an autobiography-第41部分

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d　no　authentic　datano　drawings；　no　engravingsfrom　which　to　paint　them；　and　that　he　was　now　too　old　to　visit　the　places。　　I　therefore　resolved　to　do　what　I　could　to　help　him　to　paint　the　pictures。

As　it　was　necessary　that　I　should　go　to　London　before　returning　to　Edinburgh　to　pack　up　my　machine　tools　there；　I　went　thither；　and　after　doing　my　business；　I　embarked　for　Dundee　by　the　usual　steamer。　I　made　my　way　from　there；　via　Perth　and　Dunkeld；　to　Inverness；　and　from　thence　I　proceeded　to　Elgin。　　I　made　most　careful　drawings　of　the　remains　of　that　noble　cathedral。　　I　endeavoured　to　include　all　that　was　most　beautiful　in　the　building　and　its　surrounding　scenery。　I　then　went　on　to　Castle　Grant；　through　a　picturesque　and　romantic　country。　　I　found　the　castle　amidst　its　deep　forests　of　pine；　larch；　elm；　and　chestnut。　　The　building　consists　of　a　high　quadrangular　pile　of　many　stories；　projecting　backwards　at　each　end；　and　pierced　with　windows　of　all　shapes　and　sizes。　　I　did　my　best　to　carry　away　a　graphic　sketch　of　the　old　castle　and　its　surroundings：　　and　then；　with　my　stock　of　drawings；　I　prepared　to　return　to　Inverness　on　foot。　　The　scenery　was　grand　and　beautiful。　　The　weather　was　fine；　although　after　mid…day　it　became　very　hot。　　A　thunder　storm　was　evidently　approaching。　The　sun　was　obscured　by　a　thunder…cloud；　the　sky　flashed　with　lightning；　and　the　rain　began　to　pour　down。　　I　was　then　high　up　on　a　wild　looking　moor；　covered　with　heather　and　vast　boulders。

＇Image＇　　An　extemporised　shower…bath

There　was　no　shelter　to　be　had；　for　not　a　house　was　in　sight。　I　did　not　so　much　mind　for　my　clothes；　but　I　feared　very　much　for　my　sketches。　　Taking　advantage　of　the　solitude；　I　stripped　myself；　put　my　sketches　under　my　clothes；　and　thrust　them　into　a　hollow　underneath　a　huge　boulder。　　I　sat　myself　down　on　the　top　of　it；　and　there　I　had　a　magnificent　shower…bath　of　warm　rain。　　I　never　enjoyed　a　bath　under　such　romantic　circumstances。　　The　thunder…clouds　soon　passed　over　my　head；　and　the　sun　broke　out　again　　cheerily。　　When　the　rain　had　ceased　I　took　out　my　clothes　and　drawings　from　the　hollow；　and　found　them　perfectly　dry。　　I　set　out　again　on　my　long　walk　to　Inverness；　and　reached　it　just　in　time　to　catch　the　Caledonian　Canal　steamer。　While　passing　down　Loch　Ness　I　visited　the　romantic　Fail　of　Foyers；　then　through　Loch　Lochy；　past　Ben　Nevis　to　Loch　Linnhe；　Oban；　and　the　Kyles　of　Bute；　to　Glasgow；　and　from　thence　to　Edinburgh。

I　had　the　pleasure　of　placing　in　my　father's　hands　the　sketches　I　had　made。　　He　was　greatly　delighted　with　them。　　They　enabled　him　to　set　to　work　with　his　usual　zeal；　and　in　the　course　of　a　short　time　he　was　able　to　execute；　con　amore；　the　commission　of　the　Brothers　Grant。　　So　soon　as　I　had　completed　my　sketches　I　wrote　to　Daniel　Grant　and　informed　him　of　the　result　of　my　journey。　　He　afterwards　expressed　himself　most　warmly　as　to　my　prompt　zeal　in　obtaining　for　him　authentic　pictures　of　places　so　dear　to　the　brothers；　and　so　much　associated　with　their　earliest　and　most　cherished　recollections。

I　have　already　referred　to　the　Brothers　Cowper。　　They　were　among　my　most　attached　friends　at　Manchester。　　Many　of　my　most　pleasant　associations　are　connected　with　them。　　Edward　Cowper　was　one　of　the　most　successful　mechanics　in　bringing　the　printing　machine　to　a　state　of　practical　utility。　　He　was　afterwards　connected　with　Mr。　Applegath　of　London；　the　mechanical　engineer　of　the　Times　newspaper*　　＇footnote。。。　Mr。　Koeig's　machines；　first　used　at　the　Times　office；　were　patented　in　1814。　　They　were　too　complicated　and　expensive；　and　the　inking　was　too　imperfect　for　general　adoption。　　They　were　superseded　by　Mr。　Edward　Cowper's　machine；　which　he　invented　and　patented　in　1816。　He　afterwards　added　the　inking　roller　and　table　to　the　common　press。　The　effect　of　Mr。　Cowper's　invention　was　to　improve　the　quality　and　speed　of　printing；　and　to　render　literature　accessible　to　millions　of　readers。　　。。。＇　he　invented　for　the　proprietors　a　machine　that　threw　off　from　4500　to　5000　impressions　in　the　hour。

In　course　of　time　the　Brothers　Cowper　removed　the　manufacture　of　their　printing　machines　from　London　；to　Manchester。　　There　they　found　skilled　and　energetic　workmen；　ready　to　carry　their　plans　into　effect。　They　secured　excellent　premises；　supplied　with　the　best　modern　machine　tools；　in　the　buildings　of　Wren　and　Bennett；　about　two　minutes'　walk　from　my　workshop；　which　I　rented　from　the　same　landlords。

I　had　much　friendly　intercourse　with　the　Cowpers；　especially　with　Ebenezer　the　younger　brother；　who　took　up　his　residence　at　Manchester　for　the　purpose　of　specially　superintending　the　manufacture　of　printing　machines。　　These　were　soon　in　large　demand；　not　only　for　the　printing　of　books　but　of　newspapers。　　One　of　the　first　booksellers　who　availed　himself　of　the　benefits　of　the　machine　was　Mr。　Charles　Knight；　who　projected　the　Penny　Magazine　of　1832；　and　sold　it　to　the　extent　of　about　180；000　copies　weekly。　　It　was　also　adopted　by　the　Messrs。　Chambers　of　Edinburgh；　and　the　proprietors　of　the　Magasin　Pittoresque　of　Paris。　　The　Universities　of　Oxford　and　Cambridge　also　used　Cowper's　machine　in　printing　vast　numbers　of　bibles　and　prayer…books；　thereby　reducing　their　price　to　one…third　of　the　former　cost。　　There　was　scarcely　a　newspaper　of　any　importance　in　the　country　that　was　not　printed　with　a　Cowper's　machine。

As　I　possessed　some　self…acting　tools　that　were　specially　suited　to　execute　some　of　the　most　refined　and　important　parts　of　the　printing　machine；　the　Messrs。　　Cowper　transferred　their　execution　to　me。　　This　was　a　great　advantage　to　both。　　They　were　relieved　of　the　technical　workmanship；　while　I　kept　my　men　and　machine　tools　fully　employed　at　times　when　they　might　otherwise　have　been　standing　idle。　Besides；　I　derived　another　advantage　from　my　connection　with　the　Brothers　Cowper；　by　having　frequent　orders　to　supply　my　small　steam…engines；　which　were　found　to　be　so　suitable　for　giving　motion　to　the　printing　machines。　　At　first　the　machines　were　turned　by　hand；　and　very　exhausting　work　it　was；　but　the　small　steam…engine　soon　relieved　the　labourer　from　his　heavy　work。

Edward　frequently　visited　Manchester　to　arrange　with　his　brother　as　to　the　increasing　manufacture　of　the　printing　machines；　and　also　to　introduce　such　improvements　in　the　minor　details　as　the　experience　and　special　requirements　of　the　printing　trade　suggested。　　It　was　on　these　occasions　that　I　had　the　happy　opportunity　of　becoming　intimately　acquainted　with　him；　and　this　resulted　in　a　firm　friendship　which　continued　until　the　close　of　his　admirable　life。　　The　clear　and　masterly　way　in　which；　by　some　happy　special　faculty；　he　could　catch　up　the　essential　principles　and　details　of　any　mechanical　combination；　however　novel　the　subject　might　be；　was　remarkable；　and　the　quaint　and　humorous　manner　in　which　he　treated　all　such　subjects；　in　no　small　degree　caused　his　shrewd　and　intelligent　remarks　to　take　a　lasting　hold　of　the　memory。

On　many　occasions　Edward　Cowper　gave　Friday　evening　lectures　on　technical　subjects　at　the　Royal　Institution；　London。　　Next　to　Faraday；　no　one　held　the　attention　of　a　delighted　audience　in　so　charming　a　manner　as　he　did。　　Like　Faraday；　he　possessed　the　power　of　clearly　unveiling　his　subject；　and　stripping　it　of　all　its　complicated　perplexities。　　His　illustrations　were　simple；　clear；　and　understandable。　Technical　words　were　avoided　as　much　as　possible。　　He　threw　the　ordinary　run　of　lecturers　far　into　the　shade。　　Intelligent　boys　and　girls　could　understand　him。　　Next　to　Faraday；　no　one　filled　the　theatre　of　the　Institution　with　such　eager　and　crowded　audiences　as　he　did。　His　choice　of　subjects；　as　well　as　his　masterly　treatment；　always　rendered　his　lectures　instructive　and　attractive。　　He　was　one　of　the　most　kind…hearted　of　men；　and　the　cheerful　way　in　which　he　laid　aside　his　ordinary　business　to　give　instruction　and　pleasure　to　others　endeared　him　to　a　very　wide　circle　of　devoted　friends。


CHAPTER　11。　　Bridgewater　FoundryPartnership。

My　business　went　on　prosperously。　　I　had　plenty　of　orders；　and　did　my　best　to　execute　them　satisfactorily。　　Shortly　after　the　opening　of　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway　there　was　a　largely　increased　demand　for　machine…making　tools。　　The　success　of　that　line　led　to　the　construction　of　other　lines；　concentrating　in　Manchester；　and　every　branch　of　manufacture　shared　in　the　prosperity　of　the　time。

There　was　a　great　demand　for　skilled；　and　even　for　unskilled　labour。　The　demand　was　greater　than　the　supply。　　Employers　were　subjected　to　exorbitant　demands　for　increased　rates　of　wages。　　The　workmen　struck；　and　their　wages　were　raised。　　But　the　results　were　not　always　satisfactory。　　Except　in　the　cases　of　the　old　skilled　hands；　the　work　was　executed　more　carelessly　than　before。　　The　workmen　attended　less　regularly；　and　sometimes；　when　they　ought　to　have　been　at　work　on　Monday　mornings；　they　did　not　appear　until　Wednesday。　Their　higher　wages　had　been　of　no　use　to　them；　but　the　reverse。　Their　time　had　been　spent　for　the　most　part　in　two　days'　extra　drinking。

The　irregularity　and　carelessness　of　the　workmen　naturally　proved　very　annoying　to　the　employers。　　But　it　gave　an　increased　stimulus　to　the　demand　for　self…ac