an autobiography-第20部分

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　health　at　the　Gross；　throwing　the　glasses　over　their　shoulders。　　The　boys　fired　off　gunpowder；　or　threw　squibs　or　crackers　from　morning　till　night。　　It　was　one　of　the　greatest　schoolboy　events　of　the　year。　　My　little　brass　cannon　and　hand…guns　were　very　busy　during　that　day。　　They　were　fired　until　they　became　quite　hot。　These　were　the　pre…lucifer　days。　　The　fire　to　light　the　powder　at　the　touch…hole　was　obtained　by　the　use　of　a　flint；　a　steel；　and　a　tinder…box。　The　flint　was　struck　sharply　on　the　steel；　a　spark　of　fire　fell　into　　the　tinderbox；　and　the　match　of　hemp　string；　soaked　in　saltpetre；　　was　readily　lit；　and　fired　off　the　little　guns。

I　carried　on　quite　a　trade　in　forging　beautiful　little　steels。　I　forged　them　out　of　old　files；　which　proved　excellent　material　for　the　purpose。　　I　filed　them　up　into　neat　and　correct　forms；　and　then　hardened　and　tempered　them；　secundum　artem；　at　the　little　furnace　stove　in　my　father's　workroom；　where　of　course　there　were　also　a　suitable　anvil；　hammer；　and　tongs。　　I　often　made　potent　use　of　these　steels　in　escaping　from　the　ordeal　of　some　severe　task　imposed　upon　me　at　school。　The　schoolmaster　often　deputed　his　authority　to　the　monitors　to　hear　us　say　our　lessons。　　But　when　I　slyly　exhibited　a　beautiful　steel　the　monitor　could　not　maintain　his　grim　sense　of　duty；　and　he　often　let　me　escape　the　ordeal　of　repeating　some　passage　from　a　Latin　school…book　by　obtaining　possession　of　the　article。　　I　thus　bought　myself　off。　This　system　of　bribery　and　corruption　was　no　doubt　shockingly　improper；　but　as　I　was　not　naturally　endowed　with　the　taste　for　learning　Latin　and　Greek；　I　continued　my　little　diplomatic　tricks　until　I　left　school。

As　I　have　said；　I　did　not　learn　much　at　the　High　School。　　My　mind　was　never　opened　up　by　what　was　taught　me　there。　　It　was　a　mere　matter　of　rote　and　cram。　　I　learnt　by　heart　a　number　of　Latin　rules　and　phrases；　but　what　I　learnt　soon　slipped　from　my　memory。　　My　young　mind　was　tormented　by　the　tasks　set　before　me。　　At　the　same　time　my　hungry　mind　thirsted　for　knowledge　of　another　kind。

There　was　one　thing；　however；　that　I　did　learn　at　the　High　School。　That　was　the　blessings　and　advantages　of　friendship。　　There　were　several　of　my　schoolfellows　of　a　like　disposition　with　myself；　with　whom　I　formed　attachments　which　ended　only　with　life。　　I　may　mention　two　of　them　in　particularJemmy　Patterson　and　Tom　Smith。　　The　former　was　the　son　of　one　of　the　largest　iron　founders　in　Edinburgh。　He　was　kind；　good；　and　intelligent。　　He　and　I　were　great　cronies。　　He　took　me　to　his　father's　workshops。　　Nothing　could　have　been　more　agreeable　to　my　tastes。　For　there　I　saw　how　iron　castings　were　made。　Mill…work　and　steam…engines　were　repaired　there；　and　I　could　see　the　way　in　which　power　was　produced　and　communicated。　　To　me　it　was　a　most　instructive　school　of　practical　mechanics。　　Although　I　was　only　about　thirteen　at　the　time；　I　used　to　〃lend　a　hand；〃　in　which　hearty　zeal　made　up　for　want　of　strength。　　I　look　back　to　these　days；　especially　to　the　Saturday　afternoons　spent　in　the　workshops　of　this　admirably　conducted　iron　foundry；　as　a　most　important　part　of　my　education　as　a　mechanical　engineer。　　I　did　not　read　about　such　things；　for　words　were　of　little　use。　　But　I　saw　and　handled；　and　thus　all　the　ideas　in　connection　with　them　became　permanently　rooted　in　my　mind。

Each　department　of　the　iron　foundry　was　superintended　by　an　able　and　intelligent　man；　who　was　distinguished　not　only　by　his　ability　but　for　his　steadiness　and　sobriety。　　The　men　were　for　the　most　part　promoted　to　their　fore…manship　from　the　ranks；　and　had　been　brought　up　in　the　workshop　from　their　boyhood。　　They　possessed　a　strong　individuality　of　character；　and　served　their　employer　faithfully　and　loyally。　　One　of　these　excellent　men；　with　whom　I　was　frequently　brought　into　contact；　was　William　Watson。　　He　took　special　charge　of　all　that　related　to　the　construction　and　repairs　of　steam…engines；　water…wheels；　and　mill…work　generally。　　He　was　a　skilful　designer　and　draughtsman；　and　an　excellent　pattern　maker。　　His　designs　were　drawn　in　a　bold　and　distinct　style；　on　large　deal　boards；　and　were　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　mechanics　to　be　translated　by　them　into　actual　work。　　It　was　no　small　privilege　to　me　to　stand　by；　and　now　and　then　hold　the　end　of　the　long　straight　edge；　or　by　some　humble　but　zealous　genuine　help　of　mine　contribute　to　the　progress　of　these　substantial　and　most　effective　mechanical　drawings。　　Watson　explained　to　me；　in　the　most　common…sense　manner；　his　reasons　for　the　various　forms；　arrangements；　and　proportions　of　the　details　of　his　designs。　　He　was　an　enthusiast　on　the　subject　of　Euclid；　and　to　see　the　beautiful　problems　applied　by　him　in　working　out　his　excellent　drawings　was　to　me　a　lesson　beyond　all　price。

Watson　was　effectively　assisted　by　his　two　sons；　who　carried　out　their　father's　designs　in　constructing　the　wood　patterns　after　which　the　foundry…men　or　moulders　reproduced　their　forms　in　cast　iron；　while　the　smiths　by　their　craft　realised　the　wrought…iron　portions。　Those　sons　of　Mr。　Watson　were　of　that　special　class　of　workmen　called　millwrights　a　class　now　almost　extinct；　though　many　of　the　best　known　engineers　originally　belonged　to　them。　　They　could　work　with　equal　effectiveness　in　wood　or　iron。

Another　foreman　in　Mr。　Patterson's　foundry　was　called　Lewis。　　He　had　special　charge　of　the　iron　castings　designed　for　architectural　and　ornamental　purposes。　　He　was　a　man　of　great　taste　and　artistic　feeling；　and　I　was　able　even　at　that　time　to　appreciate　the　beauty　of　his　designs。　　One　of　the　most　original　characters　about　the　foundry；　however；　was　Johnie　Syme。　　He　took　charge　of　the　old　Boulton　and　Watt　steam…engine；　which　gave　motion　to　the　machinery　of　the　works。　It　also　produced　the　blast　for　the　Cupolas；　in　which　the　pig　and　cast　iron　scrap　was　daily　melted　and　cast　into　the　various　objects　produced　in　the　foundry。　　Johnie　was　a　complete　incarnation　of　technical　knowledge。　　He　was　the　Jack…of…all…trades　of　the　establishment；　and　the　standing　counsel　in　every　out…of…the…way　case　of　managing　and　overcoming　mechanical　difficulties。　　He　was　the　superintendent　of　the　boring　machines。　　In　those　days　the　boring　of　a　steam…engine　cylinder　was　considered　high　art　in　excelsis！　　Patterson's　firm　was　celebrated　for　the　accuracy　of　its　boring。

I　owe　Johnie　Syme　a　special　debt　of　gratitude；　as　it　was　he　who　first　initiated　me　into　that　most　important　of　all　technical　processes　in　practical　mechanismthe　art　of　hardening　and　temperinq　steel。　It　is；　perhaps；　not　saying　too　much　to　assert　that　the　successful　practice　of　the　mechanical　arts；　by　means　of　which　man　rises　from　the　savage　to　the　civilised　state；　is　due　to　that　wonderful　change。　Man　began　with　wood；　and　stone；　and　bone；　he　proceeded　to　bronze　and　iron；　but　it　was　only　by　means　of　hardened　steel　that　he　could　accomplish　anything　in　arms；　in　agriculture；　or　in　architecture。　The　instant　hardening　which　occurs　on　plunging　a　red…hot　piece　of　steel　into　cold　water　may　well　be　described　as　mysterious。　　Even　in　these　days；　when　science　has　defined　the　causes　of　so　many　phenomena；　the　reason　of　steel　becoming　hard　on　suddenly　cooling　it　down　from　a　red…heat；　is　a　fact　that　no　one　has　yet　explained。　　The　steel　may　be　tempered　by　modifying　the　degree　of　heat　to　which　it　is　afterwards　subjected。　　It　may　thus　be　toughened　by　slightly　reheating　the　hardened　steel；　the　resoftening　course　is　indicated　by　certain　prismatic　tints；　which　appear　in　a　peculiar　order　of　succession　on　its　surface。　The　skilful　artisan　thus　knows　by　experience　the　exact　point　at　which　it　is　necessary　again　to　plunge　it　into　cold　water　in　order　to　secure　the　requisite　combination　of　toughness　and　hardness　to　the　steel　required　for　his　purposes。

In　all　these　matters；　my　early　instructor；　Johnie　Syme；　gave　me　such　information　as　proved　of　the　greatest　use　to　me　in　the　after　progress　of　my　mechanical　career。　　Johnie　Syme　was　also　the　very　incarnation　of　quaint　sly　humour；　and　when　communicating　some　of　his　most　valued　arcana　of　practical　mechanical　knowledge　he　always　reminded　me　of　some　of　Ostade's　Dutchmen；　by　an　almost　indescribable　sly　humorous　twinkle　of　the　eye；　which　in　that　droll　way　stamped　his　information　on　my　memory。

Tom　Smith　was　another　of　my　attached　cronies。　　Our　friendship　began　at　the　High　School　in　1818。　　Our　similarity　of　disposition　bound　us　together。　　Smith　was　the　son　of　an　enterprising　general　merchant　at　Leith。　　His　father　had　a　special　genius　for　practical　chemistry。　He　had　established　an　extensive　colour　manufactory　at　Portobello；　near　Edinburgh；　where　he　produced　white　lead；　red　lead；　and　a　great　variety　of　coloursin　the　preparation　of　which　he　required　a　thorough　knowledge　of　chemistry。Tom　Smith　inherited　his　father's　tastes；　and　admitted　me　to　share　in　his　experiments；　which　were　carried　on　in　a　chemical　laboratory　situated　behind　his　father's　house　at　the　bottom　of　Leith　Walk。

We　had　a　special　means　of　communication。　　When　anything　particular　was　going　on　at　the　laboratory；　Tom　hoisted　a　white　flag　on　the　top　of　a　high　pole　in　his　father's　garden。　　Though　I　was　more　than　a　mile　apart；　I　kept　a　look…out　in　the　direction　of　the　laboratory　with　a　spy…glass。　My　f