may　be　so　called

after　forty　years'　close　application　of　the　talent　which　it　has

pleased　God　to　give　methen　my　invention　would　have　taken　the

course　which　all　improvements　in　this　world　do；　that　is；　I　must

have　instructed　workmen　in　its　principles　and　execution；　which　I

should　have　been　glad　of　an　opportunity　of　doing。　　But　how　widely

different　this　is　from　what　is　now　proposed；　viz。；　for　me　to

instruct　people　that　I　know　nothing　of；　and　such　as　may　know

nothing　of　mechanics；　and；　if　I　do　not　make　them　understand　to

their　satisfaction；　I　may　then　have　nothing！



〃Hard　fate　indeed　to　me；　but　still　harder　to　the　world；　which　may

be　deprived　of　this　my　invention；　which　must　be　the　case；　except

by　my　open　and　free　manner　in　describing　all　the　principles　of　it

to　gentlemen　and　noblemen　who　almost　at　all　times　have　had　free

recourse　to　my　instruments。　　And　if　any　of　these　workmen　have

been　so　ingenious　as　to　have　got　my　invention；　how　far　you　may

please　to　reward　them　for　their　piracy　must　be　left　for　you　to

determine；　and　I　must　set　myself　down　in　old　age；　and　thank　God　I

can　be　more　easy　in　that　I　have　the　conquest；　and　though　I　have

no　reward；　than　if　I　had　come　short　of　the　matter　and　by　some

delusion　had　the　reward！〃



The　Right　Honourable　the　Earl　of　Egmont　was　in　the　chair　of　the

Board　of　Longitude　on　the　day　when　this　letter　was　readJune　13；

1765。　　The　Commissioners　were　somewhat　startled　by　the　tone　which

the　inventor　had　taken。　　Indeed；　they　were　rather　angry。　　Mr。

Harrison；　who　was　in　waiting；　was　called　in。　　After　some　rather

hot　speaking；　and　after　a　proposal　was　made　to　Harrison　which　he

said　he　would　decline　to　accede　to　〃so　long　as　a　drop　of　English

blood　remained　in　his　body；〃　he　left　the　room。　　Matters　were　at

length　arranged。　　The　Act　of　Parliament　（5　Geo。　III。　cap。　20）

awarded　him；　upon　a　full　discovery　of　the　principles　of　his

time…keeper；　the　payment　of　such　a　sum；　as　with　the　2500L。　he　had

already　received；　would　make　one　half　of　the　reward；　and　the

remaining　half　was　to　be　paid　when　other　chronometers　had　been

made　after　his　design；　and　their　capabilities　fully　proved。　　He

was　also　required　to　assign　his　four　chronometersone　of　which

was　styled　a　watchto　the　use　of　the　public。



Harrison　at　once　proceeded　to　give　full　explanations　of　the

principles　of　his　chronometer　to　Dr。　Maskelyne；　and　six　other

gentlemen；　who　had　been　appointed　to　receive　them。　　He　took　his

timekeeper　to　pieces　in　their　presence；　and　deposited　in　their

hands　correct　drawings　of　the　same；　with　the　parts；　so　that　other

skilful　makers　might　construct　similar　chronometers　on　the　same

principles。　　Indeed；　there　was　no　difficulty　in　making　them；

after　his　explanations　and　drawings　had　been　published。　　An　exact

copy　of　his　last　watch　was　made　by　the　ingenious　Mr。　Kendal；　and

was　used　by　Captain　Cook　in　his　three　years'　circumnavigation　of

the　world；　to　his　perfect　satisfaction。



England　had　already　inaugurated　that　series　of　scientific

expeditions　which　were　to　prove　so　fruitful　of　results；　and　to

raise　her　naval　reputation　to　so　great　a　height。　　In　these

expeditions；　the　officers；　the　sailors；　and　the　scientific　men；

were　constantly　brought　face　to　face　with　unforeseen　difficulties

and　dangers；　which　brought　forth　their　highest　qualities　as　men。　

There　was；　however；　some　intermixture　of　narrowness　in　the　minds

of　those　who　sent　them　forth。　　For　instance；　while　Dr。　Priestley

was　at　Leeds；　he　was　asked　by　Sir　Joseph　Banks　to　join　Captain

Cook's　second　expedition　to　the　Southern　Seas；　as　an　astronomer。　

Priestley　gave　his　assent；　and　made　arrangements　to　set　out。　　But

some　weeks　later；　Banks　informed　him　that　his　appointment　had

been　cancelled；　as　the　Board　of　Longitude　objected　to　his

theology。　　Priestley's　otherwise　gentle　nature　was　roused。　　〃What

I　am；　and　what　they　are；　in　respect　of　religion；〃　he　wrote　to

Banks；　in　December；　1771；　〃might　easily　have　been　known　before

the　thing　was　proposed　to　me　at　all。　　Besides；　I　thought　that

this　had　been　a　business　of　philosophy；　and　not　of　divinity。　　If；

however；　this　be　the　case；　I　shall　hold　the　Board　of　Longitude　in